Conference

The 16th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP16) will be held from 21 October to 1 November 2024 in Cali, Colombia. IIED researchers and partners will lead and present at several events throughout COP16

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UN biodiversity conference (COP16)
A series of pages related to IIED's activities around the 16th Convention on Biological Diversity conference (COP16)
Last updated 31 October 2024
Women community leaders maintaining the local nursery in Colombia

La Mojana in Northern Colombia comprises a complex of rivers and swamps inhabited by more than 400,000 people in some of Colombia's poorest communities (Photo: UNDP Climate, via Flickr, CC BY-NC 2.0)

COP16 official logo

Throughout the two-week COP16 conference, IIED researchers and partners will lead discussions and participate in panels on a variety of topics ranging from biodiversity credits (biocredits) and sustainable wildlife management, to Indigenous Peoples and local communities-led conservation, among other issues.

This year we have several official side events accepted into the COP programme, as well as supporting partners in their discussions and joining pavilion events.

Events

Monday 21 October

Biodiversity Challenge Funds: how UK Overseas Development Assistance programming supports local communities to lead on biodiversity conservation efforts

Side event

Hosted by: UK 
Partners:  IIED and others

This side event featured a presentation and panel discussion to showcase and increase the visibility of the UK government's Biodiversity Challenge Funds and the UK’s global role in supporting biodiversity and poverty reduction goals through Overseas Development Assistance programming.

Principal researcher Krystyna Swiderska presented IIED’s work funded by the Defra Darwin Initiative, which supported the establishment of a biocultural heritage territory in Kenya.

Related reading: Establishing a biocultural heritage territory to protect Kenya’s Kaya forests | Establishing a biocultural heritage territory to protect Kenya’s Kaya Forests: mid-term project workshop

Developing indicators for targets 4 and 5: Human wildlife-conflict, sustainable use and trade of wild species

Side event

Hosted by: The Collaborative Partnership on Sustainable Wildlife Management (CPW)
Partners:  IIED, University of Oxford, CIFOR, UNEP-WCMC, CASCADE

While several targets of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF) address the need for sustainable wildlife management, including managing human-wildlife conflicts (HWC) for coexistence in Target 4, and ensuring sustainable, safe, and legal harvesting and trade of wild species in Target 5, comprehensive ways to measure progress towards meeting these targets are currently lacking.

Responding to this need, the IUCN SSC human-wildlife conflict and coexistence specialist group has been convening an open working group for the development of the component indicator for the HWC element of Target 4. Similarly, the TRADE Hub project team, alongside organizations such as CIFOR-ICRAF, UNEP-WCMC, the University of Oxford, and the CASCADE Consortium has developed a proposal for a binary indicator for Target 5.

This side event provided an overview of the work done on these two indicators, presented a draft proposal and related metrics, and received feedback from the parties for further refinement.


Tuesday 22 October

Women’s voices on rights-based conservation and the role of Indigenous, Afro-descendant and pastoralist women in protecting the world’s biodiversity

Pavilion event

Hosted by: Rights and Resources Initiative (RRI) and IIED
Partners: Women in Global South Alliance for tenure and climate (WiGSA), Afro-descendant Women's Association of Northern Cauca – Colombia (ASOM), National Organisation of Andean and Amazonian Indigenous Women of Peru (ONAMIAP), GROOTS Kenya, Pastoral Women's Council (PWC) – Tanzania, International Indigenous Forum on Biodiversity (IIFB)

Ensuring gender equality and empowerment of women and girls is acknowledged as a key condition for the successful implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF). The adoption of GBF’s target 23 by the Convention of the Biological Diversity (CBD) ensures a gender-responsive approach and the CBD Gender Plan of Action 2023-2030 marks the way forward to achieve target 23.

Given the new international context provided by the GBF, this side event examined the interrelationship of diverse factors and pathways for the recognition of the crucial roles that Indigenous, Afro-descendant and local community women have been playing in conserving natural resources and in climate action. It presented their strategies to respond to the biodiversity and climate crises; transform the structural gender-based discrimination and exclusion factors that render women’s leadership invisible; and discuss the persisting inequalities in access to and ownership of land and resources that limits their rights to decision-making and representation. The event also highlighted the need to ensure Indigenous, Afro-descendant, local community women receive direct financial and technical support to continue working and strengthening their efforts on the ground.


