The Oslo Call to Cali

Oslo Ministerial Dialogues on Nature 25 June, Co-Chairs’ statement by Minister Susana Muhamad and Minister Andreas Bjelland Eriksen.

Andreas Bjelland Eriksen og Susana Muhamad på ministerdialog for Natur i Oslo
Credit: Thomas Brun/NTB

In a new joint declaration, Norway and Colombia are stepping up their efforts on nature.

Norway’s Climate and Environment Minister Andreas Bjelland Eriksen and Colombia’s Minister of Environment and Sustainable Development Susana Muhamad hosted the Ministerial Dialogues on Nature in Oslo on 25 June, in conjunction with the Oslo Tropical Forest Forum. The goal of the Dialogues was to ensure high ambitions for the upcoming UN Biodiversity Conference in Cali, Colombia, in October.

The joint statement highlights several areas Colombia and Norway will prioritize, such as collaborating to protect and recover nature globally and pursue the need for substantial emissions reductions in line with the Paris Agreement.

The importance of rainforests is a central topic in the discussions between the two nations. The joint declaration emphasizes the critical role rainforests play in preserving biodiversity and underscores the importance of involving Indigenous Peoples and local communities in conservation efforts.

Colombia is hosting the UN Biodiversity Conference in October, CBD COP 16, which will be an important milestone for the implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework and its global goals and targets.