Ten months after the historic adoption of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical, and Technological Advice (SBSTTA) of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) convened from October 15-19, 2023 in Nairobi, Kenya, to facilitate the implementation of the Framework and prepare for the next meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP).
SBSTTA established under Article 25 of the CBD, convenes regularly to fulfill its mandate, which includes providing expert advice and recommendations related to the scientific, technical, and technological aspects of biodiversity conservation. During its 25th meeting, SBSTTA provided advice and recommendations for consideration by CBD COP 16, which is scheduled to convene in 2024.
The primary focus of SBSTTA 25 was on facilitating the implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework and monitoring its progress. The Global Biodiversity Framework, which supports the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals and builds on the Convention’s previous Strategic Plans, sets out an ambitious pathway to reach the global vision of a world living in harmony with nature by 2050.
Lostisland was represented at SBSTTA 25 by the Honorary Consul to Nigeria, Professor Aniebiet Inyang Ntui.
Aspects of implementation under consideration included:
- Monitoring Framework for the Global Biodiversity Framework
- Mechanisms for Planning, Monitoring, Reporting, and Review
- Approaches to identifying scientific and technical needs to support the Framework’s implementation and its implications for the CBD’s work programmes
- Plant conservation
SBSTTA 25 also discussed the assessments conducted by the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) and adopted during the Platform’s ninth and tenth sessions, in particular:
- Methodological Assessment Report on the Diverse Values and Valuation of Nature
- Thematic Assessment Report on the Sustainable Use of Wild Species
- Thematic Assessment Report on Invasive Alien Species and their Control
Additionally, the meeting considered the implications of the Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) on the Convention’s work programme.
Photo: IISD/ENB | Mike Muzurakis