Within the national efforts carried out by the Environmental Quality Authority (EQA) in partnership with the Palestine Institute for Biodiversity and Sustainability / Bethlehem University (PIBS / BU) to prepare and update The National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP), ten workshops were held with governmental and private institutions and relevant national experts on various topics related to the strategy with a total of 166 participants. Many more workshops will be held with relevant stakeholders before the finalization of this strategic plan. Partnership and cooperation with everyone contribute to preparing the national strategy and action plans for the coming years (until 2030 and 2050), which serve all sectors and are subject to update every 5 years. The strategy and ways of working are in harmony with our reality and with the International Convention on Biological Diversity with the aim of sustaining man and nature.
The NBSAP is the driving force for the implementation of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). The CBD is a multilateral convention signed by 168 countries. The convention has three main goals: the conservation of biodiversity; the sustainable use of its components; and the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from genetic resources. Once signed and ratified, the country becomes a party. Parties participate in conferences every two years, where 15 conferences have been held so far in order to develop supportive measures for Parties to implement the agreed global goals. The signatories are responsible for two main components:
1) The NBSAP, which defines the national strategy and action plans to implement the goals of the CBD,
2) The National Report (NR), which shows the progress made by each country and the national action plans for biodiversity and the extent of their implementation.
We in Palestine made a strong start, but in order to succeed in protecting the environment, we must expand participation in planning and implementation. Therefore, we invite all stakeholders and active partners in the field of nature and biodiversity to participate in these workshops by presenting or attending and exchanging experiences to achieve the national goals of the strategy. The workshops also provide an overview of what has been accomplished by partners and work teams.