Twenty-eighth meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice (SBSTTA-28) - AM session Agencies, Funds & Programmes Date: 27 July 2026 Language: English Transcript: https://transcripts.un.org/en/asset/k1h/k1hyy4mavz Transcripts available through this tool are created by using automatic speech recognition and are not official records nor official documents of the United Nations. Official records and official documents are available on the Official Document System of the United Nations. --- Gabon · Chair · Jean Bruno Mikissa [19:35]: 123456 123456 Excellencies, distinguished delegates, ladies and gentlemen, I would like to call the meeting to order. I invite delegates to take their seats. We will start in two minutes. Please, we are going to begin our work. Please take your seats and we will begin. Distinguished delegates, it's with great pleasure that I welcome you all to the 28th meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice. My sincere thanks to Ms. Inger Anderson and our UNEP colleagues for hosting us in the headquarter as well as the government of Kenya for welcoming us to this beautiful country. My grati- my gratitude also goes to my colleagues in the sub-saharan Bureau for, for their, their guidance and support as well as to the Executive Secretary, Ms. Astrid Schumacher, and the secretariat for the dedicate dedication and hard work in preparing for this meeting. This meeting is taking place at a critical stage for the implementation of the coming Montreal global biodiversity framework. With COP17 only a few months away, it is our collective responsibility to ensure that SubSTA provide clear scientifically sound and practical advice to support the decision making of COP to accelerate implementation of the framework. In this context, a major focus of this meeting would be the global review of collective progress in implementing the framework. Under decision 16/32, SubSTA is responsible for providing the scientific and technical input to this process, including consideration of the global report on collective progress. At this meeting, we will consider the key findings of the report, the data and knowledge gaps identified during its preparation and opportunities to strengthen the monitoring framework and the evidence-based supporting implementation. We have to develop recommendation that will contribute directly to the consideration by SBI7 and help inform the decision to be taken at COP17 in Yerevan. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the co-chairs and members of the ad hoc scientific and technical advisory group for the preparation of the global report as well as to all experts and reviewers who contributed to its preparation. The agenda before us reflects the breadth and complexity of the challenges ahead. Our task is not only to review the latest scientific and technical evidence, but also to ensure that this evidence can effectively inform policy and action. It is imperative that we work in a collaborative spirit to review the findings of the report and convey actionable recommendations to the COP in a little less than three months time. In addition to the global report, Our agenda covers a number of important scientific and technical issues that are central to the implementation of the coming Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. We will consider, first, the monitoring framework including opportunities to strengthen indicators, data availability and reporting processes. Second, matters related to the work programme of the intergovernmental science policy platform on biodiversity and ecosystem services and its relevance to the work of the convention. Third, the outcomes of intersessional work on synthetic biology, including a draft thematic action plan, on capacity building, technology transfer and knowledge sharing. Four, draft guidance and best practices on sustainable wildlife management. Fifth, the strategy review and update of the program of work on protected areas in the context of the framework. And lastly, marine and coastal biodiversity including the implementation of modalities related to ecologically or biologically significant marine areas. Together, these items reflect the breadth of scientific and technical work required to support parties in achieving the goals and targets of the framework. Dear colleagues, while we all come from different scientific, technical, geographical, political and epistemological background, we share a common responsibility to ensure that our work is guided by the best available knowledge and contribute to inform decision making under the Convention. Let us engage in our discussion in the spirit of cooperation and consensus that has long characterized the work of this Convention. I look forward to our discussion over the coming days and I count on the constructive contribution that each of you will bring to this meeting. In this regard, I encourage you all to be clear, succinct and focused in your intervention and to proactively seek solutions and compromise. I wish all of us a productive and successful meeting. Thank you. I now invite Miss Suzanne Gardner, director of the ecosystem division, United Nation Environmental Program to deliver opening remarks on behalf of Miss Anger Anderson, executive director. Miss Gardner, you have the floor. UNEP · Director, Ecosystems Division · Suzanne Gardner [38:40]: Thank you very much, Thank you so much, Chair. Good morning, Excellencies. It's good to see so many colleagues and friends here this morning. It's a pleasure to welcome you to Nairobi, the home of UNEP's headquarters, and a country whose extraordinary biodiversity reminds us every day of why the Convention on Biological Diversity is so critical. From the mountains and forests and savannas to coral reefs and mangroves, Kenya shows us how biodiversity underpins sustainable development, supporting livelihoods, food security, tourism. It reminds us that protecting nature is also about creating a better future for people. So I would like to thank you, Chair, and of course the Bureau and our extraordinary Secretariat for all of the tremendous work that went into preparing for this 28th SubSTA. For UNEP, it's particularly a pleasure to host you all because science has always been at the heart of our work. And for those of you who know me, you know that science has been part of my initial development, starting out my career for two decades as a scientist. One of the things that I valued most as a scientist was watching that good science, that good information, turn into the creation of better decisions. Which is what SUBS is all about. It's why your time here today is so important. You're where the science and policy come together, translating scientific evidence into advice that governments can use with real confidence. You help ensure that the implementation of the Combing Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework is guided by the best available evidence, like the chair has already articulated so well. Bringing together scientific knowledge, innovation, practices and experiences of indigenous peoples and local communities, and drawing on the leadership and the unique experiences of women, Your work helps protect ecosystems that sustain people and livelihoods all around the globe. And the first global review, the global biodiversity framework, gives us a very clear message. Countries are making real progress, but implementation now needs to accelerate. And that makes your work more important than ever. When science informed policy, it can deliver real results. And we've seen it happen. We've seen it happen in Central Africa with the mountain gorillas that are recovered. And as a result, decades of science, transboundary cooperation, community conservations have all worked together to begin and continue the process of their recovery. In Brazil, the Atlantic forest communities now are helping to conserve the threatened jusara palm, by harvesting fruits instead of cutting down the full tree. And across the grasslands of Kazakhstan, the Saiga antelope has rebounded from what used to be just about 50,000 animals left to over four million because of science-based conservation and real determined national leadership. Behind every one of these recoveries are years of research, monitoring, and policy relevant scientific advice. And that is your contribution. UNEP is very proud to support your work, strengthening science policy interface so that the best available science can inform biodiversity policy. And we thank you in advance for everything that you'll be contributing these next two weeks. And we thank you for the years of work that has already brought us to this point. I wish you very productive discussions and every success in this meeting. Gabon · Chair · Jean Bruno Mikissa [42:56]: Thank you. Thank you to Ms. Gardner. I will now invite the Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity to also give their statement to this meeting. Executive Secretary, you have the floor. CBD Secretariat · Executive Secretary · Astrid Schumacher [43:29]: Thank you so much, Excellencies, distinguished delegates. Dear friends, it's a pleasure to be here with you, to see you all. Those of you who traveled far, I hope your travels weren't too exhaustive. We need all your energy in the coming days, as you know, because we have important work to do. Let me start by echoing the words of our Chair by welcoming you all to the 28th meeting. of