Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice (SBSTTA-25) Meeting

October 17, 2023

Governments and biodiversity experts have gathered in Nairobi, Kenya, for the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice (SBSTTA-25) meeting, which takes place from October 15 to October 19, 2023. The meeting is focused on guiding the implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, adopted in December 2022 at the 15th Conference of Parties (COP15) to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD).

Key Points from the Meeting

Framework Implementation: The SBSTTA-25 meeting marks the first gathering of the group since the adoption of the Global Biodiversity Framework. It aims to discuss the scientific, technical, and technological aspects required to support the framework’s implementation.
Monitoring Framework: Discussions at the meeting are expected to cover the development of a monitoring framework to facilitate the implementation of the framework. An Ad Hoc Technical Expert Group (AHTEG) has already met three times in the past year to work on this framework.
Categorical Indicators: The AHTEG has proposed the creation of categorical indicators, allowing countries to provide more nuanced progress reports instead of simple binary indicators. The final indicators are expected to be available in May 2024.
Online Discussion: An online discussion board has been created to facilitate expert input on the monitoring framework and indicators. So far, there have been 46 comments on the board, with many emphasizing the need to improve existing indicators.
Biodiversity Abundance Indicator: One comment highlighted the lack of an indicator for changes in biodiversity abundance, which is a significant oversight given the framework’s goal to increase the abundance of native wild species by 2050.
Ocean Conservation Monitoring: Another comment discussed the need to monitor the outcomes of area-based conservation in the ocean, focusing on both quantitative and qualitative aspects. Suggestions included using the MPA guide to track the effectiveness of protected areas in the ocean.
Linkages to Climate Change: The meeting will also review the linkages between biodiversity and climate change based on recent reports by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.
SBSTTA Recommendations: Since its inception in 1995, SBSTTA has produced 250 recommendations to the Conference of the Parties. The recommendations from SBSTTA-25 will be submitted for agreement at COP16 in 2024.