Sawt Falasteen - Few countries have drawn up nature protection plans: UN

The 196 country members of the UN's Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) had adopted a framework in 2022 with 23 targets to "halt and reverse" the loss of nature by 2030.

About a quarter of assessed animal and plant species are threatened and about a million already face extinction -- many within decades, according to UN data.

Under the so-called Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework adopted in Canada two years ago, countries were requested to present "national biodiversity strategies and action plans" by the COP16 meeting opening in the Colombian city of Cali on Monday.

But CBD executive secretary Astrid Schomaker said Wednesday only 29 out of 196 CBD signatory countries had submitted complete plans to date.

Ninety-one have submitted less-encompassing "national targets."

"We know that many more submissions are on their way," Schomaker told a media briefing.

The 23 targets of the framework include placing at least 30 percent of all land and water areas under conservation by 2030 and halting human-induced extinction of known threatened species.

Thousands of delegates including seven heads of state and about 140 government ministers are expected to attend the 16th Conference of the Parties (COP16) to the CBD, running until November 1.

The forum is tasked with agreeing on monitoring and financing mechanisms to ensure the targets can be met.

A.AbuSaada--SF-PST