Decision COP 16/32

The Conference of the Parties,

Recalling Articles 6, 23 and 26 of the Convention on Biological Diversity,

Recalling also its decisions VI/25 of 19 April 2002, VIII/7 of 31 March 2006, X/4 of 29 October 2010, XII/2 of 17 October 2014 and 15/3, 15/5, 15/6 and 15/11 of 10 December 2022 concerning the findings of the five editions of the Global Biodiversity Outlook and the two editions of the Local Biodiversity Outlook,

Recalling further its decisions XIII/25 of 9 December 2016 and 14/29 of 29 November 2018,

Recalling that, in accordance with decision 15/6, the enhanced multidimensional approach to planning, monitoring, reporting and review will be undertaken in a facilitative, non-intrusive and non-punitive manner, respecting national sovereignty and avoiding placing undue burden on Parties, in particular developing countries,

Recalling also that, pursuant to paragraph 2 of decision 15/6, the Conference of the Parties will consider and provide any recommendations, as necessary, at its meetings, with a view to achieving the goals and targets of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework,

Recalling further that, pursuant to paragraph 20 of decision 15/6, Parties may take the outcome of the global review of collective progress in the implementation of the Framework into account in future revisions and in the implementation of their national biodiversity strategies and action plans, including the provision of means of implementation to developing country Parties, with a view to improving actions and efforts, as appropriate,

Noting that the implementation by Parties of the enhanced multidimensional approach to planning, monitoring, reporting and review will contribute to the effective implementation of the Convention and its Protocols and the Framework,

Noting that the implementation by Parties of the enhanced multidimensional approach to planning, monitoring, reporting and review will contribute to the effective implementation of the Convention and its Protocols and the Framework,

Underscoring the critical importance of scientific, technical and technological inputs, including from traditional knowledge, for all elements of the global review,

Recognizing the contributions of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, as well as the role of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice in reviewing their findings, and noting the role of the Global Environment Outlook and other major international scientific assessments in improving global biodiversity knowledge and information,

Recognizing also the role of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice in providing advice on relevant scientific, technical and technological matters, including traditional knowledge, for the global review,

Recalling its request to Parties in paragraph 13 of decision 15/6 that they use headline indicators and, as appropriate, other indicators in their national reports,

Welcoming the decision of the Plenary of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services at its tenth session to undertake a fast-track methodological assessment on monitoring biodiversity and nature’s contributions to people by 2026, a fast-track methodological assessment of integrated biodiversity-inclusive spatial planning and ecological connectivity by 2027 and a scoping process for a second global assessment of biodiversity and ecosystem services by 2024, with a view to producing the second global assessment in 2028, as part of its rolling work programme up to 2030,

Stressing the importance of the aforementioned rolling work programme for the global review, in particular the importance of the second global assessment of biodiversity and ecosystem services for the review to be conducted by the Conference of the Parties at its nineteenth meeting,

Recalling that Parties are requested to submit their seventh national reports by 28 February 2026 and their eighth national reports by 30 June 2029,

1. Endorses the revisions to the national reporting template for the seventh and eighth national reports, as contained in annex I to the present decision;

2. Encourages Parties to collaborate, where appropriate, with other reporting processes, such as those under the Sustainable Development Goals and relevant multilateral environmental agreements, including by using, on a voluntary basis, the Data Reporting Tool for Multilateral Environmental Agreements or other modular data reporting tools;

Commitments by actors other than national Governments

3. Adopts the core reporting elements for commitments by actors other than national Governments contained in annex II to the present decision;

4. Recalls its invitation to actors other than national Governments, in paragraph 26 of decision 15/6, to develop and share, on a voluntary basis, commitments contributing to national biodiversity strategies and action plans and to the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, and invites those actors to be guided by the general principles and the core reporting elements of the template contained in annex II to the present decision;

Open-ended forum or regional or interregional dialogue

5. Takes note of the views shared by Parties and the summary by the Chair of the Subsidiary Body on Implementation of the pilot open-ended forum for voluntary country review of implementation conducted at the fifth meeting of the Subsidiary Body;

Global review of collective progress in the implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework

6. Reiterates its decision in paragraph 16 of decision 15/6 to conduct a global review of collective progress in the implementation of the Framework at its seventeenth and nineteenth meetings;

7. Decides that the global review will culminate in a decision or decisions by the Conference of the Parties, including, as necessary, any recommendations to identify and address challenges in collective progress in implementation, including on the means of implementation, in particular for developing country Parties, with a view to achieving the goals and targets of the Framework;

8. Also decides that the global review should be focused on assessing collective progress and that it will be undertaken in a facilitative, non-intrusive and non-punitive manner, respecting national sovereignty and avoiding placing an undue burden on Parties, in particular developing countries, with no focus on individual Parties and respecting their policy space;

9. Further decides that the global review is a Party-driven process conducted in a comprehensive, facilitative, efficient, inclusive and transparent manner, avoiding duplication of work, at all its stages, including when preparing the global report;

10. Decides that, in order to support the effective and equitable participation of Parties, all inputs should be made fully accessible, including online;

Design of the global review

11. Decides that the global review, including of the means of implementation, will be primarily based on:

12. Also decides that the global review will also draw upon relevant recommendations of the subsidiary bodies and working groups and, as relevant, the outcomes of the informal technical dialogue referred to in subparagraph 24 (h) below, the outcomes of the subregional or regional dialogues and the possible interregional dialogue referred to in subparagraph 24 (e) below, and the global analysis of information in national biodiversity strategies and action plans described in subparagraph 1 (c) of decision 15/6;

Global report

13. Decides that the three objectives of the Convention on Biological Diversity will be considered in the global report in a balanced manner, as reflected in the Framework;

14. Also decides that specific challenges to the implementation of the Framework, especially for developing country Parties, in particular the least developed countries and small island developing States, will be considered throughout the global report;

15. Emphasizes that the global report should draw upon data and information provided by Parties and the best available peer-reviewed scientific, technical and technological information, as well as traditional knowledge given access to with the free, prior and informed consent of indigenous people and local communities;

16. Also emphasizes the need to ensure balance, transparency and inclusivity in the preparation of the global report at all its stages;

17. Decides that the global report will be focused primarily on assessing progress in the implementation of the Framework and contain the following structural elements:

18. Also decides that the following sources of information should be drawn upon when preparing the global report:

Governance for the global review

19. Decides that the global review, in particular with regard to paragraphs 6 to 12 above, will be a Party-led process guided by the Subsidiary Body on Implementation, with support from its Bureau, informed by Party submissions and a peer review, as needed, followed by consideration by the Conference of the Parties;

20. Takes note of the indicative timeline for the global review, including for the preparation of the global report, contained in annex IV to the present decision;

Governance for the global report

21. Decides to establish an ad hoc scientific and technical advisory group for the preparation of the global report on collective progress in the implementation of the KunmingMontreal Global Biodiversity Framework, with a time-bound mandate until the seventeenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties and the terms of reference contained in annex III to the present decision, to provide scientific, technical and technological recommendations, including on traditional knowledge, for the preparation of the global report on the basis of the sources noted in paragraph 18;

22. Also decides that the Ad Hoc Scientific and Technical Advisory Group for the Preparation of the Global Report on Collective Progress in the Implementation of the KunmingMontreal Global Biodiversity Framework will report to and support the work of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice in providing scientific, technical and technological advice to the Subsidiary Body on Implementation, which will guide the global review;

23. Further decides that the global report will be made available for peer review and review by the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice and the Subsidiary Body on Implementation before its submission to the Conference of the Parties;

Requests to the Executive Secretary

24. Requests the Executive Secretary, subject to the availability of resources:

25. Also requests the Executive Secretary, under the guidance of the Bureau of the Conference of the Parties, to facilitate the global review and provide to Parties regular updates on the preparation of the global report, including at meetings of the subsidiary bodies;

26. Invites Parties, other Governments and multilateral and bilateral agencies to support the enhanced multidimensional approach to planning, monitoring, reporting and review, including the strengthening of national-level monitoring, in order to ensure the effective implementation of the Framework;

27. Invites the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services to contribute to the global review, and in particular to the work of the Ad Hoc Scientific and Technical Advisory Group, in a manner fully respectful of their respective mandates.