As COP 17 of the Convention on Biological Diversity in Yerevan approaches, OSS is continuing its commitment to turn the ambitions of the Global Biodiversity Framework into concrete action. The Nairobi stage confirmed one priority: better connect country needs, African expertise, knowledge, tools and financing to accelerate implementation of the commitments towards 2030.
The adoption of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework at COP15 marked a major turning point. With 23 targets to achieve by 2030, the international community now has a shared roadmap. The challenge today is to move from commitments to implementation by giving countries the technical, institutional and financial capacities needed to act across their territories.
This is the context for the work of the Sahara and Sahel Observatory, designated by the Convention on Biological Diversity as a Technical and Scientific Cooperation Support Centre for eight countries in North Africa and the Horn of Africa. This role enables OSS to place its expertise and networks at the service of country needs and strengthen connections between national institutions, scientists, technical partners and financing mechanisms.
A key stage on the road to Yerevan
The seventh meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Implementation, held in Nairobi, was an important stage in preparing for COP 17. It helped identify the main obstacles to implementing the Global Biodiversity Framework: insufficient institutional and technical capacities, the need for data and monitoring tools, access to expertise, and the need to better connect solutions with financing.
For OSS, one lesson is clear: capacity building must begin with countries' real needs. Contexts, available skills and data systems differ from one country to another. Technical cooperation must therefore adapt to national priorities, encourage ownership of solutions and mobilize the most relevant expertise.
Nairobi also confirmed that Africa already has significant scientific and technical expertise. The challenge is now to better identify, connect and circulate it. Cooperation between the five African support centres directly serves this ambition by building a network capable of promoting the continent's expertise, facilitating peer exchange and providing coordinated responses to the needs of Parties.
“From data to knowledge,from knowledge to decision,and from decision to action.”
From data to action
The designation of OSS as a Technical and Scientific Cooperation Support Centre builds on several decades of experience supporting African countries. Earth observation, mapping, ecosystem monitoring, natural capital accounting, information systems and environmental reporting are among the fields in which the organization has developed tools and strengthened national capacities.
The COPERNICEA and AfrikENCA projects have contributed to developing expertise in natural capital accounting and improving the integration of ecosystem conditions into decision-making. Support for Tunisia and Libya in reporting processes related to the Nagoya and Cartagena Protocols also demonstrates the ability of OSS to bring international requirements closer to national realities.
This experience now enables OSS to strengthen an essential continuum: from data to knowledge, from knowledge to decision, and from decision to action.
An integrated African approach
For OSS, the road to Yerevan is also an opportunity to advocate an integrated approach to biodiversity. In arid, semi-arid and Sahelian regions, biodiversity challenges are closely connected with land degradation, water availability and climate change. Ecosystem restoration is therefore a point of convergence between biodiversity objectives, land degradation neutrality, climate adaptation, water security and community resilience.
This vision also opens the way to stronger alignment between the three Rio Conventions, supporting programmes that are more integrated and better adapted to the needs of African countries.
Make Yerevan a stage for acceleration
At COP 17, the challenge will not only be to negotiate. It will also be to demonstrate results, share experience, promote African solutions and build the partnerships needed to take them to scale.
For OSS, preparation for Yerevan therefore begins well before the COP opens. It is built through support to countries, stronger capacities, the circulation of knowledge, cooperation between support centres, and the mobilization of partners and financing.
“Listen to needs. Mobilize expertise. Connect actors. Promote solutions.”
With this ambition, OSS continues on the road to Yerevan to help make COP 17 a true stage for accelerating biodiversity action by 2030.