Two contact groups will be formed to attain broad consensus among member countries over financial mobilization to implement the UN Biodiversity targets. This was done following difference of opinion among the member countries during the deliberations in the ongoing CoP11 in Hyderabad. Addressing a press conference today, the UN spokesperson David Ainsworth said there was no consensus over some financial issues among the countries as some of them expressed difference of opinion especially over fund mobilization and basis to be adopted for it. He said the contact groups, which will be formed by this evening, will make efforts to achieve broad consensus among the members. Stating that there is consensus among developing countries, he said the Governments will iron out differences during the in-camera meetings of the contact groups which will be held parallel to the CoP11. Stating that the present biennial budget is about 30 billion dollars for the implementation of the Convention on Biodiversity and the targets to be achieved by 2020, he said consensus is yet to be evolved over the increase of funds for next two years.

Some countries sought expansion of the High level panel that was set up on the initiative of India and United Kingdom to chalk out a financial frame work to achieve biodiversity targets.
He further said countries have broad consensus over Marine and Coastal Biodiversity conservation and identification of Ecologically and Biologically Significant Areas across the world. The Conference Report Papers are under preparation for the final decision of the countries, he said.