Decision COP 15/20

The Conference of the Parties,

Welcoming the in-depth dialogue on the topic “contribution of traditional knowledge, innovations and practices of indigenous peoples and local communities, and cultural diversity to the post-2020 global biodiversity framework” conducted by the Ad Hoc Open-ended Inter-sessional Working Group on Article 8(j) and Related Provisions at its eleventh meeting,

Recognizing that the contribution of traditional knowledge, innovations and practices in addressing global biodiversity loss is fundamental to achieve the 2050 Vision of living in harmony with nature,

Recognizing also that embracing the vision of the Convention requires embracing cultural diversity and acknowledging the intimate relationship between nature and people,

Recognizing further that diverse accumulations of knowledge, including intergenerational language transmission, can provide human and ecological systems with greater adaptive capacity to cope with current and future disturbances and strengthen economic, social and ecological resilience,

Recognizing the importance of the three objectives of the Convention on Biological Diversity for biocultural diversity,

1. Invites Parties to acknowledge, encourage and incorporate the contribution of indigenous peoples and local communities through their traditional knowledge, innovations and practices and their collective actions for the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity, as well as, more broadly, the links between biological and cultural diversity, in the implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework;

2. Also invites Parties to fully integrate considerations, adopted voluntary guidelines and principles regarding the links between cultural and biological diversity in their national implementation of the Convention on Biological Diversity, with the full and effective participation of indigenous peoples and local communities, according to national legislation and international obligations;

3. Decides that the topic for the in-depth dialogue to be discussed at the twelfth meeting of the Ad Hoc Open-ended Inter-sessional Working Group on Article 8(j) and Related Provisions will be: “the role of languages in the intergenerational transmission of traditional knowledge, innovations and practices”.