Kunming Biodiversity Fund releases third batch of project solicitation guide

China News Service, Kunming, September 8 (Reporters Ruan Yulin and Han Shuainan) China's Ministry of Ecology and Environment stated in Kunming on the 7th that the Kunming Biodiversity Fund (Kunming Fund for short) is operating in an orderly manner. At present, the Kunming Fund has released the third batch of project collection guidelines, and developing countries with mature conditions are welcome to submit high-quality projects as soon as possible.

As the chairman of the 15th Conference of the Parties (COP15) of the Convention on Biological Diversity, China successfully led the achievement of the landmark outcome document "Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework" (referred to as the "Kunming-Montreal Framework"). At the same time, China announced that it would take the lead in investing 1.5 billion yuan to establish the Kunming Fund to support biodiversity conservation in developing countries. In May 2024, the Kunming Fund will be officially launched.

Huang Runqiu, Minister of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment of China, said at the Kunming Dialogue on the Global Review of Implementation Progress of the "Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework" held in Kunming on the 7th that as a green public product under the framework of promoting global biodiversity governance and South-South cooperation, so far, the Kunming Fund has approved the implementation of two batches of 31 projects, benefiting 45 developing countries around the world. Recently, the Kunming Fund released the third batch of project solicitation guidelines, continuing to uphold the principles of inclusiveness, transparency, and fairness, and through the implementation of "small but beautiful" projects, to accurately support recipient developing countries in promoting ecological protection and restoration, species protection, and benefit sharing of genetic resources.

Huang Runqiu said that the third batch of project solicitation has set up two application time windows: the first deadline is September 15, developing countries with mature conditions are welcome to submit high-quality projects as soon as possible; the second deadline is November 15, developing country parties are welcome to actively apply based on their national conditions and actual needs to help promote the implementation of the "Kunming-Mongolia Framework".

The Kunming Fund is the first China-led multilateral fund in the field of ecology and environment, co-sponsored by China, the United Nations Environment Program and other United Nations agencies. So far, China has allocated a total of 400 million yuan to the United Nations Multilateral Trust Fund Office. (over)