Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) are set to gather in Panama on October 20, 2025. Discussions here will help them prepare for COP17 to be held in Yerevan, Armenia, in October 2026.
Two meetings are scheduled in Panama, the 27th meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice (SBSTTA 27) to commence on October 20 and the first meeting of the newly formed Subsidiary Body on Article 8(j) (SBI-8J-1) which will begin on October 27.
Over the 10 days of deliberations, representatives of governments, indigenous peoples and local communities, scientists and representatives of civil society, including women and youth groups will deliberate over various issues pertaining to the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF).
On the agenda is the first global review of progress in implementing the KMGBF. This is crucial as the progress towards the ambitious targets is uneven so far and momentum has to be built. So far, only around 57 countries have submitted action plans and only around 140 have submitted targets. KMGBF is an agreement adopted in 2022 to halt and reverse biodiversity loss. It has 23 action targets which must be achieved by 2030.
“The Global Review will help identify where support, communities of practice, and new partnerships are needed,” said Astrid Schomaker, Executive Secretary, CBD at a press meeting before the launch of the Panama meetings. The global report will use national reports of the progress by each Party which are due in February 2026, along with information in the National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs) and national targets and the best available science and data.
However, at this meeting, delegates will focus only on process and structure and not on actually reviewing the progress. Discussions here would be continued at the SBSTTA-28 and SBI-7 in 2026 where more substantial decisions would be taken. The process has to be finished before the final Conference of Parties in Armenia.
At a recently held meeting—the European expert meeting in preparation for the 27th meeting of SBSTTA-27 of the CBD—a small group of experts (a total of 44 participants from 20 countries) provided initial discussions on the text of the final documents to be prepared including the global review.
At SBSTTA 27, delegates would also discuss progress gaps and financing shortfalls, and climate-biodiversity synergies and biosafety. The participants would discuss how the new IPBES assessments (Nexus, Transformative Change) would be used which is important in ensuring that science can effectively inform policy.
All eyes are on the SBI-8J-1 which will begin on October 27, 2025. This new subsidiary body, established at COP16 in Colombia’s Cali, is the first permanent UN body dedicated to Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IPLCs). This marks a transition from the Article 8(j) working group to a permanent body. It ensures indigenous voices are heard alongside governments and that traditional knowledge shapes policy.
Through this subsidiary body, communities will have more say on legal frameworks for indigenous territories as ecological corridors and better integration into spatial planning. For example, guidelines on indigenous territories as ecological corridors will support Target 3, popularly known as the 30x30 target. At the first meeting, members would figure out rules of procedure and governance; modalities for IPLC participation; guidelines to recognise Indigenous territories in planning, restoration, and conservation; integrating traditional knowledge into the Global Review, dialogues on resource mobilisation and access to funding for IPLCs.
SB8j is the first permanent UN body dedicated to elevating the role of indigenous peoples and local communities in biodiversity decision-making. “The creation of this body represents a turning point,” said Schomaker. “For the first time, indigenous peoples and local communities have a permanent seat at the table in global biodiversity governance. Their knowledge and stewardship are essential to achieving our shared goals.”
The session will also feature a thematic dialogue on resource mobilisation for conservation efforts led by IPLCs—a recognition of their central role as custodians of much of the Earth’s remaining biodiversity. Cali Fund, operational since COP16, is not on the agenda in Panama. However, guidance documents were agreed earlier this month at the Steering Committee in Bonn, providing the enabling environment needed to accept contributions from the private sector. CBD is currently developing allocation methodology and company contribution rates.