Togo has taken another step towards developing a more strategic and diversified approach to financing biodiversity, with the first meeting of the country’s UNDP BIOFIN Steering Committee.

The Committee met on 9 September 2026 at the UNDP Togo Country Office in Lomé. The meeting was chaired by Colonel Koffi Aoufoh Dimizou, Secretary-General of the Ministry of Environment, Forest Resources, Coastal Protection and Climate Change.

Participants reviewed the findings of Togo’s Policy and Institutional Review, the first assessment undertaken as part of the UNDP BIOFIN process. The review examines the policies, institutions and financing arrangements that influence biodiversity outcomes and helps identify opportunities to improve the way biodiversity finance is managed.

Committee members provided feedback on the findings and discussed priorities for the next stages of the process. They highlighted the need to further explore biodiversity finance mechanisms, strengthen the mobilization of domestic resources and encourage greater private-sector participation in financing biodiversity conservation.

The discussions also emphasized the importance of applying lessons from the development of Togo’s National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan to the country’s biodiversity finance work.

The next stage will focus on identifying the country’s financing needs and developing practical solutions tailored to its national context. This work will contribute to a Biodiversity Finance Plan designed to diversify and strengthen the resources available for the conservation and sustainable use of Togo’s biodiversity.

More than 90 countries are currently at different stages of developing their Biodiversity Finance Plans with support from UNDP BIOFIN and are preparing to begin implementation following their completion in 2027.