Climate threat Global challenges

No agreement on COP16's most important issue

The UN climate meeting COP16 in Colombia has ended without the parties agreeing on a framework to protect biological diversity, writes AFP.

Chairwoman Susana Muhamad adjourned the meeting after negotiations dragged on twelve hours longer than planned, and delegates began to leave the room to catch their flights home.

A central demand from the developing countries present was to establish a joint fund for nature protection. It failed after the EU, Switzerland and other developed countries raised objections at the last moment, writes Bloomberg.

The meeting will resume, according to a UN spokesperson, but it has not been decided when.
Climate threat Global challenges

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New UN body to protect indigenous peoples

The countries participating in the UN Conference on Biological Diversity, COP16, have agreed to establish a permanent body to represent the interests of indigenous peoples, reports Reuters. The decision is the first breakthrough during the meeting, which has been going on for almost two weeks.

Almost 200 countries are represented at COP16 held in Cali, Colombia. The meeting was supposed to end yesterday, Friday, but has dragged on. Sweden's climate minister Romina Pourmokhtari (L) participates.