Why this session?
This side event will convene Parties, technical and scientific experts - including authors and contributors to the Global Report of Collective Progress under the KMGBF -and  representatives of the CBD Major Groups and other non-state actors, including youth, women’s groups, Indigenous Peoples and local communities (IPLCs) to reflect on what has been, within the CBD fora, the first-ever stocktaking exercise: a measure of collective progress to date, which also has a potential to be used as a mechanism to accelerate implementation of the KMGBF.

 

The dialogue will examine the findings and implications of this first Global Review, while openly acknowledging its methodological and data boundaries.  It will explore how the Review’s conclusions can be translated into action-oriented decisions at COP17 and how the review process itself can evolve in future cycles.

 

The discussion will be structured around three interconnected axes:

1. The findings of the first Global Review: deep dive on the key findings, messages and ways forward for implementation of the KMGBF
2. Gaps and limitations of the first Global Review exercise: where are the principal methodological, data, reporting, participation gaps and what lessons can be drawn from this exercise
3. A mechanism for accelerated ambition? what outputs, mechanisms and follow-up processes could be shaped to ensure that the Review contributes to the accountability and implementation infrastructure needed to close the ambition-to-action gap by 2030: a “Yerevan Pathway”

 

Rationale

Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) have recognised the first Global Report as providing one of the most comprehensive evidence bases currently available on implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF). The Report synthesis national reports from 129 Parties, National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs) from 89 Parties, and national targets from 162 Parties, complemented by separate contributions from non-state stakeholders, including Indigenous Peoples and local communities, Non-Governmental Organisations,  youth, women groups among others.

 

The overarching message of the Global Report is that while the KMGBF has generated unprecedented engagement, action and learning, progress is not yet occurring at the pace or scale needed to secure the 2030 mission. This provides an important foundation for the first Global Review discussed at COP17. While it is the first exercise of this type, COP17 presents an opportunity to build on such an exercise, take stock of progress and consider how the first Global Review can become the foundation for a stronger, more inclusive and action-oriented architecture for implementation and accountability through 2030 and towards the 2050 vision.
 

Objectives

The session will:

• Clarify the scope, process, evidence-base and boundaries of the first Global Review, including what it can currently tell us (and what it cannot) about collective progress under the KMGBF
• Identify gaps, challenges and opportunities for improvement in the Global Review process, including the quality and availability of data, methodologies, reporting, knowledge systems and whole-of-society participation.
• Identify potential actionable outputs and follow-up mechanisms emerging from the Global Review that can help accelerate implementation and delivery of the KMGBF’s 2030 targets as part of the “Yerevan pathway”

 

Expected outcomes

The session is expected to:

• Build a shared understanding among Parties and stakeholders of the key findings, strengths and limitations of the Global Review as the first exercise of its kind
• Generate concrete recommendations for strengthening future cycles, including data, methodologies, non-state stakeholder participation
• Contribute to a shared vision of the Global Review as a potential mechanism for learning, accountability and acceleration