Regional dialogue on preparation for SBSTTA 26: A roadmap to CoP16

About the dialogue

The dialogue is being planned as a preparatory discussion for the upcoming meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice (SBSTTA 26) to be held in Nairobi, Kenya from 13–18 May 2024.

ICIMOD seeks the support for a common voice from its regional member countries on highlighting the importance of the Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH) and mountain biodiversity. We are organising this virtual regional policy dialogue for the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) focal persons.

Objectives

The virtual policy dialogue aims to bring parties together and facilitate discussion on the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF), national biodiversity strategies and action plans (NBSAPs) and CBD’s Programme of Work on Mountain Biological Diversity (PoWMB). The specific objectives are as follows:

• Share learnings in mainstreaming GBF with mountain perspective while revising the NBSAPs
• Discuss on state and possibilities of revising the PoWMB
• Discuss and agree on pathways for SBSTTA 26 and CoP16 for collective voice from the HKH and other mountain regions

Expected outputs

• Progress and challenges in addressing mountains in the NBSAPs by parties compiled
• Decision on revising the PoWMB and agreeing to put as an agenda during SBSTTA 26
• Agree on pathways for a collective voice for mountains to SBSTTA 26 and CoP16

Background

The HKH is a treasure trove for biodiversity providing ecosystem services to its 240 million inhabitants and 1.9 billion people living downstream. The HKH countries are all Parties to the CBD. In 2022, Parties to the CBD to make a ‘historic’ agreement on biodiversity – the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, widely known as the GBF in Montreal, Canada. The GBF includes ambitious commitments to “halt and reverse biodiversity loss” by 2030 and sets out a pathway to reach the global vision of “a world living in harmony with nature by 2050” using four goals and 23 targets. It emphasises action‐and results‐oriented implementation by revisiting the NBSAPs, and to facilitate the monitoring and review of progress at all levels in a more transparent and responsible manner.

Though mountains are not prioritised in the GBF, it gives ample opportunities for the HKH countries to make more concrete efforts to conserve biodiversity and contribute to the 2030 targets and 2050 goals. Two such pathways are a) to add more mountain specific indicators to address the complexity and prevailing challenges during the revision of NBSAPs and b) revival of PoWMB, which provides a framework for collaboration among mountain countries and can act as an important catalyst for identifying common goals and targets to strengthen and inform conservation of biodiversity in mountain regions, in support of implementation of the GBF. As the potential need for updating the Programme of Work depends on the Parties’ decisions at the SBSTTA 26, and NBSAPs are undergoing revisions in time for COP16, now is an opportune time to reinforce the importance of mountain biodiversity.