Wednesday 23 October

High level principles for integrity and governance of the biodiversity credit market

Side event

Hosted by: Biodiversity Credit Alliance
Partners:  IIED, SIDA, BMZ, WEF, IAPB, UNEP FI, WBCSD, EC, UNDP, Terrasos, HBAR Foundation, CI, Pollination, Credit Nature, C4, PVF, South Pole, UNDP Colombia, UNDP Nature Hub, LIFE Institute

This event launched a new publication ‘High level principles for integrity and governance’. This paper came after months of collaborative research, analysis and public consultations from a dedicated working group.

The working group is a collaboration between the Biodiversity Credit Alliance, the International Advisory Panel on Biodiversity Credits and the World Economic Forum which aims to synthesise and build consensus on high-level principles that will guide the development of the market and build a common understanding of good practice. This publication provides a set of guidelines for high-quality biodiversity credits that will guide project developers and give confidence to buyers.

Related reading: Biocredit catalogue: a collection of biocredit developers and schemes | Biocredits to finance nature and people: emerging lessons

Collaborative action for sustainable wildlife management – highlights from joint initiatives of Collaborative Partnership on Sustainable Wildlife Management

Side event

Hosted by: The Collaborative Partnership on Sustainable Wildlife Management (CPW)
Partners: CBD Secretariat, CIC, CIFOR, CITES Secretariat, CMS Secretariat, FAO, IIED, IIFB, IUCN, IUFRO, TRAFFIC, UNEP, and WOAH

Sustainable wildlife management (SWM) is a critical element of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. The Collaborative Partnership on Sustainable Wildlife Management (CPW) has been at the forefront of promoting SWM through its 2023-2025 joint workplan.

Launched during the margins of SBSTTA-25, the workplan outlines 11 joint initiatives grouped under five CPW thematic objectives. The initiatives emphasise collaboration among CPW members and with other non-member organisations, highlighting a concerted effort to address the multifaceted challenges facing SWM.

This side event showcased the progress made on selected joint initiatives within the workplan. It covered topics including advocating for sustainable and inclusive wild biodiversity economies; embedding SWM in the One Health agenda; testing CITES Non-Detriment Finding Guidance; and enhancing benefits to Indigenous Peoples and local communities.

Related reading: Assessing the sustainability of wild species use | 50 shades of sustainability? A new tool for assessing the sustainability of wild species use

Biocultural diversity and territories: protecting mountain food systems and Indigenous Peoples and local communities solutions to the biodiversity and climate crisis

Parallel meeting and poster exhibition

Hosted by: UNEP-International Ecosystem Management Partnership (UNEP-IEMP), FSN Network, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden of Chinese Academy of Sciences (XTBG-CAS), Shan Shui Conservation Center (SSCC), Institute of Environment and Sustainable Development in Agriculture of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (IESDA-CAAS), IIED, Asociación ANDES  

This event explored the role of Indigenous Peoples and local communities (IPs and LCs), smallholder farmers and biocultural territories in sustaining resilient food systems and agrobiodiversity and achieving the GBF targets. It focused on mountain regions in particular, where IPs and LCs conserve rich agrobiodiversity and ecosystem services but are suffering severe impacts from climate change.

It explored the role of biocultural territories and IPs and LCs in providing solutions to the nature and climate crises in China, Peru and Kenya, and IIED's Krystyna Swiderska discussed establishing a biocultural heritage territory in coastal Kenya to protect Mijikenda sacred Kaya forests and agrobiodiversity. The event also presented the work of the International Network of Mountain Indigenous Peoples (INMIP), and its recent declaration calling on COP16 and COP29 to protect Indigenous territories and reject false climate solutions.

