SGP at CBD COP 16, Cali

The UN sixteenth Conference of the Parties (COP16) will take place in Cali, Colombia, from 21 October to 1 November 2024 . COP16 will be the first Biodiversity COP since the adoption of the Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF). At COP16, governments will review the progress made to implement the Global Biodiversity Plan (GBF) and assess alignment of National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs) with the Biodiversity Plan.

At COP16, governments also plan to further negotiate the monitoring framework, advance resource mobilization (in particular how the implementation will be financed) and finalize the multilateral mechanism on fair and equitable Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS) from the use of digital sequence information on genetic resources.

Attended by participants from over 190 countries, COP16 will bring together governments, observer organizations, indigenous communities, businesses, youth groups, civil society, academia, and the general public.

SGP will be participating in multiple events at COP16 and will be highlighting the key role of local communities, civil society and Indigenous Peoples as key actors towards the implmentation of the GBF. 

Visit the official COP website here: Official COP16 Website

SGP side events

Note: all times are in local Cali time

Localisation and learning in the landscape: new directions in area-based and territorial governance by the GEF Small Grants Programme (SGP) in its 8th Operational Phase 

Event number: 5835
Venue: Cocuy- Marie Khan Women's Caucus meeting room, Plaza One
Date and time: Tuesday 22 October, 15:00 to 16:20

Over the course of the last thirty years, comprising seven successive Operational Phases, the GEF SGP has progressively tested, refined and mainstreamed its landscape/seascape approach to achieve greater impact. Through a number of global partnerships including COMPACT, COMDEKS and the Global ICCA Support Initiative (ICCA GSI), the GEF SGP has adopted a focused landscape/seascape approach which has assisted the SGP to enhance cost efficiencies and leverage new sources of funding.

The benefits of the approach have included: (i) improved ecological outcomes working at a landscape scale to encompass ecosystems; (ii) enhanced impact by clustering of SGP projects, building stronger linkages among them; (iii) practical benefits from a common country strategy, aligned with NBSAPs, including SGP projects located closer to one another allowing for more efficient monitoring and follow up; and (iv) long-term potential through increased sustainability, suited to the needs of mainstreaming, acceleration platforms and access to new forms of finance, including payments for ecosystem services.

As part of the continued application of the landscape/seascape approach during OP8 (2024-2028), SGP will build upon and deepen its experience with the territorial models tested and refined in diverse regions and settings, including both terrestrial and marine biomes. As a contribution to the GEF7 strategic priorities, the OP8 landscape/seascape approach will be closely aligned with the relevant GEF priorities namely: integrating results across the portfolio of GEF focal areas, linking the priorities of the Rio Conventions with the UN 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), blending different forms of landscape and seascape finance (grants, loans, performance-based results, payments for ecosystem services, biodiversity credits options), addressing priority social inclusion needs and human rights concerns.

Increasing direct financial support to Indigenous Peoples and local communities’ territories and areas (ICCAs) for biodiversity conservation and human well-being through the GEF Small Grants Programme

Event number: 6595
Venue: Mavecure- Business and Industry Organizations meeting room, Plaza One
Date and time: Thursday 25 October, 13:20 to 14:40

 This side event will review the implementation of the Global ICCA Support Initiative funded by the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection (BMUV) and delivered through the UNDP-implemented GEF Small Grants Programme (SGP), to recognize and support the crucial role of Indigenous Peoples’ and community conserved territories and areas (ICCAs) in contributing to the Global Biodiversity Framework Targets 3, 21, 22 and 23.

The Global ICCA Support Initiative (GSI) was launched at CBD COP12 in 2014 to expand the range, quality and diversity of governance types of protected and conserved areas, whilst also enhancing human well-being. In 2020, the ICCA-GSI was extended to support Indigenous Peoples and local communities to cope with and recover from the socio-economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic in 45 countries across all regions. At COP15 in 2022, a second Phase was announced between the BMUV and UNDP (22M Euro, 2023-2028) to support 50 countries worldwide in alignment with the GBF.

The side event will review examples of multi-actor partnerships established between civil society networks, state parties and UN agencies, in support to ICCAs at national and regional levels, together with integrated reporting frameworks for protected and conserved areas at the international level. The side event will launch two recent publications developed through the Global ICCA Support Initiative as part of its Covid response Phase (2020-2024), as well as in relation to the topic of Governance Vitality authored by Grazia Borrini-Feyerabend.

COMDEKS Phase 4 and the Satoyama Initiative: Societies in harmony with nature. Supporting the implementation of the GBF through local action.

Event number: 5856
Venue: Farallones - Youth meeting room, Plaza One
Date: Wednesday 30 October, 16:30 to 17:50

The Community Development and Knowledge Management for the Satoyama Initiative (COMDEKS) was launched in 2011 as a flagship program of the Satoyama Initiative, a global initiative that aims to realize societies in harmony with nature through conservation and sustainable management of socio-ecological production landscapes and seascapes.

At the COP15 in 2022, the Japan Ministry of Environment (MOEJ), Keidanren Nature Conservation Council (KNCC), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and other partners announced the launch of the fourth phase of the Community Development and Knowledge Management for the Satoyama Initiative (COMDEKS) with funding to total an expected one billion Japanese Yen over 2023 to 2027.

