PINO at the United Nations Biodiversity Conference (COP16) in Colombia
- Klimaat
Colombian coffee and Dutch stroopwafels (caramel waffles)
On 21 October, the United Nations’ biennial biodiversity summit kicked off in Cali, Colombia. For a fortnight, delegates from UN member states met at the 2024 United Nations Biodiversity Conference (COP16) to discuss progress on biodiversity conservation. PINO’s role ? Organising the Dutch Pavilion for our client Partners for Water.
Organising the event started well in advance from The Netherlands. Project manager Lynn worked closely with local project manager Linda in Colombia to manage everything on the ground. Besides setting up and designing the pavilion, Lynn arranged accreditations for session leaders, coordinated the programme and coordinated all requests and practical issues that came up during the preparation.
On 18 October, Lynn left for Colombia to support Partners for Water in organising the Dutch Pavilion in the Blue Zone. This zone, located within the main venue, accommodated key events, such as plenary sessions, official side events and bilateral and multilateral meetings. The pavilion was designed with a clear reference to biodiversity themes.
For a fortnight, this was also where the extensive programme, totalling more than 50 sessions took place for a wide audience. The pavilion was open daily from 10am to 7.30pm, and Lynn could be found there all day.
Lynn was the point of contact for Partners for Water as well as session leaders, the photographer and others involved, such as the barista who pampered guests with authentic Colombian coffee from Valle de Cauca. She also played a vital role as a link between Partners for Water and the communications team in the Netherlands, which provided daily coverage of the event.
‘It was great to work in Colombia with such a fine combined team consisting of Dutch and Colombian colleagues. Everything ran like clockwork, from the cooperation with the client, to providing a full programme. The positive reactions from visitors and the daily teamwork made this an unforgettable experience.’
Participants from different nationalities praised the Dutch Pavilion for its strong programme and welcoming atmosphere. The combination of local Colombian coffee and Dutch stroopwafels completed the experience and left a lasting impression.
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