Related reading: Indigenous Peoples are the real solutions to the nature and climate crises | Establishing a biocultural heritage territory to protect Kenya’s Kaya forests: third annual project workshop


Thursday 24 October

Biocredits: Risks and opportunities from the community advisory panel of Indigenous Peoples and local communities

Side event

Hosted by: IIED with CAP
Partners: GIZ, SIDA, UNEP FI, UNDP

The Community Advisory Panel (CAP) is a group of IPs and LCs from around the world who have come together to discuss and influence the emerging biocredit market. The aim of this event was to present the objectives of the CAP and its views on the risks and opportunities of the biodiversity credit market for IP and LCs.

It included a selection of CAP members with diverse views discussing how the biocredit market may present risks and opportunities for IPs and LCs to equitably, lawfully and respectfully engage in the biocredit market.

Related reading: Biocredits to finance nature and people: emerging lessons | Innovative finance for nature and people

Biodiversity, health and sustainable wildlife management

Hosted by: The Collaborative Partnership on Sustainable Wildlife Management (CPW)
Partners: IIED

All species face health risks from biodiversity loss. Water, food, air and soil for all organisms depend on healthy ecosystems and the interconnectivity of species.

Biodiversity supports human and animal health in many ways, including as a direct source of food, nutrition and traditional medicines. Biodiversity is also integral to key development sectors that modulate health outcomes directly or indirectly, such as pharmacy, biochemistry, agriculture, and tourism. Therefore, the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity can benefit human, animal and plant health by maintaining ecosystem services and by fulfilling needs.

The Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework acknowledges the interlinkages between biodiversity and health and the three objectives of the convention. This event raised awareness about the different areas where biodiversity and health linkages occur and how a coordinated and collaborative approach would be essential to promote cross-sectorally integrated approaches through the implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. 


Friday 25 October

Ensuring use of wild species is legal, sustainable and safe

IUCN event

Hosted by: IUCN SULi
Partners: IIED

The sustainable use of wild species is critical to the livelihoods of billions of people across the world and particularly to Indigenous Peoples and local communities. Unsustainable use of wild species is, however, a key driver of biodiversity loss. The IUCN SSC-CEESP Sustainable Use and Livelihoods Specialist Group (SULi) is involved in a number of initiatives to document the use of wild species and better understand the sustainability of that use. Concepts of sustainability have changed over time and Targets 5 and 9 of the GBF require use to be legal, sustainable and safe. Organisers introduced a new framework for thinking about sustainability which adds human health and animal welfare to the conventional ecological, social and economic dimensions. They also presented a new, global Species Use Database that is seeking to build a better information base for understanding how and where species are used and for what purposes.

Moving away from the global level, the session presented the Wild Harvest Initiative, which is seeking to document the extent and value of wild species use across the region, and whether sustainable use is reflected in national policies, presenting the findings of a SULi survey in the region to highlight progress, challenges, and successful examples.

Related reading: Assessing the sustainability of wild species use

Harnessing agroecology, agrobiodiversity and family farming to transform food systems and halt biodiversity loss

CGIAR pavilion event

Hosted by: Agroecology Coalition
Partners: IIED, Bioversity-CIAT, FAO, Agricord, FFF

This event shared results of the recent Forest and Farm Facility conference on agrobiodiversity in Nepal, and national initiatives of the Agroecology Coalition members. The event focused on policies and finance that support IPs and LCs and forest and farm producer organisations to scale up agroecology and agrobiodiversity, to meet GBF Target 10 and advance implementation of all three Rio Conventions.

Related reading: International conference on agrobiodiversity: sharing best practice in nature-based solutions from forest and farm producer organisation | AgroBiodiversity Conservation: the ABC of climate resilience

Call for action: core human rights and locally-led, gender-responsive principles for conservation organisations and funders for implementing the KM-GBF

Side event  

Hosted by: Women4Biodiversity
Partners: IIED, Rights and Resources Initiative (RRI), UNEP-WCMC, ICCA Consortium, UNEP, SwedBio, UN Women, UNDP, Forest Peoples Programme

This side event explored the intersection of human rights and the implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF). A specific focus will be placed on the Core Human Rights Principles for Private Conservation Organisations and Funders and their role in ensuring equity and justice in biodiversity conservation. The event also introduced the locally-led action principles, a set of principles agreed at a UK government-sponsored conference in September 2024, and grounding the work it will share the outcome of the Gender and Data Conference - Advancing Gender Equality through Strategic Data Insights.

