The 16th United Nations Biodiversity Conference, or COP16, is set to bring biodiversity into the global spotlight, addressing urgent environmental issues. Delegates will focus on financing biodiversity recovery and tackling environmental crimes, with discussions on indigenous rights and nature’s DNA ownership taking center stage.
Also in today’s edition: We look at what it means to be a conservationist, the pandemic fund, vaccines for Marburg and mpox, and U.K. aid.
+ Listen: In the latest episode of our weekly podcast episode, Devex’s Raj Kumar, Adva Saldinger, and Michael Igoe break down what we can expect from the World Bank and International Monetary Fund annual meetings happening next week.
Nature in focus
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Next week, biodiversity takes center stage at COP16 in Cali, Colombia — expected to be the largest and best-attended biodiversity COP ever. After years of playing second fiddle to climate talks, nature’s moment in the spotlight has finally arrived. With delegates jetting in from across the globe, we can expect bold proposals and fresh perspectives to tackle some of the planet’s most pressing ecological challenges.
“It’s really been a process in the shadows of the climate process for many years,” says Crystal Davis of the Food, Land and Water Program at the World Resources Institute. “But this year, I wouldn’t be surprised if there are more people at COP 16 than the climate COP 29 in Baku.”
The stakes are high — wildlife numbers have dropped a staggering 73% between 1970 and 2020, according to the World Wide Fund for Nature, or WWF. Colombia, chosen after Turkey bowed out due to earthquakes, brings its own drama — as one of the most biodiverse countries, but also notorious as the deadliest place for environmental activists in 2022. Critics are already questioning how effectively indigenous voices and activist concerns will be heard.
A key focus at the summit will be on financing: Back in 2022, nations pledged $20 billion annually by 2025 to restore biodiversity, but so far, there’s an $11.6 billion gap in funding. A recent report found that 23 out of 28 countries have yet to pay even half of their promised contributions, write my colleagues Jesse Chase-Lubitz and Ayenat Mersie.
Beyond the money, delegates will also hammer out strategies to curb environmental crimes like illegal mining and deforestation — major issues for Colombia’s fragile ecosystems.
But there’s optimism, too. Hot topics like “who owns nature’s DNA” and safeguarding indigenous land rights are expected to dominate discussions. With the slogan “Peace with Nature” setting the tone, the hope is for progress that protects both people and planet. Whether this vision will be realized remains to be seen.
Read: Everything on the table at COP16 (Pro)
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Beyond endangered species
Conservation is often narrowly viewed as just protecting endangered species, but it's far more than that. At the eighth International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Asia Forum, experts highlighted that conservation intersects with many of the SDGs, including those related to water access, health, poverty, and food security. Loris Palentini from WWF-Laos stressed that conservation issues affect us all, not just isolated ecosystems.
Grethel Aguilar of IUCN emphasized that conservation isn't just about saving plants and animals — it's about sustaining ecosystems that humans depend on. Conservation must be integrated into all areas of development to maintain the planet's biodiversity, which in turn impacts soil fertility, water access, and food systems.
Beyond its traditional roles, conservation is increasingly linked to broader social issues like gender violence and food security, as organizations like WWF collaborate with other NGOs. This integration of efforts highlights that anyone, not just scientists, can contribute to conservation in some capacity, writes Rebecca Root for Devex.
Read: Working in conservation — 3 things for development pros to know
ICYMI: Can this new blended finance model work for conservation goals? (Pro)
Streamlining crisis response
The Pandemic Fund’s swift response to the mpox outbreak in sub-Saharan Africa was largely due to lucky timing, with $128.9 million being quickly allocated to 10 countries. The fund was already reviewing proposals when the World Health Organization declared mpox a public health emergency in August. This made it easy for countries to modify existing proposals for a rapid response.
But the Pandemic Fund’s board is now considering creating a dedicated emergency finance window for future outbreaks, allowing faster action even outside funding rounds. This would streamline the process for emergencies, with potential triggers like a WHO emergency declaration. The idea is to complement — not duplicate — existing funding mechanisms while ensuring flexibility to adapt in real time to global health crises, writes Andrew Green for Devex.
A key concern remains balancing this with the fund's broader mission of improving pandemic preparedness. However, the focus on mpox demonstrates that emergency investments can help address immediate threats and boost long-term preparedness, like improving lab capacities and surveillance systems. The secretariat is also working to raise an additional $2 billion to expand the fund’s capacity for future emergencies and targeted projects.
Read: The Pandemic Fund considers an emergency financing model
+ Join us in Washington, D.C., on Oct. 24 for Devex World where Priya Basu, executive head of the Pandemic Fund, will speak to my colleague Rumbi Chakamba about financing pandemic preparedness. Get your tickets now.
