A surge in the cultivation of coca leaf, a precursor to cocaine, is fueling a wave of violence across Latin America.

During this month's U.N. Biodiversity Summit, known as COP16, in the Colombian city of Cali, nearly 200 countries will be debating how they can save nature from the current rapid rate of destruction.

This week, representatives of 196 countries are gathering in Cali, Colombia, for the 16th UN Conference of the Parties summit (COP16). It is the first biodiversity-focused meeting since 2022, when governments struck a historic deal to halt the destruction of ecosystems.

Countries are gathering in Cali, Colombia, for two weeks of negotiations on efforts to halt and reverse worldwide declines in nature.Here, the PA news agency answers the key questions about the “Cop16” conference on biodiversity.