The loss of biodiversity, along with climate change and pollution, represents one of the greatest challenges facing humanity. In economic terms, it poses a potential loss of half of the world's GDP (approximately $44 trillion), which depends to some extent on nature. The biodiversity crisis, caused by human activities such as illegal mining, deteriorates strategic ecosystems, but the damage it generates is overshadowed by the economic benefits it brings.
The Department against Transnational Organized Crime (DTOC) of the OAS Secretariat for Multidimensional Security has been increasingly supporting its Member States in combating illegal mining and environmental crimes, committed to mandates that extend to deforestation, the protection of flora and fauna, illegal fishing, among others.
The objective of the event is to promote a dialogue among representatives of environmental authorities, academia, specialized international organizations, and community representatives, among other related stakeholders, to address the issue of illegal mining and biodiversity loss in a sustainable transition context. The aim is to identify the challenges faced by communities and other users of strategic ecosystems in Latin America and the Caribbean, as well as the necessary actions to comprehensively reverse these negative impacts and achieve better coordination between public and private institutions and actors on the ground in the countries.
Goals of the Global Biodiversity Framework
The event is framed by the following goals:
- Goal 7: Reduce the risks and negative impacts of pollution on biological diversity and ecosystem services by 2030.
- Goal 11: "...Restore, maintain, and enhance nature's contributions to people, including ecosystem functions and services..."