The 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP-15) to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) will address issues related to implementation of the Convention and its Protocols. The main objective of COP-15 is the adoption of the post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF).
GBIF@COP-15
Exhibit booth • Entry points • Key messages • Side events
The United Nations Biodiversity Conference taking place in Montreal from 7-19 December 2022 is a landmark event in the global response to the unprecedented crisis facing biodiversity, and the contributions that nature provides to the well-being and survival of human societies.
Implementing the framework of goals and targets at COP-15 depends on availability of the best possible data, shared from and accessible to all nations, documenting the diversity of life on Earth and how it is changing.
While representing GBIF at the COP-15 meeting as an observer to Convention, the GBIF delegation will inform Parties and stakeholders about the tools and solutions our network and infrastructure provides and how they support the data and information needs of an ambitious post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework.
GBIF exhibit booth
Meet and visit with members of GBIF delegation at our base camp in Montreal: Booth #223 in the COP-15 Exhibition, Room 220ab, Palais des Congrès (the main event venue).
8 December, 18:15 (UTC-5)
Attend the GBIF-hosted side event, Building capacity to deliver open biodiversity data for research and decisions in support of the Global Biodiversity Framework: in person, in the SIDS Meeting Room 513C, Palais des Congrès, or listen in online
Entry points in COP-15 draft decisions
The decisions made at COP-15 provide signals that can greatly influence the availability of openly accessible data to support nature-positive actions in the coming decades. The negotiated text contains a number of entry points that present opportunities for sending such signals to the global community.
Goals and targets of the Global Biodiversity Framework(Agenda item 9)
- Target 20 on the availability of data, information and knowledge to support decision-making needs to retain a strong focus on data and its accessibility, to stimulate future action and investment in data mobilization and access
- Target 15 on the impacts and dependencies of business on biodiversity needs to emphasize transparent disclosure, to stimulate the open sharing of primary biodiversity data generated and used by the private sector
The knowledge management framework
A draft decision under Agenda Item 13B on knowledge management, based on a recommendation from the third meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Implementation (SBI3), provides several specific opportunities to strengthen the provision of open biodiversity data:
- Paragraph 6 urges establishment of “biodiversity … observation networks and information facilities, supported by data-sharing policies, associated capacity-building and guidance, to underpin the generation of the information needed to implement and track the goals and targets of the post-2020 global biodiversity framework”
- Paragraph 8 “takes note of/welcomes the Data4Nature initiative and consequently invites Parties, non-Parties, funding agencies, development banks and other relevant stakeholders to take biodiversity into account when developing environmental and social impact assessments and share the biodiversity data from the assessments through the Global Biodiversity Information Facility”
- Paragraph 15 (d) requests the Executive Secretary “to continue collaboration with relevant initiatives, organizations and networks supporting the generation, capture, management and effective use of biodiversity-related data, information and knowledge”, including GBIF among others
The monitoring framework
An analysis commissioned by GBIF confirmed the reliance of a range of biodiversity indicators on primary biodiversity data, and made recommendations for ways in which such data could be used in more standardized and transparent ways to support monitoring of CBD goals and targets.
The draft decision text relating to agenda item 9B on the monitoring frameworks for the post-2020 global biodiversity framework should be strengthened to emphasize the need for investment in flows of open primary biodiversity data to support monitoring of the goals and targets of the GBF, in particular at national level.
Key messages for COP-15
GBIF provides an essential and trusted infrastructure for mobilizing data to support implementation of the Global Biodiversity Framework
- We’ll be supporting side events explaining GBIF’s role in the proposed Global Knowledge Centre for Biodiversity and a Global Biodiversity Observing System (GBiOS), as well as contributing to processes such as establishment of Important Plant Areas
GBIF has well-established materials and programmes to enhance capacity to mobilize and use biodiversity data for research and decisions, helping to build communities of practice and develop the skills needed to scale up sharing and application of data in all regions
- The side event GBIF is hosting, Building capacity to deliver open biodiversity data for research and decisions in support of the Global Biodiversity Framework, will launch new evaluations of capacity enhancement programmes in sub-Saharan Africa, the Caribbean, Pacific and Asia, and explore how these can be scaled up to support the GBF
GBIF is working with business, the financial sector and multilateral development banks to support sharing and use of open biodiversity data, contributing to transparent disclosure of impacts as well as filling data gaps
- We’ll participate in a number of business-related events at COP15 and highlighting next steps in our Data4Nature initiative, as well as reinforcing data sharing commitments such as those included in the Equator Principles
GBIF is at the cutting edge of new technologies to mobilize and integrate data documenting the diversity of life on Earth, including DNA-derived data, real-time taxonomic discovery and conservation of the Tree of Life
- We’ll be supporting events launching NatureMetrics' eBioAtlas and exploring the role of taxonomy for implementation and monitoring of the Global Biodiversity Framework
GBIF provides shared infrastructure and services that reduce cost and effort for governments wishing to build national biodiversity information systems, including through the CBD Clearing-House Mechanism
- We’ll be taking part in a side event on the National Clearing-House Mechanism (Bioland) Strategy, outlining how our hosted portals can provide access to primary data for GBIF participant countries via their national CHM sites
Side events
Staff from the GBIF delegation will participate in and support several side events during COP-15, both on-site at the main venue and off-site elsewhere in Montreal. All times are local (Eastern Standard Time | UTC-5).
Wednesday, 7 December
- Global Knowledge Centre for Biodiversity: a service to support Parties and stakeholders’ implementation of the post-2020 global biodiversity framework
(Event #4813)
Organizer: European Commission
13:15: Meeting Room 511C-F, Palais des Congrès - A Global Biodiversity Observation System to support the implementation and monitoring of the post-2020 global biodiversity framework by Parties
(Event #4530)
Organizer: GEO BON
18:15: Meeting Room 513D, Palais des Congrès
Thursday, 8 December
- National Clearing-House Mechanism and the Bioland Strategy (Event #4418)
Organizer: CBD
13:15: Meeting Room 516D/E, Palais des Congrès - Building capacity to deliver open biodiversity data for research and decisions in support of the Global Biodiversity Framework (Event #4540)
Organizer: GBIF Secretariat
18:15: SIDS Meeting Room 513C, Palais des Congrès
Listen online
Monday, 12 December
- Fifth Science-Policy Forum on Biodiversity, Session 8: Mobilizing tools and technologies to support implementation and monitoring of the post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework - towards a global biodiversity observation system
Organizer: Consortium of Scientific Partners
11:00: Meeting Rooms 516C & 516D/E, Palais des Congrès - eBioAtlas: multi-stakeholder partnership leveraging new technology to deliver a robust and harmonised global biodiversity baseline (registration)
Organizer: NatureMetrics
18:00: Renaissance Hotel, 1250 Boulevard Robert-Bourassa
Tuesday, 13 December
- The tree of life: Conserving our evolutionary heritage to ensure Nature’s Contributions to People for future generations
Organizer: IUCN SSC Phylogenetic Diversity Task Force
10:00: InterContinental Montreal, 360 Rue Saint-Antoine O