Shaping the Future of the Biodiversity: Key Takeaways from the Advisory Session

Why in news?

• The fight for biodiversity just got a boost.
• The 26th meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice (SBSTTA-26) of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) concluded on May 18th, 2024, in Nairobi, Kenya.
• This crucial meeting laid the groundwork for implementing the ambitious “Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework,” adopted in December 2022.

A Roadmap for Implementing the Biodiversity Plan

• Over six days of intensive discussions, scientific experts from member countries tackled seven key issues that will directly impact the success of the Biodiversity Plan. These discussions focused on:
  • Scientific and Technical Needs: Identifying the scientific tools and resources required to effectively implement the plan.
  • Modified Organisms: Establishing protocols for detecting and identifying living modified organisms (LMOs), including genetically engineered organisms (GMOs).
  • Risk Assessment and Management: Developing frameworks to assess and manage potential risks associated with LMOs and other emerging technologies.
  • Synthetic Biology: Exploring the implications of synthetic biology, a rapidly evolving field that allows for deliberate manipulation of genetic material.
  • Marine and Coastal Biodiversity: Focusing on ecologically or biologically significant marine areas (EBSAs) and strategies for conservation and sustainable use of marine resources.
  • Biodiversity and Health: Understanding the intricate link between biodiversity and human health, with a focus on preventing future pandemics.
  • Monitoring Framework: Creating a robust system to track progress towards achieving the plan’s ambitious goals by 2030.

Key Achievements and What Lies Ahead

• The meeting concluded with significant progress on several pressing issues:
  • EBSAs and the  Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction: Discussions set the stage for a potential agreement at COP16 (Conference of the Parties) in October 2024, defining and protecting EBSAs. This is crucial for implementing the new agreement on the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction, which governs areas beyond national borders.
  • Global Action Plan on Biodiversity and Health: COP16 will explore finalizing the Global Action Plan on Biodiversity and Health. This plan aims to create a universal approach to prevent future pandemics and address critical issues like pollution, species management, and benefit-sharing.
  • Biosafety and Biotechnology: Parties recommended new voluntary guidance on risk assessment for engineered gene drives, promoting transparency and scientific rigor. An expert group was also established to study the risks associated with living modified fish. The need for vigilance in detecting and identifying LMOs was emphasized, particularly in relation to concerns around genetically modified insects.
  • Synthetic Biology and Equity: Recognizing the potential of synthetic biology, the meeting highlighted the need for capacity-building, technology transfer, and knowledge-sharing. This is crucial to ensure equitable participation from developing countries.
  • Monitoring Framework: Significant progress was made in developing a monitoring framework to track progress towards the plan’s targets. This framework will be instrumental in measuring success and identifying areas needing improvement.

Looking Forward: Subsidiary Body on Implementation and COP16

• The momentum doesn’t stop here. On May 21st, the delegates will reconvene in Nairobi under the CBD’s Subsidiary Body on Implementation (SBI). This meeting, continuing until May 29th, will focus on critical issues like:
  • Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits from Digital Sequence Information (DSI): DSI is genetic information used in research and development. Equitable sharing of benefits arising from its use is crucial for ensuring that developing countries, which are often rich in biodiversity, benefit from its exploitation.
  • Biodiversity Funding: Addressing challenges related to biodiversity-related funding through multilateral mechanisms, ensuring adequate resources for implementation.
  • Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities: Exploring the establishment of a new CBD subsidiary body dedicated to the rights and knowledge of indigenous peoples and local communities, who play a vital role in the biodiversity conservation.
• The upcoming COP16 in Cali, Colombia, from October 21st to November 1st, 2024, will be a pivotal moment. It’s here that member countries will discuss and potentially finalize many of the recommendations and frameworks established at SBSTTA-26 and SBI.
• The success of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework hinges on these meetings and their ability to translate scientific recommendations into concrete action plans.

A Call to Action: Our Shared Responsibility for the biodiversity

• The discussions at SBSTTA-26 highlight the complex challenges and interconnectedness of the biodiversity conservation.
• From the delicate balance of marine ecosystems to the risks associated with emerging technologies, a holistic approach is essential.
• As we move forward, it’s crucial for governments, scientists, indigenous communities, and all stakeholders to work together in implementing the Biodiversity Plan. Raising awareness, fostering scientific knowledge

People also ask

Q1:  What was SBSTTA-26 all about?
Ans: SBSTTA-26 was the 26th meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). Held in May 2024, it brought together scientific experts to discuss how to translate the goals of the Kunming-Montreal Framework into concrete action plans.

Q2:  What were the key areas of discussion?
Ans: SBSTTA-26 focused on the nuts and bolts of implementing the Kunming-Montreal Framework, tackling scientific needs, managing GMOs, developing frameworks for emerging technologies, crafting conservation plans for vital marine areas, exploring the link between biodiversity and human health to prevent pandemics, and establishing a system to track progress towards the plan’s ambitious goals.

Q3: What were the major achievements of SBSTTA-26?
Ans: SBSTTA-26 delivered on several key fronts: paving the way for EBSA protection under a new international agreement, potentially finalizing a plan to combat pandemics and ensure benefit-sharing, establishing new guidelines for engineered gene drives and studying risks of modified fish, and making significant headway in developing a system to measure progress towards the ambitious goals of the Biodiversity Plan.