In 1992, the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) was established during the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, famously known as the Rio “Earth Summit.” It officially came into force in December 1993. This landmark agreement was driven by the global community’s commitment to sustainable development. Over the past three decades, the CBD has been at the forefront of initiatives aimed at conserving biological diversity, ensuring the sustainable use of its components, and promoting the fair and equitable sharing of benefits derived from genetic resources.
National and subnational governments, intergovernmental organizations, non-governmental organizations, the scientific community, business and industry groups, indigenous peoples, and local communities are usually well represented in the CBD and other international discussions. However, a notable gap exists in the representation of youth, particularly early-career professionals in the biosciences.
This group includes graduate and post-graduate students from core biological disciplines like molecular biology, genetics, microbiology, and biochemistry, as well as applied fields such as biotechnology, bioinformatics, and biomedical engineering. Additionally, the group encompasses very passionate early-career professionals in interdisciplinary areas like agricultural science, marine, and environmental biology.
The voices and perspectives of this group are crucial for shaping the future of biodiversity conservation, yet they remain underrepresented in these critical forums. Moreso, with a deep understanding of the intricate interconnections between species and their ecosystems, youth in biosciences represent a unique future generation of advocates for ambitious biodiversity targets. Their inclusion in these discussions is therefore imperative to inject fresh perspectives and innovative solutions, crucial for the effective conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity.
Recognizing this gap, ISAAA AfriCenter launched the African Youth for Biosciences Network (AYBN) to increase representation and amplify youth voices in global biodiversity discussions. AYBN is a network of young professionals in biosciences, united by a common goal: to represent the voice of African youth in global discussions on biodiversity conservation, climate change mitigation and adaptation, and achieving harmony with nature by 2050. The founding members come from Kenya, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Rwanda, and Egypt.
In February 2024, 25 pioneer members of AYBN convened for the first time in a two-day workshop to discuss emerging issues under the CBD and its protocols. Experts provided updates on critical topics like synthetic biology, engineered gene drives, and digital sequence information on genetic resources (DSI), facilitating in-depth deliberations among the group. A follow-up meeting was held in May, during which AYBN was officially commissioned. With this commissioning, AYBN has set out to contribute, in various capacities, to the ongoing global biodiversity discussions. This includes active involvement in intersessional meetings, youth-led dialogues, and expressing perspectives through blog stories, and social media campaigns.
Primarily, AYBN is committed to contributing efforts in the implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF), The Biodiversity Plan. The GBF, adopted during COP-15, is a comprehensive and ambitious plan designed to address the rapid decline in biodiversity. This framework builds upon the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011–2020 and aims to transform humanity’s relationship with nature by 2030, in line with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (SDGs). By 2050, the framework envisions a world where biodiversity is valued, conserved, restored, and wisely used, ensuring a healthy planet that benefits all people.
The role of African youth in the implementation of the GBF is pivotal. Youth are crucial in driving awareness and engagement within their communities, facilitating the dissemination of information about the importance of biodiversity conservation and sustainable use. Through active involvement, AYBN aims to integrate transformative education on biodiversity into formal and informal educational programs, promoting knowledge and attitudes consistent with living in harmony with nature.
Moreover, AYBN aims to inspire other youth in diverse disciplines beyond biosciences to participate in and lead initiatives that promote biodiversity-friendly practices, ensuring that their voices are represented in national, regional, and international decision-making processes. This is a crucial step towards building an inclusive approach that helps in aligning local actions with global biodiversity targets, fostering a sense of ownership and responsibility among the youth towards achieving the goals set by the framework.
AYBN’s message to the world is simple: everybody must their part in the journey to living in harmony with nature by 2050. Numbers don’t lie. The future of global biodiversity is bleak – unless the global community intervenes urgently to halt the loss and recover what has been lost. Under business-as-usual scenarios, we are looking at a global crisis where over a million species go extinct in the coming decades. Mass species extinction and collapse of key ecosystems will ultimately take away essential services that nature provides humankind for survival on the planet.
Therefore, it is of utmost importance that the world comes together and addresses the problem of biodiversity loss before irreparable damage is caused. This calls for every individual, group, country, region, organization, and international community to take responsibility for halting any further biodiversity loss and promote sustainable approaches to living in harmony with nature – for the sake of both the people and the planet.
The 16th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP) to the CBD (COP16) will convene in Cali, Colombia, between 21 October – 1 November 2024. COP16 will be the first Biodiversity COP since the adoption of GBF. In Cali, member states will review the progress made to implement GBF, and the level of alignment of their National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs) with it. As participants from over 190 countries prepare for COP16, AYBN urges member states to support their youth to participate and contribute to the deliberations, and for the CBD Secretariat to provide more opportunities for youth representation in these negotiations.
See you in Cali.
Godfrey M. Ngure is a Program Associate at ISAAA AfriCenter, and a Doctoral Fellow at the University of Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan. He is currently serving as the AYBN Secretariat. You can reach him at gmngure@isaaa.org