this subsidiary body on scientific, technical and technological advice. Thank you, Susan, for welcoming us on behalf of INGER to UNEP, to your beautiful headquarters. We love working here. We love the weather that you provide, even if it's a bit grey right now. But we love being in beautiful Kenya, and we thank Kenya also for welcoming all of us here. And of course, I want to thank the donors that have supported us in this meeting, so the governments of the European Union, Ireland, Japan, Switzerland, the Netherlands, United Kingdom, and the Fridtjof Nansen Institute for the generous financial support which has enabled the participation of delegates from 118 parties. Dear delegates, I don't need to tell you that we are at a very important moment in the implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. You know we have only some four years remaining until 2030. And we know the focus must now shift from commitments and planning to accelerated implementation, measurable results, broadening the actors and achieving real progress towards the framework's goals and targets. So put differently, we're moving from this important initial phase of national alignment towards the much more complex challenge of demonstrating collective progress, strengthening implementation. Again, broadening, bringing in more actors and ensuring accountability. The work of this subsidiary body of Subsidiary Body 28 is central to providing the scientific and technical basis for informed decision making of parties to COP17 in Yerevan. I believe we're all aware that a major focus of this meeting will be the global review of collective progress in the implementation of the framework. The draft global report constitutes a strong evidence base and here I want to thank all of you very, very much for the strong engagement with the report, the unprecedented number of national reports that this report could draw on, and of course also the many, many peer review comments that many of you have submitted over the past months of the peer review phase. As such, the global report and with it the global review provides an important opportunity where we see where we stand, to identify persistent gaps and strengthen the scientific and technical basis for collective action. And I want to also highlight that this process is not just an exercise in reporting and in ticking boxes and looking at binary indicators and saying yes or no, I am doing it. It is a really critical mechanism for understanding whether the current ambition and efforts are sufficient and being implemented at the scale and pace required to achieve the targets of the framework by 2030 and our 2050 vision of living in harmony with nature. Closely linked to that is, of course, the monitoring framework for the KMGBF. Reliable, scientifically robust and accessible indicators remain essential for measuring progress and supporting evidence-based policymaking. At this meeting, you are asked to consider technical updates to indicators and metadata, but also to look at the capacity and the technical needs of Parties in implementing the monitoring framework through national reporting processes. The work of Subsah 28 also highlights the growing importance of strengthening the science-policy interface. We have been working on that for many years. It remains a challenge and we have to continue hammering away at that. The science policy interface being science-based, strongly science-based, is crucial for the success of our policies. So, the assessments prepared under the intergovernmental science policy platform on biodiversity and ecosystem services continue to provide essential evidence to our work. And at this meeting, we of course can look at the important business and biodiversity assessment. And if I can just say even and in particular in the perspective of the global review, I believe it makes a very, very important contribution because as we know and as we have seen in the global report, the draft global report, for the framework to succeed, we need business to work with nature, not against it. And the IPBES assessment shows us the way. Now at the same time, scientific and technological developments continue to evolve rapidly. Your discussions on synthetic biology are a case in point. They will therefore be particularly important in advancing the work on capacity building, on technology transfer and knowledge sharing, but also the assessment of both opportunities and potential risks associated with these recent technological developments. And delegates, several agenda items before you directly address the implementation dimension of the framework. Discussions on sustainable wildlife management will contribute to advancing global guidance that provides inclusive and participatory decision making, the inclusion of multiple systems of knowledge, one of our strengths, the recognition of rights and the equitable distribution of costs and benefits. And your work on the strategic review and update of the program of work on protected areas is equally significant. This program was adopted more than two decades ago. It has played a foundational role in global conservation efforts. The present review now offers an important opportunity to update and align it with the CMGBF. And the agenda before you includes important work related to marine and coastal biodiversity. And again, the global report shows us progress is uneven also across ecosystems and biomes, and the work on marine ecosystems needs acceleration. and strengthening in particular. So the work here, including the implementation of modalities for ecologically or biologically significant marine areas, is crucial. And the scientific and technical cooperation with the BBNJ agreement for its future implementation remains an important part of your deliberations. Dear colleagues, to come to an end, the breadth and complexity of this agenda reflects the scale of the biodiversity crisis itself. but also the complexity of biodiversity governance. Likewise, they reflect the growing momentum and the growing engagement of parties, of indigenous peoples and local communities, of women, youth, scientific organizations, and the many partners working to support implementation of the framework. CDBS work, we believe, is therefore more important than ever. You provide the scientific credibility and technical foundation upon which all effective implementation will depend. So let me then close by again echoing the words of our chair and encouraging all of you to engage constructively, pragmatically and collaboratively throughout this meeting. By working together, we can help ensure that the KGBF is not only a shared global commitment, but a measurable and transformative reality during this decisive decade for biodiversity. So I thank you in advance for your continued dedication to the Convention and I wish you a productive and really successful Subsida 28. Thank you. Gabon · Chair · Jean Bruno Mikissa [51:41]: I thank you, Ms. Schumacher, for your opening remarks. I would like to reiterate my thanks to you and your team for your hard work in preparing for this meeting. I will also take this opportunity to note that all official documents were posted in a timely manner, which has greatly facilitated the work of all delegations in preparing for this meeting. Colleagues, as indicated in the scenario notes, I will not be opening the floor to general opening statement by region groups groups colleagues we will now move to agenda item two organizational matters before we begin our work I would like to invite the secretariat to provide some logistical information secretariat you have the floor. CBD Secretariat · Secretariat [52:59]: Thank you, Chair. Good morning, distinguished delegates. It is a pleasure to see you all again. First of all, please note that this meeting is being held in person only. There is no online participation available. All plenary sessions will, however, be streamed on UN Web TV in all six official UN languages as shown on the slide before you. I also invite you to take note of the Secretariat social media channels which appear on the next two slides. Let me now begin with the information on how to use the microphones. To request the floor, press the button once and the light will turn green. When the Chair gives you the floor, the technician will activate your microphone. The light will turn red and you can start speaking. Delegates seated behind microphones allocated to indigenous peoples and local communities and major stakeholder groups such as women, youth, NGOs, and business and industry should identify their organization before commencing their intervention so that the statement can be properly attributed. Delegates are requested to keep within the assigned time when taking the floor and to speak at a reasonable speed to facilitate the work of the interpreters. I will explain shortly in detail the assigned time for interventions. Secondly, regarding statements, delegates are requested to upload their written statements using the upload statement facility on the meeting page cbd.int/meetings/subsa28. It is currently displayed on the slide before you. In case of any difficulty uploading the statement, delegates are advised to send an e-mail to statements@cbd.int. You can send a copy to secretariat@cbd.int. It greatly facilitates the work of the interpreters if you upload your statements prior to your being given the floor. However, the statement will be posted on