Statement on International Mother Earth Day (22 April 2026)

Statement by the Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity, Astrid Schomaker, on International Mother Earth Day (22 April 2026)

Happy International Mother Earth Day from the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity.

Today we celebrate Mother Earth—bountiful, beautiful and so essential to all life on this planet.

Today is a good day to reflect on how we can protect Her so that She can continue to provide for all of us. 

Mother Earth—as a worldview—is a relevant part of our work.

In the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework—the  global blueprint to halt and reverse biodiversity loss—Parties recognize the diverse values of nature, including Mother Earth-centered actions and approaches. 

Indigenous peoples and local communities around the world have lived in harmony with Mother Earth for millennia. We must leverage their knowledge and practices in the global endeavor to turn the commitments of the KMGBF into action and then impact.

The Convention’s recently established Subsidiary Body on Article 8(j) is elevating the role of indigenous peoples and local communities in our work, recognizing the importance of traditional knowledge and cultural values in biodiversity policy.

This subsidiary body will be instrumental in integrating the “Mother Earth” approach into the work of the Convention. This is an achievement worth celebrating today.

At the 2026 UN Biodiversity Conference, the Parties will undertake the first global review of collective progress in the implementation of the KMGBF.

This process provides an opportunity to reflect the role of diverse knowledge systems and worldviews, including those associated with Mother Earth.

Today let us all commit to the accelerated implementation of the KMGBF: for Mother Earth and for all people who call our planet their home.