In 2011, at COP11 in Hyderabad, India, I joined Allain Bougrain-Dubourg, president of the LPO, as part of a delegation that came to speak up for birds and, more broadly, to advocate for greater consideration of biodiversity in international decision-making.
Whether it’s the Conference of the Parties (COP) to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), the COP to CITES on international trade in wild species, or the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS), I pay particular attention to the forums where the rules and partnerships essential to the protection of life are developed.
Protecting a migratory species at its breeding site makes sense only if it can also find preserved habitats along its migration routes and at its wintering grounds. Nothing sustainable can therefore be achieved without cooperation among states, international organisations, scientists, and advocacy groups.
Over the years, I have also taken on another mission that is particularly close to my heart: making sense of these negotiations.
Behind the acronyms, the sometimes highly technical texts, and the long nights of negotiations lie decisions that directly affect our shared future. I therefore strive, through the media, public statements, and analytical reports, to explain the issues at stake, the progress made, and also the limitations.
Participating in the COPs means negotiating and persuading. It means building alliances and advancing common positions. But it also means making these decisions understandable to as many people as possible.
Because biodiversity diplomacy must not remain the preserve of specialists.
