In an effort to strengthen environmental governance and meet global conservation targets, the Government of Ecuador celebrated the official designation of its NBSAP Accelerator Partnership Facilitator through an event aimed at mobilising coordinated action. Held on the first of April at the Wyndham La Quinta in Quito, the event brought together government authorities, technical specialists, and strategic partners to establish a clear roadmap for the financial resources and technical expertise needed to protect the country’s vast biological wealth. The milestone represents an important step in operationalising Ecuador’s recently updated National Biodiversity Strategy 2025–2030, aligned with the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.

The opening of the event was led by Judith Baquero, Director of Biodiversity, who highlighted the importance of having agile mechanisms to translate public policy into concrete actions on the ground. In her speech, she emphasized that the 2025–2030 National Strategy is not merely a planning document, but an ethical and technical commitment to future generations, the implementation of which requires solid international alliances.

Andrés Factos, Biosafety Specialist, provided a technical perspective on current challenges in ecosystem management, underscoring the importance of integrating biosafety protocols and continuous monitoring to ensure that innovation is aligned with ecological integrity.

Bruno Bellettini, Ecuador’s Facilitator, delivered a technical presentation on the NBSAP Accelerator Partnership’s role in accelerating biodiversity action. The presentation focused on overcoming barriers that many megabiodiverse countries face by aligning national priorities with available support and strengthening the flow of technical assistance.

Through its Facilitator Programme, the NBSAP Accelerator Partnership has deployed Facilitators globally to support countries with direct technical support to accelerate implementation and enhance coordination in biodiversity action. Facilitators play a crucial role in identifying and prioritising needs, mobilising support, fostering collaboration among stakeholders, and accelerating NBSAP implementation through a whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach. 

In Ecuador, the Facilitator will work closely with government counterparts and national stakeholders to translate biodiversity priorities into coordinated, actionable initiatives. This work includes strengthening institutional alignment, identifying key financing and technical capacity gaps, and facilitating access to relevant international expertise and support.

One of the most dynamic components of the day was the group work session carried out by the participants. This space was primarily aimed at developing robust proposals for the MatchMaking Mechanism (MMM). 

The MMM is a core service of the NBSAP Accelerator Partnership that connects country-identified needs with relevant technical and financial partners. By centralising and structuring requests for support, it enables countries to efficiently engage with a network of potential partners to mobilise resources for national biodiversity priorities.

During group working sessions, participants contributed to identifying:

• Funding gaps: Critical areas of the National Strategy requiring immediate investment.
• Technical assistance needs: Specific requirements in areas such as bioeconomy, landscape restoration, and Indigenous Peoples governance.
• Support offers: Identification of local strengths that Ecuador can share with other countries within a South-South cooperation framework.

These inputs will inform the development of Ecuador’s first structured requests for support through the MMM, helping to align implementation needs with available resources.

Ecuador is entering a phase of strengthened coordination and targeted action to advance implementation of its NBSAP. Continued collaboration between government institutions, national stakeholders, and international partners will be essential to sustaining momentum. Through the combined support of the Facilitator Programme and the MatchMaking Mechanism, the NBSAP Accelerator Partnership will continue to engage with Ecuador in translating its biodiversity strategy into measurable outcomes.