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Turkey Withdraws as Host of COP16, Citing Last Year's Deadly Quakes


 

The Turkish government has decided to withdraw from hosting COP16, a major biodiversity meeting scheduled for October 21 to November 1 next year. The Convention on Biological Diversity announced that Turkey's decision is due to the aftermath of a series of destructive earthquakes that struck the country in February 2023. As a result of this "force majeure situation," Turkey expressed its regrets in a letter published on the UN body's website.

The COP16 meeting was supposed to build on the landmark agreement reached last year, aiming to protect the planet's species, oceans, and lands from degradation, pollution, and the climate emergency. The agreement, often referred to as "a peace pact with nature," was similar to the 2015 Paris Climate Accords and was reached by over 190 nations participating in the UN biodiversity process. While climate COPs are held annually, biodiversity summits occur every two years.

READ MORE: Turkey withdraws as host of COP16, blames last year’s deadly quakes

With Turkey stepping down as the host, the Convention on Biological Diversity is now seeking offers from other countries to take on the responsibility. Potential replacement destinations include Spain, France, Switzerland, and the UK. Last year's COP15 meeting in Montreal, Canada, saw governments agreeing on this decade's biodiversity targets, which included promises to secure 30% of the Earth as a protected zone by the end of the decade, marking years of intense negotiations.

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