Egypt's Environment Minister, Yasmin Fouad, travelled to Montreal, Canada, to participate in the "Endgame Facilitation" workshop for preparations for the sixteenth Conference of the Parties (COP16) to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity. The workshop, held on August 18-19, brought together key figures in the biodiversity community, including Huang Runqiu, China's Minister of Ecology and Environment and COP15 president; Xie Zhenhua, China's Special Envoy on Climate Change; Maria Susana Muhamad, Colombia's Minister of Environment and Sustainable Development; Marina Silva, Brazil's Minister of Environment and Climate Change; Maisa Rojas, Chile's Minister of Environment; Steven Guilbeault, Canada's Minister of Environment and Climate Change; and David Cooper, acting executive secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity. Fouad, who served as President of the fourteenth session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (COP14) from 2018 to 2021, shared her expertise in presiding over biodiversity conferences. She highlighted Egypt's significant role in facilitating the preparation of the post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework, and her co-leadership with her Canadian counterpart in consultations on the Global Biodiversity Framework during COP15. These efforts aimed to ease negotiations during the conference on the global biodiversity goal. The workshop, which brings together the three presidents of the Convention on Biological Diversity—Egypt (COP14), China (COP15), and Colombia (COP16)—aims to facilitate a successful COP16 and the remaining preparatory negotiations in 2024. It will clarify the presidency's negotiation strategy and produce a report outlining negotiation management strategies and operational action items for the Colombian presidency. Fouad said the workshop seeks to assist Colombia, the upcoming president of COP16, in managing productive negotiations characterised by transparency and inclusivity. Fouad explained that progress towards achieving the goals of COP16 is driven by various key actors responsible for different roles in the negotiation process, including the Colombian presidency, the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity, and the co-chairs. These actors play a crucial role in building bridges and developing proposals for decision-making within and outside the formal negotiation tracks of COP16. She emphasised the need to define roles and reach a shared understanding of these roles among all participants. She also stressed the importance of better integrating political leadership into the negotiation process to leverage it effectively and ensure the overall success of COP16. Fouad added that defining strategies and tools for convergence brings the parties in the negotiation process closer to agreement. This includes fostering a conducive negotiation environment, encouraging linkages between issues and comprehensive deals across various areas, effectively managing the agenda and text drafting, and preparing for the final declaration.
