Voluntary commitments
Various public organizations, companies, individuals and communities can make voluntary commitments under the UN Convention on Biological Diversity. Commitments are purely voluntary and informal, such as the implementation of suitable projects. The scope of the commitments can range from a major water restoration project to a decision by individual citizens to raise awareness of biodiversity protection among their community. Commitments must be relevant to the protection and sustainable use of biodiversity.
Barents region initiative: Freshwater ecosystems
Finland wants to encourage commitments to the protection of freshwater ecosystems and catchment areas, as the water systems of the Barents region are unique and deserve to be better known. Find the examples of the actions here.
Both the organizations participating in the Barents co-operation and all interested actors in the region are encouraged to take action. To incorporate your own commitment into the Barents Initiative, please submit it preferably by October 2021, but latest by the end of 2022.
Make it official: How to submit a UN commitment!
- Go to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity Voluntary Commitments Portal
- Choose either Public Sector (including local administration); Business; Other organizations (NGOs, Academia, other organizations); or Individual
- Fill out the online form. Include your contact details, the name of your commitment and a brief summary of your activities / project, and a description of how your commitment relates to biodiversity protection. You can also add pictures and links. You can read about the Aichi Targets of the UN Convention on Biodiversity and the UN Sustainable Development Goals and see what similarities they have to your own commitment.
- Once your commitment has been published, email a link to your commitment to the International Barents Secretariat at ibs@barents-council.org.