the website only after you deliver your statement. In any case, statements must be uploaded within one hour after the close of the session in which the agenda item was considered. Kindly note that if any party wishes to have a statement reflected in the report of the meeting, it must be uploaded in the same manner as statements. In your submission, please make sure to include the name of your country or your organization and the agenda item on the first page of the document that is uploaded. The instructions are projected on the slide before you. Kindly note that for reasons of transparency, all statements will be made public. There is no option for private submissions. In the event that a party or observer has submitted more than one version of their statement, we will only consider the most recently uploaded version. In view of the heavy agenda for this meeting, the Chair will be limiting interventions to four minutes, for parties speaking on behalf of regions, two minutes for individual parties, three minutes for indigenous peoples and local communities and major stakeholder groups, and one minute for non-parties to the convention and other observers as time allows. A clock is provided for you on the screen to help you manage your time, but do not speed up your speaking or your reading. Um, if need be, the chair may have a delegate's microphone turned off when the time limit for the intervention has been reached. Dear delegates, as explained in the scenario note contained in document CBD substar 28 slash one add two, as well as in notification 2026055 dated 26 June 2026, Modalities for the early submission of statements are being implemented at SubSTa 28 on a voluntary and informal basis for all substantive agenda items of SubSTa 28, that is agenda items 3 to 8. The statements received have been published online as received at cbd.int/meetings/substa28 under the statements tab. they are identified as advanced statement submissions. AI-assisted translations were generated automatically for early statements to enhance accessibility. However, the original submitted versions of the statements remain authoritative. A list of parties and observers that submitted early statements, as well as links to their statements, is available in information document 10. As indicated in the modalities, party statements were published at the respective deadline last night, except for the statements of parties that requested their statements to be published upon upload. Observer statements were each published upon upload. When the respective agenda items are opened for consideration, Parties will be asked whether they wish to support any of the statements submitted by observers. Therefore, parties are encouraged to review these statements in advance. Next, regarding the scheduling. In line with usual practice, a typical day will comprise a morning session, an afternoon session and an evening session. The schedule is subject to change and therefore we encourage you to check the conference webpage and the CBD events application for the most up-to-date information. This scheduling takes into account decision 16/25 of the Conference of the Parties, which recognized the need to limit evening negotiation sessions to reasonable hours to preserve the health of delegates. Therefore, unless otherwise agreed, the schedule will be arranged so that the day does not extend beyond 13 hours from the start of the first open-ended meeting of the day. Regarding meeting rooms, all plenary sessions will take place in this room, Conference Room 2, where seating is fixed. Parties and observers should ensure that they are sitting at the correct nameplate so that when they request the floor, they will be identified correctly to the chair. Indigenous peoples and local communities and stakeholder groups have sections identified by nameplates. Conference room one will accommodate overflow with sound in English. Should delegates wish to follow the sessions in a different UN language, please connect to UN Web TV livestream on your laptop or phone through the meeting calendar and select the desired language. For contact group rooms, conference room one will be used for contact groups. Cardboard nameplates will be available at the back of the room for collection. Delegates are asked to raise their nameplates when requesting the floor. Conference room three slash four will also be used for contact groups. However, these rooms are equipped with programmable electronic nameplates. Delegates from parties and other governments are kindly requested to consult the Nairobi 2026 meeting page under the header microphone numbers for contact groups, which provides a list of each country's login code and step-by-step instructions on how to program the electronic nameplates. Please note that only one plate per party or other government can be programmed in the same room. And if the country enters the same code twice, the most recent will override the previous selection. It is therefore important for parties to coordinate amongst themselves with regard to who should activate the country nameplate. United Nations organizations, intergovernmental organizations, indigenous peoples and local community organizations and major stakeholder groups will be allocated roles in both contact group rooms by category and not by name of organization. Side events. Side events will take place from 1:15 p.m. and 6:15 p.m. each day. Please consult the online schedule as well as monitors and the CBD events app for details. In addition to the schedule for side events, the CBD events app provides easy access to the meeting schedule and documents. It is available for both Apple and Android devices and can be downloaded at the link you see on the slide. Parties and observers are invited to share publications, information materials and event flyers. that are relevant to the issues being addressed by the subsidiary body. There will be an NBSAP help desk available during the meeting, staffed by representatives of UNEP, UNDP, and the NBSAP Accelerator Partnership. The help desk is located in the open area between the two conference rooms. I would like to offer a few words about our meeting venue. The entrance is open daily from 7:30 a.m. until 8:00 p.m. Delegates may exit at the same place until 10:00 p.m. After 10:00 p.m., the vehicular exit must be used. Delegates are requested to leave the premises within 30 minutes after the conclusion of the last meeting of the day. Food service will be available from 7:00 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. daily, And please note that food is not allowed in the meeting rooms. Drinks may be brought in if they are in a container with a lid. Finally, dear delegates, as we come together again, I would take this opportunity to remind participants of the code of conduct in place to prevent harassment at UN system events. Based on this code of conduct, all UN system events are guided by ethical and professional standards and all participants are expected to behave with integrity and respect towards everyone involved here at SubSTAN 28. We look forward to your kind cooperation. Thank you. Thank you, Chair. Gabon · Chair · Jean Bruno Mikissa [1:04:50]: Thank you, Secretariat. I would now like to propose the rapporteur of this meeting. After consultation with the Bureau, I propose Mr. Nicolas Wagner of Switzerland as the rapporteur. Switzerland, yes, Switzerland. Sorry. I see no objection, so I invite Mr. Wagner to take a seat at the podium. Before we go to the next item, I would like to suggest that in order to make efficient use of time and to allow more time for discussions, we refrain from making individual statements to thank or congratulate the Chair, the host country or the Secretariat. Therefore, I would like to invite the rapporteur to make a statement of thanks on behalf of all the participants so that this can be avoided in individual intervention. Mr. Niklaus, you have the floor. Switzerland · Rapporteur · Nicolas Wagner [1:06:46]: Thank you, Chair. On behalf of all the. Participants at this meeting, I take this opportunity to congratulate the Chair of the Subsidiary Body. And members of the Bureau for their hard work in preparing for Subsidiary Body for Implementation. 