The Sailing Boat Metaphor

The sailing boat metaphor symbolically represents BES Solution Fund countries and their journey towards the vision described in the GBF, SDGs and other relevant frameworks.

Each country, represented by a boat, is on a sailing journey...

...towards a world where people live in harmony with nature and where biodiversity is valued, conserved, restored and wisely used, maintaining ecosystems services, sustaining a healthy planet and delivering benefits essential for all people.

This goal is outlined by the Global Biodiversity Framework and aligned with the 2030 Agenda and SDGs represented by the lighthouse.

National policies, strategies, plans and programmes function as the engine of the boat, propelling it in the right direction.

The national biodiversity platforms (the captain of the boat) guide and navigate the journey informed by the latest BES evidence (e.g., IPBES reports and NEAs) represented by the map and compass.

A strong science-policy-practice interface represents a crew with diverse skill sets to support the captain in keeping the boat safe and on track.

The BES Solution Fund serves as one of the sources of energy that can be temporarily used to switch on the boat engine and align the sails with the wind and currents.

Dialogue (represented by the radio) is an enabling cross-cutting approach to ensure inclusive and gender-responsive participation.

In its expedition, the boat navigates the passage by identifying and addressing emerging challenges (e.g. icebergs) and opportunities (e.g. winds).