Phase 4 of the COMDEKS will seek to catalyze and drive integrated local actions and provide concrete contribution to the implementation of the Global Biodiversity Framework.

This side event will highlight the role of the COMDEKS in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and key targets under the Global Biodiversity Framework, including those on ecosystem restoration, protected areas and other effective area-based conservation measures (OECMs). It will also highlight the role of local actors, civil society and local communities on designing and implementing innovative, inclusive, sustainable and locally-lead solutions that address the triple planetary crises of climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution. It will also discuss the linkages between poverty reduction, local resilience and empowerment, and ecosystem restoration. Restoring humanity’s relationship with nature is urgently needed to address multiple global crises and accelerate progress towards the SDGs.

The event will feature panel discussions featuring voices from both technical experts and in-the-field practitioners to amplify their diverse knowledge and experiences, particularly on practical implementation of the Satoyama Initiative; vision, description and progress of COMDEKS Phase 4; and implementation of the Global Biodiversity Framework. Participants will have the opportunity to share key experiences and lessons and explore means of upscaling and mainstreaming these into national and global policies. The event will include messages from key COMDEKS donors and partners such as MOEJ and KNCC.

Other events with SGP particpation and support 

Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities Leading the Charge: Community-based Solutions for Nature and Climate Action

Event number: 6402
Venue: Cocuy- Mavecure- Nuqui - Academia & Research meeting room, Plaza One
Date and time: Tuesday 22 October, 16:30 to 17:50

This event will highlight the transformative impact of supporting Indigenous Peoples and community-led initiatives on both local and global scales, outlining the necessity and benefits of integrating these initiatives into national climate and biodiversity strategies (NDCs and NBSAPs) and exploring innovative ways to finance them. Speakers will outline the necessity and benefits of supporting Indigenous Peoples and community-led initiatives as central pillars in our collective efforts to create sustainable, peace positive, and climate resilient futures. The event highlights key areas for action, potential partnerships, and the transformative impact of such support on both local and global scales. Embracing and amplifying the voices and actions of Indigenous communities will be instrumental in driving forward nature and climate solutions that are inclusive, equitable, and effective. By highlighting successful community-based projects in Cambodia, Colombia, Ecuador and Kenya, we aim to illustrate how small-scale, community-led initiatives linked to country-specific policy instruments can lead to significant governance, climate and biodiversity outcomes.

This side event will also reflect on lessons learned, results, and impacts of Indigenous Peoples and community-led climate and nature solutions. It will explore how these initiatives connect to national climate policies and frameworks like the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs) and scale up support to these initiatives.

Navigating a Changing World with Human Rights at the Core: Implementing the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework with a Human Rights-Based Approach

Event number: 5880
Venue: Cocuy- Sinu - Africa meeting room, Plaza One
Date and time: Thursday 24 October, 11:40 to 13:00

This side event will delve into the critical intersection of human rights and biodiversity conservation, with a specific focus on Target 3 of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. By presenting in-depth analyses of the framework, its implementation challenges, and case studies of successful Indigenous and Local Community led conservation initiatives, this event aims to stimulate dialogue and action towards a more just and equitable approach to biodiversity conservation under the appropriate recognition and respect to Indigenous and Traditional Territories.

Working together to realize societies in harmony with nature: Mechanisms and tools to support on-the-ground initiatives

Event number: 6595
Venue: Cocuy- Mavecure- Business and Industry Organizations meeting room, Plaza One
Date and time: Thursday 31 October, 13:20 to 14:40

On-the-ground efforts of biodiversity conservation and sustainable use in productive landscapes and seascapes are imperative to implement the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and achieve the 2050 Vision for Biodiversity. The whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach effectively supports such efforts, facilitating the achievement of multiple goals and targets of the Kunming-Montreal Global Framework (GBF). With a common vision of “realizing societies in harmony with nature,” International Partnership for the Satoyama Initiative (IPSI) has been serving as a global platform since 2010 to foster synergies in the implementation of diverse initiatives towards the vision in collaboration with a wide range of partners (e.g., national and local governments, NGOs, Indigenous Peoples and local communities, businesses, academic and educational institutions, intergovernmental organizations, and youth groups). While accumulating the lessons from the efforts by these partners, IPSI has developed and implemented a variety of mechanisms and tools to enhance collaboration and support the on-the-ground initiatives for biodiversity conservation and sustainable use, including IPSI Collaborative Activities, the Satoyama Development Mechanism (SDM), Indicators of Resilience, the Satoyama Initiative Thematic Review (SITR), and the COMDEKS programme.

This side event will showcase how multi-stakeholder collaboration leads to innovative, sustainable, and peaceful solutions for addressing local needs and priorities and facilitating the achievement of global goals for biodiversity and sustainability. While introducing a set of mechanisms and tools to support on-the-ground initiatives, it will feature practical examples that demonstrate how stakeholders share and negotiate different priorities, perspectives, and objectives on a landscape or seascape scale. The presentations of these examples will be followed by a panel discussion that will bring together panellists from governments, international organizations, civil society, and academia to share the insights into how to strengthen multi-stakeholder collaboration and effectively support on-the-ground initiatives for realizing societies in harmony with nature.