This side event will debate how key upcoming CBD decisions and guidance can work together to support the implementation of the governance, rights and equity aspects of Target 3 -  including the revision of the Programme of Work on Protected Areas (PoWPA), the finalisation of the monitoring framework, and the guidance on ITTs under Article 8(j).

In Target 3 of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF), Parties committed to conserve at least 30% of land and sea areas by 2030, while ensuring equitable governance and recognising the rights of Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IPs and LCs), including to their lands, territories, and traditional knowledge. However, the implementation of the governance, equity and rights aspects of T3  at national level and on the ground remains uneven. IPs and LCs face barriers such as a lack of recognition of their territories and governance institutions in national policies, insufficient mechanisms for equity in shared governance arrangements, weak integration of rights-based approaches in NBSAPs, gaps in safeguards, and insufficient access to financial resources, among others. At the same time, there are promising examples of community-led, rights holders-based conservation that offer scalable pathways forward. Key pcoming CBD decisions and guidance can provide a supportive framework to overcome these barriers.

Format

1. Opening

2. Panel discussion: how can parties support a shift to more equity and rights in Protected and Conserved Areas, and more leadership by IPs and LCs,  through key CBD processes and decisions at COP 17?

The panel will be composed of Indigenous and community experts from the ground, and representatives engaged in developing CBD guidance. They will discuss:

• Examples of barriers and pathways to implementation from the local level

• How key CBD guidance and decisions can create an enabling framework to support the implementation of T3

3. Open discussion with the audience 

Expected outcomes

• A clearer understanding of barriers and enabling pathways for the governance and rights aspects of Target 3 implementation

• Strategic recommendations for CBD negotiations and guidance processe