What to expect at CBD COP16

The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) is the world’s most comprehensive, and probably most consequential, multilateral environmental agreement on biodiversity. With almost 200 Parties (countries and the EU), the CBD covers a broad sweep of topics, helping to set the biodiversity agenda for other, more specific biodiversity conventions, and for the Parties themselves. From 21 October to 1 November the Parties will convene in Cali, Colombia, for the 16th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP16) – their first meeting since the adoption of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) at COP15 in 2022. The GBF is a global biodiversity strategy for the current decade and beyond.

In this webinar, IGES Director of Biodiversity and Forests, Andre Mader, will explore key aspects of COP16 with two experts: David Duthie was for many years a Senior Programme Officer at UNEP and the Secretariat of the CBD supporting national biodiversity strategies and action plan (NBSAP) development; and Alice Hughes is an associate professor at Hong Kong University and author of several key publications about the CBD and the GBF.

Main topics of discussion will include:

• - Parties' progress with NBSAP revision
• - Mechanisms for planning, reporting, monitoring and review
• - Resource mobilization and capacity building
• - Scientific and technical needs to support the implementation of the GBF

The webinar will include a brief presentation, dialogue between the panelists, and responses by the panelists to questions posted by the audience during the discussion.