The processes and meetings of the Convention on Biological Diversity and of its Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety and the Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and the Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits Arising from their Utilization provide critical guidance to Parties, IPLCs and other stakeholders on actions to promote the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity, while equitably sharing the benefits from the use of genetic resources.

Implementation of the Convention and its Protocols is guided by the advice, recommendations and decisions provided by the Conference of the Parties, the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Protocols, the various subsidiary bodies, open-ended working groups, expert groups and informal advisory committees.

Other processes include national reporting, assessment and review, and the development and implementation of thematic and cross-cutting programmes of work, initiatives and a variety of principles, guidelines, action plans and frameworks.

The current overarching framework for action is the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020 and its Aichi Biodiversity Targets. Governments are in the process of developing a post-2020 global biodiversity framework that will guide actions in the decades to come.