Biodiv Sci

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Progress and prospects of the important issues of the 16th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity

Xi Li1,2, Xiaoge Ping3, Xuehong Xu4,5, Yu Cao6, Boxuan Gao7, Yiming Bao8,9, Jiliang Xu10,11*   

  1. 1.National Parks (Protected areas) Development Center, National Forestry and Grassland Administration, Beijing 100714, China 

    2. Department of Protected Areas Management, National Forestry and Grassland Administration, Beijing 100714, China 

    3. Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China 

    4. Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100093, China 

    5. National Botanical Garden, Beijing 100093, China 

    6. Center for Aquatic Plants and Watershed Ecology, Wuhan Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430074, China 

    7. Bureau of International Cooperation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100864, China 

    8. National Genomics Data Center, China National Center for Bioinformation, Beijing Institute of Genomics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China 

    9. University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China 

    10. Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China 

    11. Hainan Normal University, Haikou 571158, China

  • Received:2025-04-02 Revised:2025-11-13 Accepted:2025-12-08
  • Contact: Jiliang Xu

Abstract:

Background: The 16th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP 16) to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) was held in Cali, Colombia. This meeting marked the first CBD Conference of the Parties since the adoption of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (referred to as the "KMGBF"). Delegates were engaged in in-depth discussions on over 20 key topics, including the implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Framework, benefit-sharing mechanisms for digital sequence information (DSI) on genetic resources, and marine and coastal biodiversity conservation. 

Methods and results: This article summarizes the progress of key issues at COP 16, covering the benefit-sharing mechanism for DSI, the monitoring framework of the KMGBF, resource mobilization and financial mechanisms, conservation of marine and coastal biodiversity, biodiversity and climate change, as well as Article 8(j) and related provisions. 

Recommendations: Based on China’s actual experience in fulfilling its obligations under the CBD, the paper puts forward prospects for future implementation. These prospects include promoting research and management of DSI, conducting reporting based on the KMGBF’s monitoring framework, leveraging the role of the Kunming Biodiversity Fund to continue leading global ecological and environmental governance, advancing coordinated governance of biodiversity conservation, oceans, and climate, valuing the voices of diverse groups, and strengthening interministerial cooperation and the building of implementation teams.

Key words: biodiversity conservation, Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, Digital Sequence Information (DSI), marine biodiversity, Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IPLCs), multi-convention synergy