This year’s CBD COP marks a pivotal moment to address the biodiversity crisis and highlight the urgent need to include land and environmental defenders – who are on the front lines of biodiversity protection – as key players in the fight to preserve our planet’s ecosystems.

According to our latest annual land and environmental defenders report, Colombia remains the world’s deadliest country for defenders, with 79 murders reported in 2023 – accounting for 40% of all cases worldwide. This is the highest annual toll documented by Global Witness since we began reporting on these killings in 2012.