Twenty-fifth meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice (SBSTTA 25) and the resumed second part of the Fifteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP 15)

15 - 20 October 2023 - Nairobi, Kenya

 

Article 25 of the Convention on Biological Diversity establishes an open-ended intergovernmental scientific advisory body known as the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice (SBSTTA) to provide the Conference of the Parties (COP) and, as appropriate, its other subsidiary bodies, with timely advice relating to the implementation of the Convention. As a subsidiary body of the COP, SBSTTA is to report regularly to the COP on all aspects of its work. Multidisciplinary and open to participation by all Parties, SBSTTA comprises government representatives competent in the relevant field of expertise. Its functions include: providing assessments of the status of biological diversity; providing assessments of the types of measures taken in accordance with the provisions of the Convention; and responding to questions that the COP may put to the body. SBSTTA has met 24 times to date and produced a total of 250 recommendations to the Conference of the Parties.

 

Highlights

 

SBSTTA-25 considered the following agenda items:

Delegates from around the world concluded their meetings in Nairobi, agreeing on recommendations that embrace the science behind invasive alien species, plant conservation, the sustainable use of wildlife, biodiversity and climate change and other elements of the technical base that supports the implementation of the ambitious Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity  Framework and the monitoring of its progress.
 

This 25th meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice (SBSTTA-25) came to a close on Thursday, 19 October 2023, with an agreement to conduct further work that will develop the monitoring framework agreed in decision 15/5 . Governments asked the Ad Hoc Technical Expert Group dealing with the indicators to continue its work and provide results to the 26th meeting of SBSTTA, scheduled for next year.
 

SBSTTA-25 considered the following agenda items:

  • Facilitating the implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework
  • Findings from the assessments by the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and their implications for the work undertaken under the Convention
  • Plant Conservation
  • Invasive alien species
  • Sustainable wildlife management
  • Biodiversity and climate change

 

Resumed Meetings

These resumed meetings included the:

  • second part of the Fifteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity; 
  • second part of the tenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety; and 
  • second part of the fourth meeting of the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and the Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits Arising from their Utilization.

The resumed meetings will took place on 19-20 October 2023 in Nairobi, Kenya, immediately after SBSTTA-25. 

With the election of chairpersons for its subsidiary bodies and the Bureau, the closing gavel marked the end of the resumed session of COP 15 of the Convention on Biological Diversity, and the COP-MOPs of its Cartagena and Nagoya protocols.