COP16 biodiversity talks to restart in February: UN

Crunch United Nations talks to find funding to curb the destruction of nature will resume in Rome in February, the U.N. said on Thursday, after negotiations this month in Colombia ended without a deal.

The largest summit yet on biodiversity, the so-called COP16 talks in Cali, Colombia, were aimed at boosting efforts to protect nature from deforestation, overexploitation, climate change and pollution.

But the meeting, which stretched hours into extra time, ended on Nov. 2 with no agreement on a roadmap to ramp up funding for species protection. Many delegates had already left for home by then, meaning the Colombian presidency was unable to establish a quorum.

The new round of talks will be held at the headquarters of the U.N.'s Food and Agriculture Organization from Feb. 25 to 27 to tackle issues "left unresolved following the suspension of the meeting," the U.N. said in a statement.

"In the weeks to come, and during our meeting in Rome this February, I will work alongside parties to build the trust and consensus needed to achieve Peace with Nature," said Colombia's Environment Minister Susana Muhamad, the COP16 president.

She added that securing a key financial accord "will be central to our efforts."

Money has been a particularly thorny subject at recent U.N. environment negotiations, as nations face global political and economic uncertainties.