New York - 30 September 2020:  The United Nations Summit on Biodiversity is being convened by the President of the General Assembly along with Heads of State and Government today. The Summit will highlight the crisis facing humanity from the degradation of biodiversity and the urgent need to accelerate action on biodiversity for sustainable development

Biodiversity is declining globally at unprecedented rates causing increased disastrous impacts on people and planet. There is a pressing need for intensive actions for species whose recovery cannot be enabled through the reduction of threats or nature-based solutions. The UN Decade on Biodiversity 2011-2020 is nearing conclusion; yet the progress towards global biodiversity conservation targets including those of the SDGs has been largely insufficient. Consequently, there is a strong need to take urgent action globally throughout the next decade to halt net biodiversity loss and begin restoration for the benefit of planet and people.

Mongolia is not an exception to the rapidly declining  wildlife and reduced biodiversity. UNDP Mongolia is jointly working with partners, donors, and the Government of Mongolia through several projects to address the challenges. UNDP BIOFIN project is providing potential solutions to mobilize financing for biodiversity conservation, through establishing a Conservation Trust Fund, improving effectiveness of the implementation of existing public financing mechanisms through potentially introducing of a pasture use fee in Mongolia to save and protect the rangeland. 

“Strengthening institutional and human resources capacity to implement the Nagoya Protocol,” - UNDP’s global project in Mongolia supported the development of draft legislation on Access to Genetic Resources and the Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits Arising from their Utilization that should provide critically needed certainty in the use of genetic resources as well as support investing in biodiversity-based research.

Lastly, the “Ensuring sustainability and resilience in green landscapes of Mongolia “ project, jointly funded by Global Environmental Facility and UNDP, is aiming to improve biodiversity conservation through reduction of various threats, that are causing extinction of globally important species in Mongolia. The project is introducing multi-faceted solutions to existing barriers of sustainable development in different ecosystems  

When biodiversity is degraded or lost, results are disastrous for the greater web of life and increased risk of disease infection from wildlife to people. Responses to the pandemic provide a unique opportunity for transformative change as a global community in addressing the root causes of biodiversity loss and ensuring that biodiversity and the contributions it provides to all people are at the heart of sustainable development and the fight against climate change. Thus, UNDP is calling for Urgent Action on biodiversity and sustainable development – for people and for planet.

About UNDP

UNDP is the leading United Nations organization fighting to end the injustice of poverty, inequality, and climate change. Working with our broad network of experts and partners in 170 countries, we help nations to build integrated, lasting solutions for people and planet.

Learn more at mn.undp.org or follow at @UNDPMongolia.

For further inquiries:

Erdenesukh Otgonbayar

Communications Officer

UNDP Mongolia

Tel: +976 9909 6434

Email: erdenesukh.otgonbayar@undp.org