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1. Informal Global Dialogue on DSI and the Cali Fund - Report
Executive Summary and Key Messages compiled from the meeting
The three-day informal global dialogue on Digital Sequence Information (DSI) brought together
some 40 representatives from governments, indigenous peoples and local communities (IPLCs),
the private sector, academia, and international organisations to advance the operationalisation
of the multilateral mechanism for benefit-sharing from the use of DSI (MLM), including the Cali
Fund, established under CBD COP Decision 16/2.
Key Messages
1. From agreement to implementation
Participants underscored that, following the political milestone of COP16, the priority has shifted
decisively toward making the Cali Fund operational. Throughout the meeting discussions
revealed a strong willingness of all to engage in a constructive manner and acknowledging that it
is time to deliver and boost benefit-sharing for the benefit of biodiversity.
While important progress has been achieved – particularly through the establishment of
governance structures and ongoing technical work – significant uncertainties remain regarding
practical modalities and lack of common understanding of several key concepts.
2. Trust as the central enabling factor
A central conclusion of the dialogue was that trust is the critical foundation for success. Despite
improving collaboration within formal bodies such as the Steering Committee, broader trust –
particularly involving industry and IPLCs – remains fragile. Rebuilding confidence during the
runup to COP17 requires:
● Transparent and inclusive processes
● Delivery of tangible results
● Continued need for informal exchanges to build common understanding, trust and
partnership
3. Balancing ethics, incentives, and legal certainty
Participants stressed that ethical responsibility must guide behaviour beyond formal
compliance. At the same time, greater legal clarity and predictability are essential to incentivise
private sector contributions and avoid regulatory fragmentation.
4. Key operational “construction sites”
Several priority areas requiring further work were identified:
● Money IN (contributions):
o Reducing regulatory uncertainty and avoiding overlapping obligations
o Creating incentives and ensuring a level playing field
o Exploring mechanisms such as “one-stop-shop” payment systems
● Money OUT (disbursement):
o Clarifying direct vs. indirect funding to IPLCs
o Ensuring transparency, accountability, and measurable biodiversity impact
o Designing flexible funding modalities adapted to national contexts
● Non-monetary benefit-sharing (NMBS):
o Lack of common definitions and tracking systems
Report: Informal Global Dialogue on DSI and the Cali Fund, 10-12 March 2026, Leuven
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o Need for a matchmaking platform to connect needs and offers
o Strong demand for capacity building and development, particularly in
bioinformatics
Outstanding issues:
o Clarification of key concepts (such as direct/indirect use) and trigger points
o Mutual supportiveness with other international frameworks
o Communication and awareness of the Cali Fund
5. Importance of practical testing through pilots
There was strong consensus on the need to move from conceptual discussions to “learning by
doing.” Six initial pilot concepts were developed, collectively covering:
● Financial flows (Money IN and OUT)
● Governance, transparency, and accountability
● Technical elements such as Cali Fund certificates
These pilots’ ideas form a complementary testing framework, ranging from technical prototypes
to full system validation, and could serve as basis for further discussions at COP17 and to
generate evidence to further inform decisions at COP18.
6. Participants of the dialogue meeting and evolving stakeholder landscape
The majority of the 40 participants were representing Parties and the private sector
complemented with some representatives of IPLCs, academia and international organisations.
The Dialogue was held under the Chatham House Rule, where participants are free to use the
information received, but neither reveal the identity nor the affiliation of the speaker(s), nor that
of any other participant.
The dialogue reflected a significant shift in participation, with stronger engagement from the
private sector, particularly from individual companies.
7. Roadmap for continued engagement
Participants appreciated the opportunity to have informal settings to continue discussions on DSI
and the Cali Fund. Based on this, they supported an informal, flexible roadmap – promoted and
supported by Norway and the EU – offering additional opportunities to:
● combine knowledge generation and continue dialogue on key unresolved issues and
“construction sites”,
● support and further feed into upcoming milestones of the formal process, particularly
COP17, and
● offer support regarding the development of a pilot/testing phase.
A pilot initiative was identified as a key next step to generate implementation-oriented insights as
well as a webinar to inform a broader audience and reflect on the outcomes of the dialogue
meeting in Leuven. Additionally, two other informal in-person meetings before COP17 were
welcomed by participants:
• one dedicated to IPLCs and industry, and
• a second Informal Global Dialogue as a follow-up to the Leuven meeting.
Report: Informal Global Dialogue on DSI and the Cali Fund, 10-12 March 2026, Leuven
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Overall Conclusion
The dialogue confirmed that the foundations for the MLM and Cali Fund are in place, but their
success will depend on practical implementation, trust-building, and stakeholder engagement.
Participants emphasised the need for a simple, transparent, and coordinated system, supported
by clear incentives, measurable outcomes, and inclusive governance.
Moving forward, a pragmatic and iterative approach – combining exchange, testing, and learning
– will be key to ensure that the mechanism delivers tangible biodiversity benefits while
maintaining open access to DSI and fostering broad participation.
Report-Leuven-Report_Back_Webinar_260603.pdf
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