28, and I wish you the best success for this meeting. On behalf of all of us, I thank the Executive Secretary of the Convention and her team for the preparation of high quality meeting documents and logistical. Arrangements. I also thank Ms. Inger Andersen and the UNEP staff for welcoming us to their headquarters and those. Parties that have provided generous funding to facilitate the participation of representatives from developing countries. I'm confident that our deliberations will be very productive. Thank you, Chair, for giving me this opportunity to speak on behalf of all the participants. Gabon · Chair · Jean Bruno Mikissa [1:07:44]: Thank you very much, Mr. Niklaus. This brings us to the adoption of the agenda and organization of work. The Executive Secretary, in consultation with the Bureau, prepared a provisional agenda for this 28th meeting of SUBSTA. It is contained in document CBD/Subst/28/1. The annotations to the provisional agenda are contained in CBD/Subst/28/1/Add.1. I first submit the provisional agenda for adoption. Okay, I give the floor to Fiji. Fiji [1:09:06]: Thank you, Chair. Chair, if you could please permit us a word on the process and procedure and sequencing, but I believe it would be best suited if we come on the scenario note rather than on the agenda. We will return to this intervention during the scenario note. Thank you. Gabon · Chair · Jean Bruno Mikissa [1:09:24]: Thank you to Fiji. Thank you. I see no other objection. So the agenda is adopted with the proposal from Fiji. Okay, thank you. The agenda is adopted. Regarding the organization of work, the Secretariat in consultation with the Bureau proposes the allocation of tasks for the meeting as described in section four and annex one of the scenario note continued in documents CBD/substa slash 28 slash 1 slash add 2. I would like to draw your attention to an error in this document. The afternoon sessions will take place from 3 to 6 p.m. as usual, rather than from 2:30 to 5:30 p.m. as indicated. In addition, based on discussion in the bureau, a change is proposed in the order in which we take up the substantive agenda items. Instead of proceeding according to the agenda item numbers, it is proposed that we take up item eight following agenda item three. and item four as the final substantive agenda item following item seven. I now submit the organization of work for approval. Fiji, you have the floor. Fiji [1:12:09]: Thank you, Chair. Chair, Fiji speaks on behalf of its 14 member states, and if you could permit us a word on the process, procedure, and sequencing. because in a framework this ambitious, we really need to decide on how we will work and how we can achieve what we came here to achieve. So for us, I think it's really important, and we have said this multiple times, but it's not registered or heard properly, that there is a significant burden on small delegations. The Pacific are amongst the smallest in the room. We only have five countries out of the 14 Pacific Island countries present at Substar and SPI. Many only with one delegate which was sponsored by the CBD Secretariat and with all due respect, I understand this is subject to the trust fund financing, but there is no other funding modalities available to us to bring an additional delegate. So where we have where we could have had more members that could have covered most of the agenda items, we see that almost every agenda item before this body is going to be a core national priority for us when going back home. When items are of high interest and they are taken in parallel in two working groups at once, that means that a delegation of one is forced to abandon half of what matters most to it. And this is going to be a three-week meeting for us following sub, substar. So, uh, we do not understand how you or the secretariat anticipates our equal participation and the spirit and principles of inclusivity to be reflected in this very space that's supposed to promote it. So I, on behalf of the PCs, I would just like to respectfully request that items of high interest to small delegations cannot be scheduled concurrently. and that they be sequenced wherever possible and that they are document, that the documentation and recordings allow us to follow what we cannot attend in person. As the secretariat has mentioned, this is a meeting that is only available in person, so even our delegates back home are not able to contribute. So I think it's really important for us in this process to state that there may be times where we will not be in one room, and we will not be able to agree to the text or be able to negotiate effectively. And in that spirit, we asked the Chair and the COFAX to allow us necessary times to come back and provide that input because we are not in that room or only two of the five Pacific Island countries that are here are going to be in that room. And so for those reasons, it is not to delay the process, but to allow us equitable and inclusive participation in this process. With that being said, I also would like to ask the Secretariat as well as you, Chair, for a clarification on the procedural process. This is on a meeting that is in terms of reopening agenda items. We understand that target three, the monitoring framework and the modalities for describing ecologically significant marine areas were hard on and already agreed upon. So the Pacific does not understand why we are reopening settled texts and given that we will spend scarce negotiating capacity of small delegations and the risk and unraveling balances we have fought for, we will have to defend what has been agreed. And so again, I think in the spirit of good use of our time here to make progress to Armenia, we seek your indulgence in guiding us on the best way forward for equitable and inclusive participation. Thank you. Gabon · Chair · Jean Bruno Mikissa [1:16:15]: Thank you, Fiji. I can recognize Uruguay. Uruguay, you have the floor. Uruguay · GRULAC [1:16:28]: Thank you very much, Chair. I would like to take this opportunity on behalf of GULAC to also support this statement made by Fiji with regards to the lack of financing for delegates from our region. We were discussing this yesterday in our regional meeting and although we prepared a statement to be made in this plenary, I would like to take the opportunity just to support what Fiji has just said. on behalf of the countries of the Pacific. Thank you. Gabon · Chair · Jean Bruno Mikissa [1:17:02]: Thank you, Uruguay. DRC, you have the floor. Democratic Republic of the Congo [1:17:26]: Thank you so much, sir, for giving us the floor. Now, we would like to have some clarifications regarding what you just proposed. regarding the organization of the work. You had asked us to shift agenda item eight after item three. The agenda was already adopted, however, and it seems like we're now coming back to it and we're causing some amount of upheaval. Perhaps you could just clarify. Gabon · Chair · Jean Bruno Mikissa [1:18:01]: Thank you so much to the DRC. I'm now going to give the floor to the secretariat. CBD Secretariat · Secretariat [1:18:09]: Thank you, Chair. With regards to the question from the Democratic Republic of Congo, the agenda and the annotated agenda are separate items. The agenda is just simply a list of the agenda items that will be discussed, and that is in document sub-sta 28. one so it's just a numbered list of items that are going to be uh considered and that was already adopted uh we are not changing the agenda of the meeting the chair is um asking the room the the delegates to adopt the organization of work which is the order and manner in which agenda items will be considered and that is contained in the scenario note in document 28/1 add 2. And what the Chair is proposing is in the scenario note, the agenda items were going to be considered sequentially according to their agenda item numbers from number one to number eight. And now what the chair is suggesting is that we should consider the agenda items in the following sequence. We are already, we are on agenda item one and then two and then three, then eight, then four, then five, then six, then seven. Excuse me, let me start again. Agenda item one, two, three, eight, five, six, That is what the room is being asked to consider. There was a request for clarification from Fiji. May I go ahead? Yes, go ahead. The request for clarification from Fiji was why we wish to open the monitoring framework target three and EPSAs. These items are not being reopened, it's just a progression of the work. For the monitoring framework, this comes from a decision from previous COP decisions 15 and 16, I believe, which have asked the secretariat to continue to work on those indicators, including metadata for those indicators. So it is a response to a request from the previous COPs. With regard to target three, the target is not being touched. What is happening is that the program of work has been reviewed to assess its alignment and how it can contribute to the KMGBF. So target three is not being touched and you will see from the documents that the review looks at the entire framework and not just target three. And then with regards to EPSAs, this is also ongoing work that is coming out of previous COP decisions regarding updating or adding new EPSAs. So we are not changing anything that has already been agreed. It's just a progression of work that has been previously agreed. Thank you. Gabon · Chair · Jean Bruno Mikissa [1:21:30]: Thank you, Secretariat. Fiji again, you have the floor. Fiji [1:21:38]: Thank you, Chair. I think it's just important to clarify maybe there is a misunderstanding on the reopening of work. We understand that there is progression reporting that needs to be done as a decision of the previous COP, but our intention is that there are, in our reading of the initial draft documents, there are decisions that would be or decision language that would actually, you know, progress us further, which was previous, previously reiterated. Of course, this is a negotiation. We can go through that process, but in our preparations to be here, we actually read it in that regard. And so thank you for your clarification. And it's great to know that we are, um, referencing decisions of, of previous SCOPs where an update is required accordingly. Thank you. Gabon · Chair · Jean Bruno Mikissa [1:22:25]: Thank you, Fiji. I can recognize again DRC. DRC, you have the floor. Democratic Republic of the Congo [1:22:34]: Yes, thank you so much, Chair. I'd like to start by thanking you for the explanations which were given us. But there are no real clear reasons for the changes that you have proposed. We would