Vaccine progress, funding delays
The outbreak of the deadly Marburg disease in Rwanda is improving, Minister of Health Dr. Sabin Nsanzimana told reporters yesterday. This is the third week of the outbreak — and new infections are down more than 50% over the first two weeks, with no new cases reported in the past four days.
Most people have recovered from treatment centers in the last few days, outnumbering those who passed away from this virus, he said. Ongoing vaccine trials may have played a “big role” in these successes, coupled with the intensive work in tracking down cases, he said.
But the mpox outbreak on the continent is looking less promising, Devex Senior Reporter Sara Jerving tells me. There have been 1,100 deaths this year — a threshold that the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention’s Dr. Jean Kaseya said they didn’t want to reach. He criticized the slow pace at which financial pledges are translating into funding that first responders can use — pointing specifically to the Pandemic Fund pledge and the U.S. government's pledge of $500 million. He called on donors to release these funds “very quickly.”
“Mpox is going out of control if we don't act,” he said. “We are not making huge progress.”
ICYMI: How far are we from a licensed vaccine for deadly Marburg?
See also: Responders outline the complexities of controlling mpox in Africa (Pro)
Aid cuts loom, priorities shift
The question on everyone’s lips when the U.K. Development Minister Anneliese Dodds made her first policy speech was: Will the new-ish Labour government press ahead with spending plans that will plunge aid spending overseas to a 17-year low?
Dodds set out four priorities — “partnership” with the global south, multilateral reform, “harnessing” U.K. expertise, and “growing opportunity for all” — which have the common denominator of coming cost-free.
The immediate issue is an Oct. 30 financial statement when the aid budget needs a hefty bailout to avoid a return to the dark days of cuts under the ousted Conservative government. The Center for Global Development think tank puts the likely pain at £900 million ($1.17 billion) this year alone, my colleague Rob Merrick tells me.
Dodds swerved the issue of whether a top-up would be delivered, but there were clear hints that the answer would be no. The minister referred to the “difficult financial situation” and urged her audience to recognize “the complexity of those challenges in the shorter term” and wait for “the long term” for any sunlit uplands.
The minister again made clear that Labour will continue the practice of diverting billions from the aid budget to housing asylum-seekers in the U.K. until those numbers have dropped — calling the practice an “international statistical convention from the OECD,” although countries are not required to adopt it and many do not.
ICYMI: Minister won’t say when UK aid spending on hosting refugees will end (Pro)
+ Catch up on all the latest news in U.K. aid.
Navigating the UN job maze
Getting a fixed-term job at the U.N. is tough and highly sought after, but there are multiple ways to get a foot in the door. It’s a bit of a global bureaucracy maze and competition is fierce. But if you’re determined, you’ve got options, writes Rebecca.
• Professional programs: If you’re early in your career, you can try entering through programs like the Junior Professional Officer Programme, or JPO, or the Young Professionals Programme, or YPP. Think of these as the U.N.'s version of boot camps for fresh talent — great opportunities, but super competitive!
• U.N. volunteers: If you are looking for a fast track, volunteering through the United Nations volunteers program is a stepping stone. Whether you're tackling gender issues or supporting microfinance, this hands-on experience could catapult you into a full-time role.
• Consultancies: A lot of U.N. staff start with consultancy roles — test-driving the job. They’re easier to get than fixed-term positions and often lead to more permanent roles.
• Working with U.N. partners: Working for U.N. partner NGOs or organizations that are closely linked can also help. It’s like building your U.N. resume while not officially on the payroll.
The trick to cracking the U.N. code is patience, persistence, and flexibility. Keep networking, be open to different roles, and expect a little rejection before navigating the marble halls.
Read: Breaking into the UN — lessons learned from experienced pros (Career)
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In other news
The Disasters Emergency Committee, which comprises 15 of U.K.’s biggest charities, has launched a fundraising drive to support people affected by conflicts in the Middle East. [BBC]
Over 1 billion people across 112 countries live in poverty, with nearly half of them in conflict settings, according to a U.N. Development Programme report. [Al Jazeera]
A worsening global water crisis, driven by mismanagement, land use, and climate change, is threatening over half of the world's food production, according to a Global Commission on the Economics of Water report. [The Guardian]
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About the author
Helen Murphy
Helen is an award-winning journalist and Senior Editor at Devex, where she edits coverage on global development in the Americas. Based in Colombia, she previously covered war, politics, financial markets, and general news for Reuters, where she headed the bureau, and for Bloomberg in Colombia and Argentina, where she witnessed the financial meltdown. She started her career in London as a reporter for Euromoney Publications before moving to Hong Kong to work for a daily newspaper.
