Subscribe
The 7th meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Implementation (SBI 7) of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) came to an end in Nairobi, Kenya on August 12. 2026. This meeting followed the 28th meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice (SBSTTA) that ended on August 1.
The main agenda for the delegates at both the meetings was to use the first global review of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF) and identifying gaps and actions to strengthen and accelerate implementation.
For the delegates, this was the last opportunity to address implementation of KMGBF before the 17th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP 17) to CBD. COP 17 is the halfway point of the KMGBF implementation. As of now, fewer than half of CBD Parties are on track to achieve the KMGBF targets by 2030, with targets on marine, coastal and inland waters lagging behind those of terrestrial ecosystems.
At SBI 7, delegates were to deliberate on how the scientific messages from SBSTTA 28 are to be implemented. However, little was achieved during the deliberations and the final recommendations to COP17 remain heavily bracketed.
Delegates called for stronger action to address implementation gaps, particularly by mobilising adequate means of implementation, strengthening biodiversity mainstreaming across sectors, and ensuring inclusive participation of women, youth, Indigenous Peoples and local communities, and other rights holders. There were also interventions that stressed the need to recognise traditional knowledge, strengthen stakeholder collaboration, and better reflect contributions from subnational governments and civil society.
However, the discussions did not reflect the level of urgency and collective political will required to make COP17 the turning point in the efforts to accelerate progress towards KMGBF.
The biggest disappointment was the progress on the issue of fair and equitable benefit-sharing from the use of Digital Sequence Information, where many developing countries called for action to rectify the lack of transparency. Discussions on other issues were smoother but inadequate funding means that it is difficult to chart a clear global strategy to achieve the goals and targets by 2030.
To resolve these issues, CBD is organising a Kunming Dialogue from September 7-9, 2026 in Kunming, China.
Astrid Schomaker, CBD Executive Secretary, noted in her closing remarks that a lot more determination, commitment and stamina would be required to reach the finish line in Yerevan. She asked the delegates to “recharge their batteries” ahead of COP 17 scheduled in October.