like to agenda items to remain in the order in which they were previously. Thank. You. Gabon · Chair · Jean Bruno Mikissa [1:23:02]: Thank you so much to the DRC. Now, the explanation which was provided to us by the Secretariat doesn't really change the substance of our agenda. It's just a reversal of the points of the order of the points to be discussed as compared to the proposed agenda. But in any case, all of the agenda items will be considered. And for this reason, we believe that the order of the agenda items doesn't really play a major role where mainly adapting our proposed work to what is most efficient. Now, we do know that your request, which was to recognize that changes in the order can lead to some upheaval, especially in terms of preparation for the work. So, but now that we know the order in which we're going to proceed, We would urge you to accept this change in the order of the items to be discussed. And we believe that nothing will substantially change the relevance of the agenda if we were to do so. Thank you. I don't see any further requests for the floor. The organization of work is therefore approved and adopted. Now we will proceed to the election of officers. I give the floor to the Secretariat to explain how we will elect Bureau members, Secretariat, you have the floor. CBD Secretariat · Secretariat [1:25:41]: Thank you, Chair, and good morning to the distinguished delegates. Pursuant to Rule 26, paragraph 3 of its Rules of Procedure, the Conference of the Parties at its 16th meeting elected Mr. Jean Bruno Mikissa of Gabon as Chair of the Subsidiary Body at its second plenary session. on 25 October for a term of office extending until the end of the seventeenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties. Following the elections at the twenty-sixth and twenty-seventh meetings of the Subsidiary Body, the Bureau of the twenty-eighth meeting of the Subsidiary Body currently comprises the following members: So Mr. Jean Bruno Mekissa of Gabon as chair. For African states, we have Mr. Dixon Chitupa from Zimbabwe, Mr. Mostafa Madbouli from Morocco. For Asia Pacific states, we have Ms. Rosalinda Yatuman, Federated States of Micronesia, who replaced Ms. Camille Inacio in May of this year with Mr. Carl Felinius of Republic of Marshall Islands as substitute for the Cartagena and Nagoya Protocols. Ms. Juliana, Indonesia. For Eastern European states, we have Mr. Karen Kachatrian of Armenia and Mr. Jan Plesnik of Czechia. For Latin American and Caribbean States, we have Miss Paulina Stoa Salinas, Chile, with Miss Ana Laura Melo Villamarin of Uruguay as substitute for matters pertaining to the Cartagena and Nagoya Protocols. Miss Krishma Primus Omond from Antigua and Barbuda. For Western European and other States, We have Mr. Nicolas Watna from Switzerland, Ms. Sanne Krood from Kingdom of the Netherlands. Mr. Watna has been elected as rapporteur for the meeting on the basis of recommendation by the Bureau. Distinguished delegates, in order to have staggered terms of office within the Bureau, The subsidiary body will elect five new members to serve on the Bureau for a term commencing at the end of the present meeting and ending at the close of the 30th meeting. These new members will replace the outgoing members from Chile, Czechia, Indonesia, Morocco and Kingdom of the Netherlands. In accordance with Rule 26, paragraph 3 of the Rules of Procedure and section C, paragraph 10 of the consolidated modus operandi of SAPSSA, a new chair is expected to be elected by the Conference of the Parties at its 17th meeting, which is scheduled to take place in October. Thank you, Chair. Gabon · Chair · Jean Bruno Mikissa [1:29:11]: Thank you, Secretariat. In recent weeks, through the respective members of the Sub-State Bureau, regions were invited to coordinate within their respective regional groups to nominate new Bureau members. And to ensure that selected candidates have the full support of their government and institution to dedicate time and travel to represent their respective region in the SubSAHBRO. It was also pointed out that as SubSAHBRO is being tasked to serve the protocols, it is preferable if nominees to the SubSAHBRO are from a party to all the three instruments. It means the convention, the Cartagena Protocol and the Nagoya Protocol. Alternatively, and as provided for in the text of the protocols, if a nominee is from a country that is not a party to one of the protocols, then the region should also nominate a substitute from a country that is a party to the concerned protocol. It was on that all region should work internally to provide nominees and indicated that we will take up this item on the first session of this meeting. I now open the floor to the regions for their nominations. Okay, I give now the floor first Uruguay, followed by Senegal, then Armenia. Uruguay, you have the floor. Uruguay · GRULAC [1:31:38]: Thank you, Chair. On behalf of GRULAC, we would like to propose Ezequiel Benitez, delegate of Mexico. I don't think he needs much introduction. He's known by all the CBD community. He has a lot of experience in this convention. And yesterday at our regional meeting, we agreed as a region to propose Ezequiel for the Bureau of Substa. Thank you very much. Gabon · Chair · Jean Bruno Mikissa [1:32:14]: Thank you, Uruguay. Senegal, you have the floor. Senegal [1:32:19]: Thank you very much, Chair. Chair, after consideration and based on consensus, the African Group would like to appoint Mr. Joseph Toure from Sierra Leone. Joseph Toure is an agent of the state of Sierra Leone, which works in the agency for the protection of the environment. Mr. Toure has a diploma in environment and quality control with 12 years of experience in the fields of governance, natural resources, and control of pollution, healthcare, and occupational health and safety. He's currently CBD focal point for Sierra Leone. Thank you very much, Chair. Gabon · Chair · Jean Bruno Mikissa [1:33:08]: Thank you, Senegal. I give the floor to Armenia, followed by Netherlands, and then Indonesia. Armenia · EEG [1:33:17]: Thank you, Chair. On behalf of CEU regional group, I need to inform sub-sub-staburo that at the moment we have no agreed candidate. Hopefully, we remember candidacy will be nominated by tomorrow morning. Thank you, Chair. Gabon · Chair · Jean Bruno Mikissa [1:33:40]: Thank you to Armenia, Netherlands, you have the floor. Netherlands (Kingdom of the) · WEOG [1:33:45]: Yes, thank you very much, Mr. Chair. I'm very pleased to announce the nomination of Ms. Julie Hamard-Monard from France for the position of sub-state bureau member on behalf of Western Europe and other groups. Ms. Hamard-Monard is currently responsible for multilateral biodiversity negotiations within the French Ministry of Ecological Transition. She's also France's co-focal point for the CBD as well as for IPBES, and she has been working over the past years amongst others on the global review monitoring framework, but also on several programmes of work. I trust that Ms. Hammar Monar will be of great value to the Bureau. She is very committed to work constructively with all the different regions and parties. To ensure the success of our upcoming SubSAM meetings. Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. Gabon · Chair · Jean Bruno Mikissa [1:34:39]: Thank you, Indonesia, you have the floor. Indonesia [1:34:44]: Thank you, Chair. At this stage, I would like to. Inform the meeting that the Asia-Pacific Group is still undertaking its regional consultations regarding the nomination for the new bureau. Members and is therefore not yet in the positions to submit its nominations. We would appreciate the indulgence of the meeting to allow us a little more time to complete this process. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Gabon · Chair · Jean Bruno Mikissa [1:35:11]: Thank you, Indonesia. I thank all the regions that have nominated their respective. We shall return to the election of the new members of the Bureau during an upcoming plenary. I encourage members of the Bureau to continue consultation with their respective regional groups. before then so they can be ready with their nomination. And with that, we have conclude agenda item two for this morning. Noted that we will return to the election of officer at a later date. Distinguished delegates, we will now turn to the substantive agenda items of this meeting. As you all know, we have a very heavy agenda this session, in the interest of ensuring that we manage our time effectively and address all agenda items with due attention. Region will not be invited to deliver general opening statement. They will, however, be called upon first to deliver their intervention under each substantive agenda item. Dear delegates, we will have two minutes break just to rearrange the podium. Thank you. Please, colleagues, take your seats. We resume the session. Please, we're going to restart. We will now take up our first substantive agenda item, item three on planning, monitoring, reporting and review. This item contains two sub-items, a global review of collective progress in implementation of the coming Montreal global biodiversity framework and B, monitoring framework for the coming Montreal global biodiversity framework. I will be accepting interventions on both 3A and 3B together. For agenda item 3A on the global review, an ad hoc scientific and technical advisory group for the production of the global report was established to support the subsidiary body in providing the secretariat with guidance on the global report. I will now like to invite Mr. Ezequiel from Mexico, co-chair of the advisory group to provide a brief update on the work of the group. Mr. Ezequiel, you have the floor. Microphone to Mexico. Mexico · Co-Chair · Ezequiel Benitez [1:46:27]: Good morning, colleagues. