The Congress of Local and Regional Authorities will hold a side event during the meeting of States parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP17) entitled “Nature of the edge: how local and regional authorities can promote biodiversity”.

A panel debate will focus on the new Congress report, presented by co-rapporteur Hermanni Backer Johnsen (Finland, SOC/G/PD), proposing subnational action plans, innovative finance and other new policies to promote biodiversity and help meet national and international commitments.

President of EUROPARC Federation (representative body of Europe’s protected areas) Michael Hošek and Director of the Belgian NGO Regionaal Landschap Kempen en Maasland (RLKM) Ignace Schops will also take part in the debate.