Together, these principles are intended to complement planning, policy, and decision-making initiatives through a rights-based approach to delivering the KM-GBF and help us promote conservation efforts that serve both people and the environment.

 Related reading: Emerging principles for supporting locally-led biodiversity action


Monday 28 October

Harnessing agroecology, agrobiodiversity and family farming to transform food systems and halt biodiversity loss

IUCN pavilion event  

Hosted by: Agroecology Coalition
Partners: IIED, Bioversity-CIAT, FAO, Agricord, FFF

This event followed an earlier event on at the CGIAR pavilion on 25 October. It shared results of the recent Forest and Farm Facility conference on agrobiodiversity in Nepal, and national initiatives of the Agroecology Coalition members.

The event focused on policies and finance that support IPs and LCs and forest and farm producer organisations to scale up agroecology and agrobiodiversity, to meet GBF Target 10 and advance implementation of all three Rio Conventions.

Related reading: International conference on agrobiodiversity: sharing best practice in nature-based solutions from forest and farm producer organisation | Advancing agrobiodiversity: why organisations of smallholders and Indigenous Peoples are vital

Principles for inclusive, gender-responsive, locally-led biodiversity action

Hosted by: Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (Defra)
Partners: IIED

This event launched the new principles for inclusive, locally-led, gender responsive biodiversity action agreed at a UK government sponsored conference at Wilton Park in September 2024. 

The principles focus and co-ordinate action to strengthen gender equality and social inclusion aspects of the transformative change required to implement the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework and tackle the biodiversity crisis.

Related reading: Emerging principles for supporting locally-led biodiversity action


Tuesday 29 October

Advancing rights and equity in the implementation of Target 3+

Side event

Hosted by: IIED, ICCA Consortium, IUCN WCPA, IUCN WCPA GER, IUCN, IMPACT, FPP, IUCN CEESP, ICI

The ambition of Target 3 of the global biodiversity framework foresees a significant expansion of the area of land, seas and waters under protected or conserved status. The target requires (among other things) that existing and new protected and conserved areas are governed equitably, managed effectively and that they respect the rights of IPs and LCs, including over their traditional territories.

In early 2024, a diverse group of stakeholders came together in Nanyuki, Kenya to discuss a way forward for the implementation of Target 3, in a manner that enhances equitable governance, supports the wider use of a human rights-based approach, and respects the rights of IPs and LCs. The resulting roadmap highlights a series of critical areas to deliver equity and respect for rights in area-based conservation.

This side event presented and discussed advances along that roadmap, including additional guidance for practitioners and for peoples and communities creating or expanding contributions to area-based conservation. 

Related reading: Advancing rights and equity in area-based conservation


Wednesday 30 October

Rights and equity in 30x30: from rhetoric to reality

Nature Positive Pavilion event

Hosted by: IIED
Partners: FPP, IUCN WCPA/CEESP

Which practical actions are needed to advance rights and equity in protected and conserved areas? What barriers do IPs and LCs face, and how do we overcome them?

Target 3 of the global biodiversity framework recognises the importance of advancing equitable governance of protected and conserved areas, and respecting the rights of IPs and LCs, including to their traditional territories. However, in practice gaps persist between international commitments, national policies and local realities.

Panellists drew on concrete examples from protected and conserved areas, and on existing initiatives, including the Nanyuki roadmap for advancing rights and equity in conservation, the IUCN WCPA/CEESP task force on advancing Indigenous and community-led governance, and the Conservation Pathways initiative.

Related reading: Road map for advancing rights and equity in conservation

Previous CBD COPs

IIED and partners have been active at previous CBD COPs, presenting research and highlighting sustainable solutions that protect biodiversity:

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