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Before we start, I would like to mention the impressive amount of work that has gone into preparing the global report from the secretariat and the Ashtaq, as well as from the parties, IPLCs, and many other actors that provide information that served as the basis of the global report. The hashtag met 10 times, one in person, and we also had many informal meetings and were collaboratively emailed and on shared documents. There has been a tremendous amount of work that has gone into this report. What we see in document add one. Is a global report that. Taking on board the feedback that parties provide also in the peer review has a strong methodological basis it's been on a national reporting and has been guided by a party-led process I thank the chair for entrusting me and my colleague Emily Nicholson of Australia in co-chairing this ASHTAC we are here along with many other ASHTAC members this week and are able to answer any questions that parties may have on how the global report was developed. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Gabon · Chair · Jean Bruno Mikissa [1:47:57]: Thank you, Mr. Ezequiel and your co-chair, Ms. Emily Nicholson of Australia, and all members of the ad hoc Scientific and Technical Advisory Group for your hard work and dedication. I will now invite the Secretariat to introduce this item. Secretariat, you have the floor. CBD Secretariat · Secretariat [1:48:29]: Thank you, Chair. And this is a bit of a complicated item, so I apologize in advance that this is a bit of a long introduction. On item three, the secretariat has provided document CBD/SAPSTA/28/2/Rev.1, global review of collective progress in the implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. This document provides an update on the process to produce the global report, including the work of the ad hoc scientific and technical advisory group. It also includes information on the broader global review process. It includes two draft recommendations, one for SABSTA to consider, one of which will be -- and one for SBI to consider, and the SABSTA -- one will be incorporated into the draft recommendation to be considered by SBI. The pre-session document is accompanied by three addenda. The first addendum, addendum one, is the draft global report on collective progress in the implementation of the K-AMG-BF. This is a rev one. This document was revised and reissued, followed the peer review that closed on 29 June. Due to the volume of the comments and the many comments that required significant technical work, this document was only reissued yesterday at 3:00 PM. However, the concise summary, key messages, and conclusions of the document were made available earlier as add three, which I'll talk about in a minute. We have also published an information document, INF 13, which describes how the peer review comments were addressed. Due to the late posting of the document, the submission of statements was extended to 11:59 yesterday for this item. The document is unedited and available only in English as was described in the timeline which was adopted in decision 1632. The second addendum, addendum two, is the monitoring framework for the GPF. This document provides an update on work related to the monitoring framework. It does not contain a draft recommendation. Instead, the recommendation related to this topic is included as part of the recommendation which is in 28/2, the main pre-session document. The third is addendum three. This document is the concise summary key messages and conclusions of the global report. It was previously Annex 1 of document 28/2, but in order to minimize the impact on the translation process when the document was reissued, the annex was moved to an addendum, and this was recently issued. While the text was only expected to be translated after SBI for the global report as per the timeline which was in decision 16/32, we have made this document available in all languages. It reproduces the concise summary key messages and conclusions that are in at one. Additionally, there are a number of typos in the document as it has not been edited, but I would like to draw your attention to one substantive typo as it may impact your reading of the document. It's the paragraph in the Concise summary that starts with national targets aligned with targets four, eight, and ten of the framework. This is in the section on political will and ambition. The numbers of the targets are wrong. So it should read national targets aligned with targets four, eight, and eleven of the framework, followed by targets five, nine, and ten were addressed to have the highest coverage of elements of the global targets and national targets with 15, 16, 19, and 22 of the framework demonstrate the lowest coverage of elements, followed by 1, 14, 18, and 23. Again, I apologize for this typo. The document is supported by a number of other information and reference documents, which are shown on the slide now, next slide, I think. Information document four is the updated metadata for the headline indicators for the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. Information document eight, Rev 1, is an update on the support provided by FAO and its partners in the development and operationalization of the specific headline indicators that they work on. Information document nine is the methodologies for the global report. Information Document 11 is the review of the use of indicators in the seventh national reports. Information Document 13, which I mentioned already, describes the peer review of the global report. And then there's also SPI Information Documents 17, 20, and 22, which are very related to this document. These documents include the analysis of the NBSAPs and the national targets. the support that the Global Environment Facility and its implementing partners provided to the development of the NBSAPs and the national reports and the national targets. And the last is... I've forgotten, I'm sorry. And then the report of the meeting of the advisory group and the documents produced for SAPS 27, SBI 6, and SB 8J are also relevant to this item and can be found on the respective web pages for these meetings. We created a dedicated page to put these documents on in order to make it easier for parties to find them. And this is at cbd.int/GBF/implementation/globalreview. Thank you, Chair. Gabon · Chair · Jean Bruno Mikissa [1:54:19]: Thank you, Secretariat. Colleagues, as noted by the Secretariat, the scenario note contained in document CBD/Subst.28/1/Add.2 refers to modalities for the early submission of statement for Subst.28 in annex II. These modalities were developed to facilitate early preparation for meetings, including the early submission of statements. They were applied on a trial basis at SubSTaT 27 and SBI 6 and subsequently approved by the COP Bureau and the SubSTaT Bureau for application to all substantive agenda items of SBI 7 and the present meeting respectively. As mentioned previously, the Secretariat issued notification 2026/055 on 26 June 2026 invited and encouraging parties and observers register for SUBSTA 28 to participate on a voluntary and informal basis by submitting to the Secretariat a written statement for agenda item 3 through 8. The deadline was originally set at 8:00 p.m. local time in Nairobi yesterday. However, As noted by the Secretariat, the deadline for advance statement on item three was subsequently extended to 11:59 p.m. on the same day, as announced in notification 2026-060 issued yesterday. The statements submitted early under this agenda item in accordance with the modalities have been published online as they were received at cbd.int/meetings/substa28 under the statement tab. In addition, The secretariat has prepared information documents CBD/Subst/28/INF/10, early submission of statement. This document lists the 30 submissions received from parties and 13 statements from observers on item 3 and the 26 submission reserve from parties and the nine statement from observer on item 3B by the deadline for ease of reference the list of parties and observer indicated the information document is also displayed on the slides before you note that the list of Observers only includes those that have registered on site. So it may differ slightly from the list on the web page and in the information document. As the early submission of statement was carried out on informal and voluntary basis, parties and observers listed in the information document can if they so wish, revise their statement or deliver oral statement in accordance with established meeting procedure. However, given that this modality was intended to be a time-saving measure, the listed parties and observer may wish to refrain from delivering an oral statement except to make clarification to their own statement where necessary. Parties and observers that did not submit written statement during the informal process may reach to request the floor and submit their written statement as per established procedures. Colleagues, as mentioned