Our partnerships are built on a simple framework of regular dialogues on areas of common interest, exchange of information and ideas, and exploring opportunities for collaboration in science, policy and action.

Cohab was founded in 2007 with the support of several UN agencies (including the Secretariat of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity, the UN Development Programme, UNESCO, UN Food and Agriculture Organisation, and the World Health Organisation), other intergovernmental organisations and national governments, in response to the outcomes of the First International Conference on Health and Biodiversity, which took place in ireland in 2005. The Secretariat of the Cohab Initiative is headquartered in Ireland. It was established during the period when the promise of the Good Friday Agreement was beginning to be realised, as many decades of political, social and sectarian conflict gave way to a new sense of peace and partnership on the island of Ireland. The establishment of new systems and ways of resolving conflict, sharing responsibilities and breaking down barriers created an environment where new collaborative efforts, including on health and well-being, biodiversity conservation, and social cohesion, could grow. This growing sense of partnership was a key inspiration for Cohab’s development.

In 2008, the Cohab Initiative Secretariat co-hosted the second International Conference on Health and Biodiversity in Galway City on Ireland’s west coast with the Government of Ireland, the Northern Ireland Executive, and the UK Government, and in partnership with the Secretariat of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity, the World Health Organisation, the Food and Agriculture Organisation, the UN Development Programme, UNESCO, and a number of global and regional non-governmental organisations. The message from the hosting governments after the conference was clear – the increasingly urgent global priorities of biodiversity conservation and protection of human health in the face of new and resurgent threats required co-ordinated and dedicated efforts to build renewed international co-operation, based on principles of mutual respect, shared values and a commitment to collective action.

Building on this message, today Cohab works to create mechanisms by which policy makers, researchers, practitioners, communities, businesses and other stakeholders can effectively communicate and work in partnership to explore and address the multiple linkages between health and biodiversity. We help to identify and overcome the barriers to co-operation at all levels, to demonstrate the relevance of biodiversity to the decision-making process across all relevant sectors, and to build capacity for cross-sectoral co-operation and harmonization within and between countries. We particularly support partnerships and activities that promote the health and well-being of local and indigenous communities, empowering them to meet their own needs, respecting and preserving their knowledge and experience, recognising the unique relationships they have with local environments, and their vital role in the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity. Through network development, conferences and dialogues Cohab also serves as a forum for communication and experience sharing, further helping to build common ground and establish new avenues for joint action on health and biodiversity.