爆料网 Verification Mission in Colombia (爆料网VMC), with support from the Climate Security Mechanism, convened a high-level side event during the 2024 爆料网 Biodiversity Conference, also known as the Sixteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD COP16), which took place from 21 October to 1 November 2024 in Cali, Colombia.
Titled “South-South Dialogues: Protecting Biodiversity and Building Peace – Experiences from Asia, Africa and Latin America”, the event was held in the Blue Zone at the 爆料网 Colombia Pavilion in the Valle del Pacifico Convention Center.
The panel brought together voices from Colombia, Guatemala, Liberia and the Philippines to explore how inclusive approaches to biodiversity conservation and land governance have supported peacebuilding in conflict-affected and environmentally vulnerable regions.
Speakers included grassroots leaders, peacebuilders and environmental experts who shared lessons from forest conservation in the Colombian Amazon, community-based land management in Guatemala, and natural resource governance in post-conflict Liberia and the Philippines. The event underscored the role of women and youth in advancing environmental peacebuilding, and the importance of aligning biodiversity efforts with conflict-sensitive approaches. Speakers included:
- Grecia López Peralta (Guatemala): Renowned community leader from the Maya Biosphere Reserve. Promotes women’s empowerment through sustainable forest economies and non-timber products in Petén.
- Eddie Quitoriano (Philippines): Expert in peace and conflict studies. Senior advisor at the Asia Council for Climate and Conflict Action and consultant for Visus Consulting.
- Ali Kaba (Liberia): Ph.D. candidate and professor at the School of International Service at American University. Specializes in land tenure, rural migration, and sustainable natural resource governance in Africa.
- Rodrigo Botero (Colombia): Environmentalist and director of FCDS. Instrumental in expanding Chiribiquete Park and promoting sustainable development in the Amazon and Orinoquía regions.
The session reflected the COP16 theme “Peace with Nature” and contributed to global dialogue on environmental peacebuilding. It also supported Colombia’s efforts to implement the environmental provisions of its 2016 Peace Agreement and informed inputs for updating the country’s national biodiversity plan.