With a strong focus on conservation, IDOS researchers followed most of the discussions at the working groups related to human rights and biodiversity. Their attention was particularly drawn to the recognition and protection of the rights of Indigenous Peoples’ and Local Communities’ rights in managing natural resources.
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Among many, special attention was on the negotiations around article 8(j), where Parties committed to respecting and preserving the knowledge and practices of Indigenous Peoples (IP) and local communities (LCs) for biodiversity conservation. The article promotes the application of these knowledge systems with the approval of their holders and strives for equitable sharing of benefits arising from the utilisation of such knowledge innovations and practices. COP16 formally recognised IP and LCs through a new subsidiary body on Article 8(j) within the convention, ensuring their voice in biodiversity governance.
Another critical focus of attention were the negotiations around the indicators to monitor progress on the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF). The framework includes four goals for 2050 and 23 targets for 2030. Here, interest was in how the recognition of Indigenous and Traditional territories is integrated into the targets‘ indicators. At the end of COP, there was no decision on the monitoring framework for the KMGBF. IDOS researchers also followed the negotiations regarding the inclusion of Digital Sequence Information in the benefit-sharing mechanisms, which, in the end, was approved.
Besides tracking the negotiations, IDOS researchers conducted short semi structured interviews with delegates and other participants to understand their positions. They also engaged with country delegates, human rights defenders and other researchers to exchange research outcomes from our involvement in the Klimalog and the BIO-JUST projects.
At the end of COP 16 CBD, we held a press conference in Bonn with other IDOS researchers (Prof. Anna-Katharina Hornidge, Dr Svea Koch, Dr Mariya Aleksandrova, Dr Marcelo da Acunha and Dr Jean Carlo Rodríguez De Francisco) and the German press. During this event, we analysed the outcomes of the Biodiversity Summit in light of the upcoming UN Climate Change Conference in Azerbaijan.
