Mexico Assumes Presidency of Global Pollinators Coalition

Mexico was granted the presidency of Promote Pollinators, also known as the Coalition of the Willing on Pollinators. The operation of the coalition will be under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (SADER). 

During the 15th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity, representatives and members of Promote Pollinators officialized the transfer of the organization’s presidency from the Netherlands to Mexico. The Netherlands founded the coalition back in 2016 and has presided it since. 

Sol Ortiz, Director General of Policies, Prospection and Climate Change, SADER, highlighted the invaluable role that the Netherlands has had on the conservation of pollinators worldwide. Likewise, she said that Mexico is excited to share all the experience recently acquired through the development and implementation of the National Strategy for the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Pollinators (ENCUSP). "There is a clear need to protect pollinators as they play a key role in biodiversity conservation and food security," she stated. Mexico has been a member of the coalition since 2018 and in 2020 published the ENCUSP, which is currently in its implementation phase.

Ortíz emphasized that SADER will implement actions, such as developing a website and outreach materials available in languages other than English to encourage more countries to join the organization. The director pointed out that Mexico acknowledges the Netherlands and other coalition members for sharing important knowledge about pollinators and their conservation in various ways. Likewise, Ortíz stressed that Mexico is willing to follow up on the mission and commitments of Promote Pollinators, supported by the Secretariat of the Coalition.

Louise van Mourik, Netherlands Minister of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality, said that the Netherlands, along with Mexico, will play a supportive role in the development of the organization. Additionally, Mourik acknowledged Mexico's commitment to promote the initiative's objectives by assuming the presidency. 

The Coalition of the Willing on Pollinators has 30 members, including Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Burundi, Colombia, Mexico, Costa Rica, Denmark, the Dominican Republic, Estonia, Ethiopia, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Spain, South Korea, Uruguay, Slovenia, Sweden and Switzerland, among others. Its goal is to promote innovative policies and actions to protect pollinators at both national and international levels.