How far have we come?

A year has passed since the ambitious Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF) was adopted at the Convention on Biological Diversity’s (CBD) 15th Conference of Parties (CoP15). 

A deadline of 2030 was set for meeting the 23 targets, but so far, progress has been slow. Despite multiple meetings over the year, most decisions have been deferred to CoP16 to be held in Colombia next year. 

The Framework furthers the overall agenda of the CBD that strives to ensure that biodiversity is protected, used sustainably and that the benefits accrued from its use are shared equitably with the communities that have protected it for centuries.

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In November, CBD’s 12th Ad Hoc Open-ended Inter-Sessional Working Group on Article 8 (j) and Related Provisions of the Convention, tasked with developing a new work programme for Article 8 (j) and ensuring that it is in sync with KMGBF, agreed the languages of indigenous peoples and local communities (IPLC) need to be preserved to ensure intergenerational transmission of traditional knowledge, innovations and practices. 

Delegates discussed how IPLCs need to be involved in the proposed permanent subsidiary body under Article 8 (j). A permanent subsidiary body on indigenous issues was also discussed. However, discussions were inconclusive and decisions were deferred to CoP16. Despite the clear role of IPLCs in the basic role of CBD, they have been on the sidelines since the Convention entered into force in 1993. KMGBF has changed this — 7 of the 23 targets specifically mention IPLCs and the need to protect their rights.

Article 8 (j) mandates that each country respects, preserves and maintains the knowledge, innovations and practices of indigenous and local communities. The secretariat has identified four indicators to ensure the involvement of IPLCs. These include linguistic diversity and numbers of speakers of indigenous languages; land-use change and land tenure in the traditional territories of indigenous and local communities; practice of traditional occupations; and the degree to which traditional knowledge and practices are respected. There was only partial agreements on these and these too would be further discussed over the coming year.

Delegates agreed that IPLCs should receive funds directly to implement projects. It is pertinent here to mention that Global Environment Facility (GEF) has earmarked as much as 20 per cent of the funds available under the newly established Global Biodiversity Framework Fund (GBFF) to be available to IPLCs.

The first tranche of the fund is likely to be disbursed after the council meeting to ensure that the first projects under the new fund can be launched ahead of CBD’s CoP16. The first work programme of GBFF is likely to be finalised at the June 2024 GEF Council meeting.

The first meeting of the CBD’s Ad Hoc Open-ended Working Group on Benefit-sharing from the Use of Digital Sequence Information on Genetic Resources, also took place in November. The aim was to develop and put in place a multilateral mechanism for the sharing of benefits from the use of digital sequence information. 

Digital sequence information includes components of the biological resource such as its nucleic acid sequence data or its protein sequence data. The group will meet again in Montreal, Canada, in August 2024, to finalise recommendations for consideration and adoption at the CoP16. 

Read more: Global Biodiversity Framework: What happened in Nairobi?

The Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice (SBSTTA-25) met for the first time after the adoption of the Framework in October. The Ad Hoc Technical Expert Group on Indicators updated delegates on progress and proposed that instead of simple binary indicators, categorical indicators could be created so that countries could provide a more nuanced report on progress.

Final indicators would be considered at SBSTTA-26 in May 2024 and these too will be finalised at CoP16.

Synergies galore

Through the year, KMGBF was discussed at meetings of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) too. These, along with the CBD, were put in place at the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development held in Rio Janeiro with the hope of protecting the planet. 

At the recently concluded UNFCCC’s CoP28, 18 countries endorsed the Joint Statement on Climate, Nature and People which places nature at the center of climate action. The ‘Nationally Determined Contributions — National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAP) Ministerial’ held on December 9, 2023 highlighted that the revised NBSAPs to be submitted in 2024 as part of the KMGBG and the new NDCs to be submitted in 2025 at UNFCCC’s COP30 should keep the correlation in mind.

In March, UNCCD published a brief on the shared agenda of restoration and resilience. The brief identifies where and how synergies between commitments on biodiversity and land can enhance implementation at global and national levels, increasing the impact of limited finance and delivering multiple benefits. It stresses that preventing the degradation of ecosystems and rehabilitating degraded land are cost-effective responses that can safeguard biodiversity.

Other than the work of these two sister organisations, deliberation on the Framework happened in many other fora.

The International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGRFA), which has a multilateral system for benefit sharing for the use of agricultural commodities, has decided to follow discussions under the CBD on digital sequence information (DSI). The 10th Session of the Governing Body, in November, decided that Working Group meetings will be organised over the next year on benefit sharing on DSI/genetic sequence data along with payment structure and rates.

In July, at the 19th session of the Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture in Rome, Italy, delegates deliberated on three matters: A review of work on biodiversity, nutrition and human health; access and benefit-sharing for food and agriculture; and digital sequence information for food and agriculture. Members discussed overlaps between the commission’s work with that of KMGBF. Specifically in the case of DSI, it was decided that the commission would continue monitoring developments in other fora and participate where relevant.

In June, UN members formally adopted the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) Treaty to safeguard life in the ocean in the High Seas. The Treaty would enhance the work on Target 3 of KMGBF, which proposes actions to protect at least 30 per cent of land and seas by 2030. The BBNJ Treaty was opened for signing and ratification at the UN General Assembly on September 20 and would enter force only after 60 members ratified it. 

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The World Health Organization has also looked into the question of access to pathogens and sharing of benefits derived from their use (such as vaccines and drugs) in its pandemic agreement. The draft text of the agreement was discussed at the seventh meeting of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Body (INB) which ended on December 6, 2023. The governments discussed a multilateral system for access and benefit sharing. The INB recommended that subgroups continue to hold informal discussions and propose new text by January 15, 2024 for consideration at the eighth meeting to be held from February 19 – March 1, 2024.

With all decisions deferred to 2024 and later, it is not clear how the deadlines on targets and goals of KMGBF will be met. The first global review of progress in the implementation of the KMGBF is scheduled during COP17, sometime in 2026. This leaves very little time for successful implementation and for ensuring that the world is on the correct course.