Kunming mayor keynotes opening ceremony of 2nd part of COP15

Liu Jiachen, mayor of Kunming, delivers a speech at the COP15 opening ceremony.[Photo by Yang Hongfu/ for chinadaily.com.cn]

The second phase of the 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity is scheduled for Dec 7-19 (Beijing Time) in Montreal, Canada. The theme and logo remain unchanged from the first phase, which was held in Kunming, China, in October 2021.

Liu Jiachen, mayor of Kunming, keynoted the opening ceremony. Liu said the Kunming Declaration adopted at the first phase of COP15 has opened a new chapter in advancing the global biodiversity governance.

The opening ceremony of 2nd part of COP15  in Montreal, Canada.[Photo by Yang Hongfu/ for chinadaily.com.cn]

Within the framework of COP15, Kunming will organize the 7th Summit for Subnational Governments & Cities and looks forward to working closely with other cities to advance the implementation of the Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework.

With year-round mild weather and diverse flora and fauna, Kunming is one of the cities with the most abundant ecosystems in Yunnan and China, Liu said.

It is home to more than 5,000 species of wildlife and has the second largest Germplasm Bank of wild species in the world. It has established 20 nature reserves, providing effective protection to about 90 percent of the national protected wild animals and plants, he added.