The ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity (ACB), together with the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources (KeTSA) Malaysia as co-hosts of the ASEAN Conference for Biodiversity 2020 (ACB 2020) themed “Towards 2050: Living in Harmony with Nature,” will be bringing the conference online through a series of virtual sessions that covers the main thrusts and themes of the original conference design. 

In view of the changes accorded by the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic and the ongoing restrictions, the ACB 2020 will hold virtual sessions in the run up to a face-to-face conference to be held in 2021 at a date determined before CBD COP 15. 

Given the various consecutive UN events that will highlight mainstreaming biodiversity, halting biodiversity loss and resource mobilisation as agenda items to ensure the success of the post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework, the specific objectives of this activity are as follows:

1. Update AMS officials on the latest thinking and potential directions and emerging relevant text to the post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework;
2. Exchange views on ASEAN priorities and concerns that will need to be discussed among biodiversity, finance and foreign affairs officials of the ASEAN;
3. Provide possible elements on mainstreaming, addressing biodiversity loss and resource mobilisation and consider other issues related to the post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework that may be presented by the ASEAN Member States at the UN Summit on Biodiversity in September 2020 and in the SBI 3 meeting that will happen tentatively in November 2020

The ACB2020 kicked off with a virtual dialogue on the post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) on 23 September. Delegations from the ASEAN Member States (AMS), the ASEAN Secretariat, as well as officials from the ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity (ACB) met with the Executive Secretary and members of the Secretariat of the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and the co-chair of the Open-ended Working Group at. In total, there were 106 participants during this virtual event, including representations from the biodiversity, planning, and foreign affairs officials of the AMS.

The post-2020 global biodiversity framework is envisioned to contain the various elements of the changes that need to happen in the ASEAN region. China, as the COP 15 host, has considered all the work needed to achieve the 2050 Vision as part of what it describes as ‘ecological civilisation.’ In studying sustainability, transition management is the approach used to deal with intractable, recurring, multi-dimensional, and even cross-sectoral challenges. Such a transition has to be done in a constantly evolving and active learning environment that entails the effective management of human and financial resources. Likewise, much attention has to be given to how progress is made, even in small increments, so as not to lose sight of the ultimate goal.

This session will look at the specific details of what these transformations ought to be and provide the AMS and their partners with a clearer perspective of the concrete steps that need to be taken to realise the 2050 Vision for Biodiversity.