Twenty-seventh meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice (SBSTTA-27) and the first meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Article 8(j) and Other Provisions of the Convention on Biological Diversity Related to Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (SB8J-1)
20 - 30 October 2025 - Panama City, Panama
The twenty-seventh meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice (SBSTTA-27) will be held from 20 to 24 October 2025, back-to-back with the First meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Article 8(j) and Other Provisions of the Convention on Biological Diversity Related to Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (SB8J-1), from 27 to 30 October 2025, and will be hosted by the Government of Panama, to take place at the Atlapa Convention Center in Panama City, Panama.
Twenty-seventh meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice
20–24 October 2025
The Subsidiary Body was established under Article 25 of the Convention on Biological Diversity. In addition, in its Article 30, the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety provides that any subsidiary body established by or under the Convention may, upon a decision by the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Cartagena Protocol, serve the Cartagena Protocol. Similarly, in its Article 27, the Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and the Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits Arising from their Utilization provides that any subsidiary body established by or under the Convention may serve the Nagoya Protocol.
First meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Article 8(j) and Other Provisions of the Convention on Biological Diversity Related to Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities
27–30 October 2025
In a landmark decision at COP 16 in Cali, Parties adopted a new Programme of Work on Article 8(j) and other provisions of the Convention related to indigenous peoples and local communities. This transformative programme sets out specific tasks to ensure the meaningful contribution of indigenous peoples and local communities towards the three objectives of the Convention ((a) the conservation of biological diversity, b) the sustainable use of biological diversity, and c) the fair and equitable sharing of benefits), as well as the implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF). Through this Programme, rights, contributions and traditional knowledge of indigenous peoples and local communities are further embedded in the global agenda.
Parties also agreed to establish a new permanent subsidiary body on article 8j and other Provisions, with its modus operandi to be developed over the next two years. The new Subsidiary Body is expected to elevate issues related to the implementation of Article 8j and enhance the engagement and participation of indigenous peoples and local communities in all convention processes.