The CBD and Nairobi 2024 key takeaways
The 26th session of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) has just concluded in Nairobi, Kenya.
Delegates representing 196 contracting parties to the CBD convened in Nairobi over six days deliberating on a range of issues which will be advanced at the 16th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP 16), which will be held in Cali, Columbia from 21 October to 1 November 2024.
Key takeaways from the Nairobi workshop include:
Addressing biodiversity of the oceans
Guidance on biotechnology
The compilation of scientific tools and guidelines for the implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.
Biosafety and biotechnology
Regarding agenda items related to biosafety and biotechnology, the Parties recommended new voluntary guidance on the risk assessment on engineered gene drives, which will strengthen transparency and scientific rigour in the process and continue the important work on the detection and identification of living modified organisms.
For the issue of synthetic biology, further discussions are needed on the possibility of continuing horizon scanning – the systematic detection of early signs of potentially important developments – for synthetic biology. There was agreement on the strong need for capacity-building and development, technology transfer and knowledge-sharing, especially for addressing inequity that affects the participation of developing countries.
Marine conservation was discussed at the Nairobi meeting.
Marine and coastal biodiversity
Marine and coastal biodiversity was also a key item, with Parties making significant progress that will set the stage for COP 16 to hopefully set the future for describing ecologically or biologically significant marine areas (EBSAs). If agreed at COP 16, this would come at critical time when EBSAs are most needed, as it can play a key role in supporting work under the new international agreement on Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction.
A proposed Global Plan of Action on Biodiversity and Health connects a variety of actors and their expertise to act on biodiversity and health.
Global Action Plan
A proposed Global Plan of Action on Biodiversity and Health connects a variety of actors and their expertise to act on biodiversity and health. Through actions on pollution, species management, mainstreaming and access and benefit sharing, the Global Plan of Action mobilises The Biodiversity Plan as a framework for activities.
“This meeting showed the willingness of Parties to the CBD to reach consensus on the important scientific foundations of our work to achieve The Biodiversity Plan.” said David Cooper, Acting Executive Secretary of the CBD. “The discussions have wide-reaching implications on biosafety, biotechnology, biodiversity in our oceans, and new global work on health of people, plants and animals.”
For more information on the Convention of Biological Diversity, visit https://www.cbd.int/
Press release supplied by Convention on Biological Diversity (18 May 2024).