earlier, Statements submitted during the early submission process were made on a voluntary and informal basis. Therefore, I must ask you whether there are any objections from any parties or observers listed in the information document to your statement on item 3A and 3B being formally entered on record as statement officially submitted for this agenda item in this meeting. Please raise your hands if you have any objection. I can recognize Finland. Finland, you have the floor. Finland [2:00:26]: Thank you, Chair. Just to note on 3a that Finland has been sending in its early submission, but we. Can't see us on the list here. So please could you correct? Thank you. Gabon · Chair · Jean Bruno Mikissa [2:00:38]: Thank you, Finland. I see no more request the floor. Thank you, colleagues. Your statement will be formally entered on record and considered as officially submitted under this agenda item. Regarding the statement submitted by observer, I will go through the list, which is presented on the screen, one by one. As I read the list, I will ask the observer organization to press the microphone button so that we can confirm that you are in the room. I will then ask parties to kindly press the microphone button if they support the statement made by that observer. I will read out the party names from the speakers list. I do not intend to open the floor at this point. In accordance with the modalities, statements submitted by organizations representing indigenous peoples and local communities have been identified as such on the list. I will begin with item 3a. CBD Secretariat · Secretariat [2:02:33]: What level do I start with? Gabon · Chair · Jean Bruno Mikissa [2:03:08]: Now I give the floor to, I give the floor, please give the microphone to NGOs 275. BirdLife International · Global Biodiversity Framework Ambition Network [2:03:22]: Thank you, Chair. Confirming that BirdLife International have submitted this statement on behalf of the global biodiversity framework ambition network and a number of our members there. So we are present and we ask the parties for support. Thank you. Gabon · Chair · Jean Bruno Mikissa [2:04:14]: I give the floor to Thank you. So much dear colleagues. Just to make sure that the list of observers that we have here, that all of the observers are actually present in the room, so every time I call out the name of the observer, we'll just ask you to confirm your presence here and that we all know that they are present and that will enable us to continue. So I just want to make sure that observers from 1 to 11 are here. I'm going to read through their names quickly. BirdLife International, are you present here? Yes. I see that the BirdLife International is present. Thank you. Do I see any support from this statement? Okay. I can recognize Finland, France, Mexico, Gambia, Cote d'Ivoire, Australia, Iceland. Okay, thank you very much. Now I move to the next. Are you present? Okay, thank you. So similarly, as you are present, I'm going to invite the parties to manifest their support. Please press the button now. So I recognize the DRC, Cote d'Ivoire, Ghana. So the statement therefore enjoys support. And now I'm going to turn to the FAO. Are you here? Yes. I can confirm you're here. Thank you so much. Do any of the parties present here support the statement of the FAO? Yes, I see Switzerland, Finland, Ghana and Fiji. Panama, Austria, Sweden, Gabon, Thank you so much. The statement therefore enjoys support. Global Youth Biodiversity Network. Okay, je vois, merci. Yes, I see you are. Peace International, are you here? Yes, I see that you are present. Now, would any of the parties wish to support this statement? I see that the RCP, Panama, Brazil, France, Gabon, and Finland, Cameroon. Very well, the statement is supported. International Center for Integrated Mountain Development, are you present here? Very well, thank you. Would any of the parties wish to support this statement? Bhutan, Nepal, Cameroon. So there is support for the statement. International Indigenous Forum on Biodiversity, are you present? Yes, you are. We therefore recognize you. Would any other parties wish to support statement? Guatemala, Germany, France, Cote d'Ivoire, Finland, Australia, Norway. The statement enjoys support. International Union. Okay, Lucien. Very well, IUCN. The IUCN is present in the room. Thank you so much. Thank you for being present. Any manifestations of support for the IUCN? Yes, I recognize Peru, the Central African Republic, Australia, Finland, Panama, Norway, Ghana. Burundi, Cote d'Ivoire, Iceland, Grenada, Gambia, Sweden, Suriname, Congo. Very well. Thank you so much. So the IUCN statement therefore enjoys support. UNDP. Are you present in the room? Yes, of course you are. Any States wishing to support UNDP? I see the Central African Republic, Peru, Brazil, Zimbabwe, Congo, Cote d'Ivoire. Suriname, Panama, Burundi, Ghana, Guinea, Burkina Faso, Egypt, DRC, Gabon, Finland, Gambia, Thank you so much. Now the next observer is UNEP. Is UNEP present in the room? Yes. Thank you so much. Any States wishing to back UNEP? On my list I see Burundi, Zimbabwe, Burkina Faso, United Kingdom. DRC, Fiji, Egypt, Chad, Benin, Guinea, Central African Republic, Panama, Congo, Gabon, Cote d'Ivoire, Uganda, Gambia, Finland, Ghana, Peru, Very well, thank you. And now I'm going to ask the next observer, the WWF. Are you in the room? Yes. So I recognize your presence here. Thank you so much. Any states wishing to support the WWF? And we have Egypt. Zimbabwe, Central African Republic, Brazil, Norway, Chad, Finland, DRC, Congo, Kenya and Cote d'Ivoire. Gabon, Gambia, Nepal, Uganda. Fiji, Burkina Faso. Thank you. Dear colleagues, we are now going to move on to item 3b and we're going to conduct the same process again. I'm going to recognise every observer, pausing to check that they're present, and I see the FAO, yes. Thank you so much. Now, is there any support for the FAO? I recognize Suriname, Sweden, United Kingdom, Egypt, the Central African Republic, Switzerland, Congo, DRC. Iceland, Zimbabwe, Finland, Equatorial Guinea, Cameroon, Ghana, the. Syrian Arab Republic, Burkina Faso, Burundi and Fiji. Okay, merci. Very well, thank you. And now I'm going to move on to the second observer, Global Youth Biodiversity Network. Are you present in the room? Yes, I confirm your presence. Any States wishing to support the presence of Global Youth Biodiversity Network? I see Brazil, Finland, Germany, DRC, Egypt, France, Fiji, Iceland, Panama, Norway, Cameroon, Morocco, Uganda, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Gambia, Sweden, Burkina Faso, UK, the Central African Republic and Tanzania. So thank you for all of your support. The next one is International Center for Integrated Mountain Development. Yes, I can confirm your presence. Any States or Parties wishing to support International Center for Integrated Mountain Development? Yes, I see Nepal, Bhutan, Cameroon, Very well. The statement therefore enjoys support. International Indigenous Forum on Biodiversity. Are you present? Yes. Thank you so much. I can confirm your presence. Any parties wishing to support International Indigenous Forum on Biodiversity? Yes. We have Brazil, Guatemala, the DRC, Germany, Fiji, Cote d'Ivoire, Finland. Very well. Namibia, France, Suriname, Sweden, Congo. Thank you. Now, the next observer on my list is the IUCN. IUCN had already confirmed that they were present. Any States or Parties wishing to support the IUCN? And I see Zimbabwe, Finland, Egypt, France, Guinea, Cote d'Ivoire, Congo, UK, Iceland. Maybe the Secretariat could assist me now. CBD Secretariat · Secretariat [2:22:44]: Thank you, Che. Delegates, the text on the screen is very small, so that's why. So we were at Iceland. Okay, I'll just read what's in front of us. Egypt, Guinea, United Kingdom, Panama, European Union, Gabon, Grenada, Marshall Islands, Gambia, Norway, Tanzania, Uganda, Serbia, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Sweden, Maldives, Burkina Faso, Italy, El Salvador, Congo, and Cote d'Ivoire. France. That's all on the screen. Gabon · Chair · Jean Bruno Mikissa [2:23:47]: Thank you, Secretariat. Now move to the next one, Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. Are you present? Okay, I can recognize you. Any states wishing to support this statement? Secretariat, please assist me. CBD Secretariat · Secretariat [2:24:12]: Thank you, Chair. I see Morocco and Brazil. Gabon · Chair · Jean Bruno Mikissa [2:24:22]: Thank you. So the statement is supported. Then we have UNDP. We already noted their presence in the room. Are there any parties who would like to support the statements made by UNDP. Secretariat. CBD Secretariat · Secretariat [2:24:43]: Zimbabwe, Burundi, Egypt, Burkina Faso, Panama, Cote d'Ivoire, Finland, United Kingdom, Guinea, Congo, Fiji, Morocco, Tanzania, Ghana, Marshall Islands, Equatorial Guinea, Nepal, Uganda, Italy, and that is all, Chair. Gabon · Chair · Jean Bruno Mikissa [2:25:07]: Thank you, Secretariat. On the screen, the last one is WW International. Are you present? Yes. Thank you very much. Secretariat, please. CBD Secretariat · Secretariat [2:25:23]: Serbia, Brazil, Zimbabwe, Morocco, Egypt, Gambia, Cote d'Ivoire, Gabon, Finland, Kenya, United Kingdom, Fiji, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tanzania, El Salvador, Congo and Burkina Faso. And Cameroon? Gabon · Chair · Jean Bruno Mikissa [2:25:44]: Thank you, Secretariat. Thank