Thirteen Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) have supported the call for a stand-alone gender equality target in the post-2020 global biodiversity framework during the resumed session of the Open-Ended Working Group on the Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework in Geneva, Switzerland this month. The Parties are Costa Rica, Guatemala, Argentina, Dominican Republic, Mexico, Chile, Cote d’Ivoire, Ecuador, Togo, Benin, Cameroon, Tanzania, and Uruguay. The stand-alone gender equality target, Target 22, was initially proposed by Costa Rica.
During an action calling for the gender equality target organized by Women4Biodiversity last March 21 at the CBD meetings, five Parties available at that time (Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Mexico, Chile, and Uruguay) spoke words of support in front of other delegates and signed the “I support gender equality target” banner at the conference center’s lobby.
Costa Rica affirmed the importance of the stand-alone target, Target 22, and the hope to gain more support for it. Dominican Republic pointed to the absence of gender in the Aichi Biodiversity Targets and the need for gender mainstreaming this time in the post-2020 global biodiversity framework. Chile also expressed the need to mainstream gender in the framework. Uruguay noted gender to be a cross-cutting issue that needs to be in the framework. Meanwhile, Mexico reiterated that they will keep pushing for both the post-2020 global biodiversity framework and the Gender Plan of Action. They expressed approval for the inclusion of girls in the target, as girls are “key rights holders in the conservation of biodiversity.”
Representatives from the Women’s Caucus – UN CBD, Global Youth Biodiversity Network, and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights also spoke and signed their support as part of the action.
The action, titled “Adopt Target 22 this 2022,” was organized by Women4Biodiversity. The event started with Women4Biodiversity calling for gender champions, followed by a traditional Mexican ritual facilitated by an International Indigenous Forum on Biodiversity (IIFB) and Indigenous Women’s Biodiversity Network (IWBN) member. Parties and allies supporting Target 22 then spoke about and signed their support for Target 22, and Women4Biodiversity gave them a tulip in acknowledgment and gratitude.
Other delegates also signed the banner during the two-week meetings.
Watch the replay of the March 21 action “Adopt Target 22 this 2022” here.
More pictures from the action below:
