CSOs make input into National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan 

 The Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology, and Innovation has engaged Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) in environment and biodiversity in the setting of national targets and review of the National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP) to align with the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.The engagement was to solicit the CSOs' input into the development of the national targets and how to achieve them, using the society approach.The input will form part of the NBSAP document the country will submit to the Secretariat of the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity.Led by MESTI, with support from the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the event also took stock of activities under implementation that will feed into the achievement of the targets. Dr. Peter Dery, Director of Environment at MESTI, speaking at the opening, said following the adoption of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework in December 2022, Ghana was reviewing its N BSAP to help implementation and achievement of the targets.He explained that to complete the NBSAP, input from stakeholders, especially those in the non-government sector, were being solicited to have a comprehensive working document. 'By this activity, we are domesticating the targets of the global framework, which aims at protecting and enhancing the health of our biodiversity, people's well-being and tools to achieve the targets,' he said.  The NBSAP, he explained, would also help the reporting on the status of the domesticated Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework through to 2030 in fulfilment of the global obligation.Dr. Yaw Osei-Owusu, a member of the National Biodiversity Steering Committee, said already, the technical officers had solicited input from other stakeholders, including government agencies to ensure ownership.The workshop, he said, was an opportunity for stakeholders to review the national targets and to develop activities to achieve them and indicators to track prog ress of implementation.'We will harmonise the activities that have been developed by all stakeholders. So, for instance target three, popularly referred to as 30 by 30 - by 2023 Ghana should be able to conserve 30 per cent of its land and seascape. There are activities going on regarding such a target by both government and nongovernmental organisations so, through this process, we will be able to put all together and report accordingly,' he said.Mrs Emelyne Wright-Hanson, Head of Biodiversity Unit, MESTI, said a team had already produced an initial draft of the national targets, but needed suggestions to finetune it.Mrs Wright-Hanson said MESTI was a beneficiary of the Global Biodiversity Framework Early Action Support project, which sought to fast-track readiness and early actions to implement the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.She indicated that the Ministry would continue to engage more stakeholders across the country, seeking suggestions that worked for Ghanaians to finalise and validate the document for submission to the Convention per its requirements.Source: Ghana News Agency