The Global Partnership on Subnational and Local Governments for Biodiversity is an informal cooperative platform bringing together United Nations agencies and programmes, academic networks and institutions, and networks of subnational governments, cities and local authorities. It is facilitated by the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity and works to support implementation of the Plan of Action on Subnational Governments, Cities and Other Local Authorities for Biodiversity.
Origins
Launched in 2008. The Partnership was established as the Global Partnership on Cities and Biodiversity at the IUCN World Conservation Congress in Barcelona, growing out of the first Curitiba meeting of 2007 and of the inter-agency task force the Secretariat had convened at COP 8. Its first face-to-face meeting was held at ICLEI's World Congress in Edmonton in 2009.
A name that followed the mandate. The Partnership was renamed as the Convention's engagement widened: from cities in 2008, to local and subnational action in 2012 and 2014, to subnational and local governments in 2022, when Decision 15/12 fixed its present name and requested the Executive Secretary to facilitate its work in support of the 2023–2030 Plan of Action.
How the Partnership is organized
The Partnership works through three complementary bodies, each bringing a distinct perspective to the Convention's work with governments below the national level.
Advisory Committee on Local Governments and Biodiversity. Brings the perspective of cities and local authorities. Supported by ICLEI, it traces its origin to the committee of mayors first convened in 2007, which brought together the mayors of Montréal — the Convention's host city — and of Curitiba, Bonn and Nagoya.
Advisory Committee on Subnational Governments and Biodiversity. Brings the perspective of states, regions and provinces. Supported by Regions4 and jointly coordinated with the Government of Québec, it was established in Curitiba in April 2012, hosted by the State of Paraná.
URBIO — Urban Biodiversity and Design. The Partnership's scientific network. Founded in 2008 in Erfurt, Germany, URBIO connects researchers and practitioners working on urban biodiversity and holds international conferences that inform the Partnership's work.
How they work together. ICLEI and Regions4 lead intersessional preparatory meetings and teleconferences, while URBIO provides scientific grounding. Their work feeds into the Summit for Subnational Governments and Cities held at each Conference of the Parties.
Related organizations
