WGII together with the ICCA Consortium attended the SBSTTA-26 and SBI-4 meetings of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) in Nairobi, Kenya in May 2024

Nairobi, May 18, 2024, the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) held the 26th meeting of the SBSTTA (Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice) on May 13-18, 2024, and the 4th meeting of the SBI (Subsidiary Body on Implementation) on May 21-29, 2024.

SBSTTA itself is a body established under Article 25 of the Convention on Biological Diversity, Article 27 of the Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefit-sharing of Genetic Resources, and Article 30 of the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety. SBSTTA serves as a mechanism to negotiate various documents to be adopted at the COP (Conference of the Parties) related to the technical and scientific aspects of the convention's implementation, and in the current context, the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KM-GBF) commitments. Some important negotiation items that were the focus of WGII at the SBSTTA meeting include:

Item 3: Monitoring Framework of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.

Item 4: Technical and scientific support for the implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework

Item 5: On biodiversity in coastal and marine areas:

Further work on ecologically or biologically significant marine areas;

Conservation and sustainable use of marine and coastal biodiversity.

WGII considers it important to ensure the presence of headline indicators for several targets, including targets 14, 16, 22, and 23 of the monitoring framework document, as well as inclusive and fair disaggregation for each indicator, especially by indigenous peoples, local communities, women, and youth groups. In the Conference Room Paper (CRP) document CBD/SBSTTA/26/L.10, headline indicators for targets 14, 16, 22, and 23 have been included, and target 22 itself has included the indicator "Land-use change and land tenure in the traditional territories of Indigenous Peoples and local communities," which is highly relevant in the context of ICCA recognition and indigenous territories, although it is currently bracketed and will be further decided at COP-16.

On the other hand, for item 5 related to biodiversity in coastal and marine areas, the CRP document CBD/SBSTTA/26/L.9 emphasizes the importance of synergy between international agreements related to biodiversity issues in coastal and marine areas, such as the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), Sustainable Goals, and others. Conservation practices and sustainable use in coastal and marine areas should also consider the involvement of indigenous peoples and local communities, including recognizing traditional knowledge and differing values in viewing biodiversity.

Further information can be found at the following link: https://www.cbd.int/conferences/nairobi-2024/sbstta-26/documents

Furthermore, the Subsidiary Body on Implementation (SBI) is a supporting body established at the COP in 2014 based on decision COP XII/26. The SBI replaced the Ad Hoc Open Ended Working Group on Review of the Implementation of the Convention. The four core functions and areas of work of the SBI consist of:

• reviewing the progress of CBD implementation;
• ensuring strategic actions to enhance implementation by member countries; 
• strengthening means of implementation; and
• implementation of the convention and Protocols.

Some SBI-4 negotiation items that were the focus of WGII include:

• Item 2: Reviewing implementation: updates on the development of national targets and the National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP) document;
• Item 3: Mechanisms for planning, monitoring, reporting, and reviewing NBSAP;
• Item 4: Resource mobilization and funding mechanisms;
• Item 5: Capacity building and development, technical and scientific cooperation, clearing-house mechanism, and knowledge management under the Nagoya Protocol.

Further information can be found at the following link: https://www.cbd.int/conferences/nairobi-2024/sbi-04/documents

WGII submitted a recommendation paper to the delegation of the Republic of Indonesia, represented by several ministries and agencies, including BRIN (National Research and Innovation Agency), KLHK (Ministry of Environment and Forestry), Bappenas (National Development Planning Agency), and KKP (Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries). Some of the WGII recommendations emphasized the context of IBSAP preparation and its relation to several agenda items mentioned above.

In practice, some points that can be considered by the Government in the preparation and implementation of IBSAP based on several key items in the 4th Subsidiary Body on Implementation (SBI-4) meeting include:

1. Ensuring the implementation of IBSAP and KM GBF based on a Whole Society and Whole Government Approach and a human rights-based approach, recognizing the contributions of Indigenous Peoples and local communities, and differing values in the protection and sustainable use of biodiversity as mandated in Section C of the KM-GBF document by:

Ensuring full, effective, and equitable participation of CSOs (Civil Society Organizations), Indigenous Peoples, Local Communities, including women's groups, youth, persons with disabilities, and local governments in consultation processes for planning, monitoring, reporting, and reviewing IBSAP and KM-GBF;

Establishing a multi-stakeholder platform or forum to accommodate inputs and recommendations from CSOs, Indigenous Peoples, and Local Communities, including women's groups, youth, and persons with disabilities in planning, monitoring, reporting, and reviewing IBSAP and KM-GBF based on document SBI/4/4/Add.1;

Supporting voluntary reporting models by non-state actors in annex II of document /SBI/4/4, item 3 CBD Mechanisms for planning, monitoring, reporting, and review, through the availability of modules and meaningful participation mechanisms from Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities, including women's groups, youth, and persons with disabilities in government reporting processes for IBSAP and KM-GBF implementation.

2. Making the Clearing House Mechanism on Biodiversity and Access and Benefit Sharing (CHM) a shared tool and strategy for monitoring and knowledge management as proposed in document CBD/SBI/4/7/Add.2 and supporting the implementation of the Nagoya Protocol

3. Enabling the Clearing House Mechanism on Biodiversity and Access and Benefit Sharing (CHM) to integrate success stories, case studies, and databases related to traditional knowledge and biodiversity management and protection practices based on Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities that have been aggregated by CSOs and the Community.

4. Providing opportunities for rights holders (Indigenous Peoples, Local Communities, women's and youth groups) to access funding support and capacity building for IBSAP implementation in Indonesia through collaborative funding mechanisms to be developed in the future, such as the Global Biodiversity Framework Fund, Global Environment Facility, and/or other mechanisms.

Further recommendation papers can be found at the link: https://iccas.or.id/publikasi/read/565

The results of both SBSTTA and SBI will be discussed and further decided at the 16th CoP CBD meeting, which will take place in October-November 2024, in Cali, Colombia. CoP-16 will be a crucial meeting that will determine how to achieve the KM-GBF targets by 2030.

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