On the 31st of October at the CBD COP in Cali, Colombia, CRRI and WWF hosted an official  Side Event  The Road from Cali to Belém - The Last Stand for Coral Reefs sponsored by  Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Brazil, Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Fiji and the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries Indonesia. 

Speakers showcased the biodiversity of coral reefs in Latin America with a focus on Brazil and Colombia, and the urgent action needed to protect these regionally and globally significant reefs. It will also showcase the Coral Reef Rescue Initiative (CRRI) successful practices by highlighting efforts in Fiji and Indonesia.  The event featured presentations on conservation targets, integrated funding approaches, and the importance of the international scenario for raising awareness and funding for coral reef conservation. Speakers presented a climate focussed strategy for sustainable development investment models for coral reefs, and the need to highlight and create an integrated approach between CBD & UNFCCC for Coral Reefs.

Pepe Clarke, WWF Oceans Practice Lead and Moderator of Side-Event: 
'We are here to underscore the urgency of action to save coral reef from the impacts of Climate Change by rapidly phasing out fossil fuels and also developing integrated action at the local level - with communities, with governments and with the private sector to reduce land based threats of pollution, over fishing and other pressures on coral reefs to give them a fighting chance to survive over decades ahead.’ 

‘We come together today to talk about the need for targeted policy, investment and action for coral reefs  at multiple levels from the community through to the global level. It was a really important conversation, we are very grateful to our partners and our sponsors of the side event, the Government of Brazil, who will be hosting the Climate COP next year (2025) in Belem.’
 

Ambassador Peter Thomson, United Nations Secretary-General's Special Envoy for the Ocean.

“We have been concentrating on the coral crisis here at CBD COP16 more than any other meeting I have been at, in all my time going to international conferences relating to the ocean. A big  step forward here from Cali on taking the coral crisis seriously”