Cali, Colombia - October 20, 2024

Global leaders and environmental experts gathered in Cali, Colombia, on Sunday for the opening ceremony of the 16th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity, a 12-day meeting aimed at advancing biodiversity conservation.

The meeting, which begins on Monday and runs through November 1, brings together more than 15,000 people from over 190 countries to push for action on biodiversity conservation, making it the most attended event of its kind since these conferences began in 1994, UN officials said.

The Colombian government, as the host, is pushing for this meeting to be the most inclusive in its history.

The goal of this meeting is for countries to take action to protect the world's flora and fauna, as experts warn that the extinction of species could begin to accelerate at an alarming rate due to climate crisis, deforestation and pollution.

To change or stop these threats against nature, COP16 this year seeks to engage a wider spectrum of society in discussions, such as indigenous groups and other communities that live in biodiversity hotspots, hoping that increased participation will translate into tangible conservation efforts.

The conference will also scrutinize past agreements, such as the Kunming-Montreal pact signed during the previous summit in Canada two years ago to address biodiversity loss and the restoration of ecosystems, as the vast majority of the 196 parties who signed that pact have yet to follow through with concrete action plans.

Colombia's President Gustavo Petro attended Sunday's opening ceremony, as did a delegation from China. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres addressed the gathering by video link.

Beyond opening remarks by high-level officials, attendees also took in artistic presentations meant to stir deeper consciousness of the human relationship with and dependence on the natural world.

Expectations are high for societal sectors to actively participate in wildlife and plant conservation, aligning with the COP16 theme of "Peace with Nature".

Shotlist:
Cali, Colombia - Oct 20, 2024:
1. Various of participants at opening ceremony of 16th meeting of Conference of Parties to UN Convention on Biological Diversity; sign showing "COP 16";
2. Words on board showing "Amazon Conservation";
3. Various of screen showing conservation efforts, words showing "SOS water";
4. Various of participants; media crew interviewing participant;
5. Various of poster of wildlife; COP 16 participants.

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