LocationsThe BIOFIN gathering brought together teams from 31 Latin American and Caribbean countries in Quito to share experiences and tools aimed at mobilizing resources for biodiversity.
UNDP participated in a regional meeting on biodiversity financing
September 18, 2026
The gathering took place in the city of Quito, Ecuador.
UNDP in Argentina
From September 1 to 3, Quito, Ecuador, hosted the 12th Latin America and the Caribbean Regional Dialogue of BIOFIN, UNDP’s Biodiversity Finance Initiative. The event convened national teams, government representatives, financial institutions, businesses, and other stakeholders involved in the design and implementation of biodiversity solutions.
Over three days, technical sessions, working groups, and country-to-country exchange spaces took place, alongside a field visit focused on protected area financing. The agenda addressed key challenges related to resource mobilization, including the strengthening of regulatory frameworks, financing gaps in protected areas, and investment opportunities tied to biodiversity.
Teams from 31 countries across Latin America and the Caribbean participated in the event.
UNDP in Argentina
Representing UNDP in Argentina, María José Pelliza, National Coordinator of BIOFIN Argentina, moderated two working groups. Rosario Boggione, Director of Climate Change for the Province of Jujuy, also participated to learn about regional BIOFIN experiences and share the province’s progress and challenges in mobilizing resources for biodiversity.
The Dialogue also made it possible to strengthen exchanges with BIOFIN’s global and regional teams—including Onno van den Heuvel, Martin Cadena, Mariana Bellot, and Nicolás Xanthopoulos—as well as national coordinators from various countries, government representatives, financial institutions, and private sector delegates.
Representing UNDP in Argentina, María José Pelliza, National Coordinator of BIOFIN Argentina, participated in the event.
UNDP in Argentina
The gathering reinforced peer-to-peer learning and allowed countries to share insights on how to move from planning to solution implementation. Currently, the BIOFIN network reaches 31 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean. Since 2018, nearly USD 2 billion has been mobilized for nature in the region through financial solutions supported by BIOFIN—a figure representing more than half of the USD 3.3 billion mobilized globally during the same period.
