Pollinators play a critical role in maintaining ecosystem functioning, supporting biodiversity, sustaining agricultural production systems and securing food production worldwide. It is estimated that approximately 75 percent of globally important food crops benefit, at least partially, from animal-mediated pollination, while a significant proportion of wild plant species depend on pollinators for their reproduction and long-term ecological resilience.

The conservation and sustainable management of pollinators has therefore emerged as a strategic priority at the intersection of biodiversity conservation, sustainable agriculture, ecosystem restoration, climate resilience and human well-being. However, pollinator populations are increasingly affected by multiple direct and indirect drivers of biodiversity loss, including habitat degradation and fragmentation, unsustainable agricultural practices, pollution, invasive alien species and the growing impacts of climate change.

Recognizing these challenges, Parties and stakeholders across Latin America have strengthened collaborative efforts aimed at promoting integrated approaches to pollinator conservation that simultaneously contribute to biodiversity protection, ecosystem service maintenance, sustainable production systems and resilient livelihoods for rural and local communities.

The regional initiative Protection of Pollinating Insects in Latin America and the Caribbean (Poli-LAC), currently implemented in Brazil, Mexico, Costa Rica, Peru and Paraguay, represents an important example of regional cooperation designed to strengthen governance frameworks, improve knowledge generation and sharing, support biodiversity-friendly agricultural practices and foster policy instruments that integrate pollinator conservation into productive landscapes and decision-making processes across sectors.

By advancing cooperation among countries while promoting practical implementation measures at the territorial level, including biodiversity monitoring, sustainable land management practices and strengthened institutional coordination, the initiative provides valuable lessons regarding how pollinator protection can support implementation efforts under the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.

This side event will provide an opportunity to examine how regional cooperation on pollinator conservation can contribute to advancing implementation of the Convention on Biological Diversity and the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, particularly in relation to Goal A and Targets 7, 10, 11, 14 and 20, while supporting broader efforts to mainstream biodiversity considerations across agriculture and food production systems.

The side event will:

•             Facilitate the exchange of experiences among Parties and regional stakeholders engaged in the development and implementation of pollinator protection initiatives;

•             Promote dialogue on policy approaches that strengthen the integration of biodiversity conservation objectives within agricultural and productive sectors;

•             Showcase practical experiences aimed at supporting biodiversity-friendly agricultural practices and ecosystem service maintenance within productive landscapes;

•             Explore opportunities for strengthening regional cooperation, knowledge exchange and institutional coordination in support of pollinator conservation strategies;

•             Highlight the contribution of pollinator conservation initiatives to broader efforts aimed at implementing the objectives of the Convention and advancing national implementation of the Global Biodiversity Framework.

The in-person side event will feature a moderated panel discussion followed by an interactive exchange with participants. Invited panelists are expected to include representatives from Brazil, Mexico, Costa Rica, Peru and Paraguay, as well as institutions participating in regional cooperation initiatives focused on pollinator protection and sustainable agricultural systems.