Cairo: Environment Minister Yasmine Fouad held a meeting on Saturday 25/1/2025 with her Colombian counterpart Susana Muhamad, via video conference, as part of ministerial consultations on rallying resources for the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD).

According to State Information Service Egypt, the talks addressed mechanisms for financing biological diversity to achieve the objectives of the new global framework for biological diversity. Fouad praised Colombia’s efforts in hosting and leading COP16 and acknowledged Muhamad’s role in facilitating discussions on funding as a crucial element in combating the global challenge of biodiversity loss.

Fouad emphasized that Egypt’s position on biodiversity financing aligns with the African group’s stance, which underscores the necessity for establishing a finance mechanism dedicated to biodiversity. She highlighted the Global Environment Facility (GEF) as a capable entity in managing public finance resources from developed nations, while noting that Egypt advocates for a more comprehensive and supportive mechanism to mobilize funds from various sources.

The Colombian minister provided insights into consultations held with multiple countries to gather perspectives on biodiversity finance, aiming to bridge differences in views to reach a political consensus. She also praised Egypt’s vision in addressing the issue of biodiversity financing.