The ‘Cali Fund’ was launched recently to resume 16th Conference of Parties (COP16) to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) in Rome.

• About Cali Fund: It is a new international fund, created to help protect biodiversity.

o Purpose: Aims to collect contributions from businesses utilizing genetic resources, ensuring fair benefit-sharing with indigenous communities and local populations.

o Beneficiaries: At least half of the funds are designated for indigenous peoples and local communities.

o Corporate Participation: Encourages companies to allocate a portion of their profits or revenues to the fund; discussions with firms from various countries, including the United States, are underway.

• About Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD): It is an international agreement that aims to conserve biodiversity, sustainably use its components, and fairly share the benefits from genetic resources.
• About COP16: The 16th Conference of the Parties (COP16) to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) was held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia from December, 2024.
• Theme: "Our Land. Our Future".
• Key Objectives:

o Developing a global financing mechanism to mobilize $200 billion annually for biodiversity protection.

o Establishing a framework for monitoring and evaluating progress towards the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework targets.