Turkey Steps Back: Earthquakes Forces Withdrawal from Hosting Vital UN Biodiversity Meeting in 2024

Turkey has recently announced that it will not be able to host a major United Nations biodiversity meeting in 2024. The decision comes as Turkey continues to recover from a series of devastating earthquakes that occurred in February 2023.

The withdrawal from presiding over the COP16 meeting was made due to a force majeure situation caused by the earthquakes, according to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). The COP16 talks are aimed at building upon a historic agreement reached at the 2022 talks, which focused on saving Earth's lands, oceans, and species from pollution, degradation, and the climate crisis.

This agreement, often hailed as a peace pact with nature and likened to the landmark Paris climate deal, was reached by the more than 190 countries that participate in the UN biodiversity process. In a letter published on its website, the CBD expressed Turkey's regrets about stepping down from leadership of the talks.

The talks are currently scheduled to take place from October 21 to November 1 in 2024. The CBD also stated that it would seek offers from other countries willing to host the meeting. Last year's agreement, which included commitments to protect 30 percent of the planet as a designated zone by 2030, came after four years of challenging negotiations marked by the disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Ultimately, China, as the host country, presided over the final talks in Canada. Turkey's decision to withdraw from hosting the COP16 meeting emphasizes the ongoing challenges faced by countries in the aftermath of natural disasters.

The UN and its various bodies, such as the CBD, will continue to work towards global biodiversity conservation and climate action as they explore alternative options for the location of the biodiversity meeting.