In 2021, we worked with the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity, partners and CBD focal points in the regional member countries to critically assess progress against the Aichi Biodiversity Targets and highlight mountain biodiversity conservation imperatives for the next decade. A regional consultation – Towards the post-2020 Biodiversity Framework: Retrospective reflection and setting priority actions for the mountains – helped set the stage for this critical review and agenda setting exercise.

Some of the key findings of our review work have been captured in the technical report on CBD implementation in the Hindu Kush Himalaya: A retrospective analysis of progress towards the Aichi Targets and the Compendium of best practices on protected areas and other effective area-based conservation measures. These hold important lessons for the post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF). At the COP15 in Kunming, China (Part I), we participated in the discussion on post-2020 GBF and used the CBD virtual display platform to highlight HKH biodiversity.

We also contributed to key processes that are shaping the global biodiversity agenda for the next decade. We participated in the third meeting of Over the past year, we worked with our regional member countries to critically assess progress against the Aichi Biodiversity Targets and highlight mountain biodiversity conservation imperatives for the next decade the ‘Open-ended working group on the post-2020 GBF’ where we also posted a formal statement highlighting the need to recognise mountains prominently in the draft framework. We also participated and contributed to the 24th meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice.

At the national level, we provided technical support for preparing Nepal’s position paper on the implementation of the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity (2011-2020) and helped Nepal’s National Indigenous Women’s Forum (NIWF) in their preparation for CBD COP15.