Raising APAP’s profile on the global stage at 2018 UN Biodiversity Conference

^{60 people attended the APAP side event at CBD COP14. - Photo by IISD/ENB | Kiara Worth}

On 21 November, APAP organised a side event at the 2018 UN Biodiversity Conference (CBD COP14) in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt. At the event, APAP shared some of the lessons learned from the partnership and explored its role in helping achieve the Aichi Biodiversity Targets. Despite the late hour and distant venue, the side event drew a packed crowd of some 60 people.

Representatives from several APAP Member Countries also gave presentations at the event. Mr Sagar Kumar Rimal, Under Secretary of the Nepal Ministry of Forests and Environment, and Mr Win Naing Thaw, Director of the Nature and Wildlife Conservation Division of the Myanmar Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation, spoke about the development of the protected area systems in their respective countries, their reasons for joining APAP and their expectations from the Partnership in the future. The Pakistan Ministry of Climate Change also submitted a written statement in support of APAP, which was read on behalf of the ministry by Dr Scott Perkin from IUCN.

 
^{Sagar Kumar Rimal from the Nepal Ministry of Forests and Environment gives his presentation - Photo by IISD/ENB | Kiara Worth}

Mr Issei Nakahara, Assistant Director of the Biodiversity Policy Division of Japan Ministry of the Environment, and Dr Hag-young Heo, Senior Research Fellow at the National Park Research Institute of the Korea National Park Service, spoke about APAP’s technical workshops on collaborative management and managing protected areas effectively.

The APAP Secretariat also presented an overview of the Partnership, including its history, membership, and achievements over the last four years. The presentation can be found here.

To see photos and read more about the side event on the IISD Reporting Services website, please click here.