you, colleagues. Before I open the floor, I would like to encourage you to keep your statements short and concise, and to focus on the essential points. I may close the list of speakers as needed, but will give fair warning before I do so. I remind you that I will be limited intervention to four minutes for parties speaking on behalf of region, two minutes for individual parties, three minutes for IPCs, and major stakeholders group, and one minute for non-parties to the convention and other observers, as time allows. Microphones will turn off automatically when the speaking limit has been reached. I will seek your cooperation and indulgence in order to maintain a constructive and focused discussion throughout the meeting. Please upload the full text of your statement to the website within one hour after the close of this session. Please note, however, that your key point, especially those that you would like to have reflected in the draft recommendations, should be read out in the room. Kindly note that if any party wishes to have a statement reflected in the report of the meeting, it must be applauded in the same manner as statements. Following intervention by observers, I will give a brief chance for parties that may wish to comment or support any specific proposal made by these organizations. I now open the floor for intervention on item 3A and 3B, beginning with parties speaking on behalf of a regional group. Please request the floor now only if you are speaking on behalf of a regional group. Okay, I give the floor to Russia Federation. Russian Federation [2:28:46]: Thank you so much, Chair. Good morning to all. We entirely share your desire to see the meeting conducted as rapidly as is possible so we don't waste any time. Despite this, the Secretariat noted one major complication regarding this agenda item. The large number of documents, three various sections concerning the recommendations of the monitoring programme and the SBI recommendations, as well as the substa, it's very difficult to limit ourselves to just two minutes to discuss all of this. Now, our proposal is if we want to discuss all of this together as part of one single statement, then States should enjoy four minutes. Failing this, we'll have to split the topics and that way we would get two minutes per section. I do understand the necessity to speed up our work, but despite this, this is one of the most important points in our agenda. It is a complex issue, a great many documents backing it up, and that is why presenting a statement that covers all elements in just two minutes will be very difficult. Thank you. Gabon · Chair · Jean Bruno Mikissa [2:30:19]: Thank you, Russia. Thank you to the Russian Federation. Thank you for the suggestion. I am in favour of making some changes for this item of the agenda. We could accept that countries speaking on behalf of regions take the floor for five minutes to do so. States parties speaking on their own behalf can take the floor for four minutes. And all the rest will be without change. So as I've just said, this will only apply to this current agenda item. Okay, as I'm taking both sub-items A and B together, kindly indicate clearly in your intervention which sub-item your intervention addresses. Now, I give the floor to South Africa, followed by Serbia and then Fiji. South Africa · Africa Group [2:33:32]: Thank you, Chair. Give the microphone to -- okay. Thank you, Chair. South Africa delivers this statement on behalf of the Africa group. The Africa group thanks the Secretariat for the preparation of the document and the draft recommendation contained in document CBD/SBSTA/28/2. slash rev dot one. Africa welcomes the submission of the seven national reports by 129 parties. This demonstrates a strong global commitment to implementing the KGBF. For Africa Chair, the priority at COP 17 is very much clear and this touches on amongst others matters relating to strengthening of the means of implementation without adequate predictable and accessible finance, strengthened capacity building, enhanced technical and scientific cooperation and technological transfer, the implementation gap will continue to widen, particularly for developing countries. Furthermore, the global review also highlights that countries need stronger monitoring systems and not simply more reporting obligations. Africa therefore calls for increased investment in national biodiversity monitoring systems, including institutional capacity, biodiversity information infrastructure, field monitoring, data mobilization, and technical skills required to generate and use biodiversity data. for decision making. In this regard, South Africa supports the establishment of the ad hoc technical expert group. The group, however, must be time-bound, technically focused, regionally balanced, and inclusive of indigenous peoples and local communities, as well as women, youth, and technical and scientific cooperation support centers. its mandate should focus on addressing the remaining methodological gaps and supporting the operational of priority headline indicators and this should include indicators 1.1, 7.2, 9.1 and 22.1 while reducing the reporting burden on parties. Finally, Chair would like to indicate that Africa remains committed to engaging constructively on the draft recommendation and We have submitted detailed textual proposals to strengthen the information that we have alluded to in this statement. I thank you, Chair. Gabon · Chair · Jean Bruno Mikissa [2:36:21]: Thank you, South Africa. Now I give the floor to Fiji, followed by Antigua and Barbuda, and then Saudi Arabia. Fiji · Pacific Small Island Developing States [2:36:34]: Thank you, Chair. Fiji has the honour to speak on behalf of 14 Pacific Small Island Developing States. We thank the Secretariat and the Advisory Group for the global report. Its overarching message is sobering. The framework has generated unprecedented engagement, but unless collective implementation accelerates rapidly, the 2030 targets and mission will not be achieved. We associate ourselves with that conclusion. We wish to flag something that the report itself acknowledges. Our region's experience is underrepresented in the very evidence base used to reach that conclusion. The global report draws on national reports from only 66% of the parties, and it states plainly that a smaller percentage of small island developing states, particularly from PCCs, submitted their national reports in time to be included. This gap is, this is a gap in support and timelines. not a gap in commitment. We ask that the review formally acknowledges the underrepresentation in its outcomes and that the second global review correct it through a earlier better resource support for PCEs reporting not simply a repeat of the same timeline. Chair, the report's own key messages point to why. There are three key messages that finds that gains in finance capacity building and technology transfer have not kept pace with the need and the and that of developing countries in particular least developed countries and small island developing states which are more likely to face gaps in means of implementation. For PSEDS, this is one of the barriers among several. It is a binding constraint and ambition on paper cannot substitute finance, capacity and technology that cannot arrive on time and at the scale. We ask that the outcome of this review treat means of implementation as a binding constraint for SEEDS specifically, not folded into general language on developing countries. We also welcome key message number five, recognition that the framework cannot be achieved without the whole of society and that indigenous peoples, local communities, women and youth are not fully accounted for or supported in planning, monitoring and reporting. We ask that this be made concrete for our region, locally managed marine areas and other community-led customary approaches to conservation and sustainable use or drafting groups that allow or that follow from this session. Advice on a monitoring framework built without us will not reflect our monitoring realities. Finally, Chair, the framework already contains the tool we need, cross-cutting consideration on D, on national circumstances, priorities and capabilities, and the recurring commitment to the specific circumstances of SIDS. What we are asking for today is not a new provision, it is a provision that already exists to be operationalized in finance, in capacity support, in data systems, and in what, and in who sits at the table rather than merely recited in this decision text. Uh, chair, since I have one minute, just quickly on the second, uh, component on B, um, we believe that on monitoring, uh, first the framework must be stable and usable. We support the global ecosystem typology at levels two and three, but the flexibility of equivalent methodology retained for states with limited data so that we are not penalized for gaps we did not create. Second, closer gaps on matters to island, such as invasive alien species, are leading drivers of extinction in our region. And third, gender must be measurable. Target 23 is tied to the lowest score of all at 0.13, and it still has no headline indicator. Lastly, Chair, the most important, again, we want to be clear about the spirit of our asks. We are not asking to lower the bar. We are asking that the framework be matched with the capacity to use it so that the next global review does not repeat this one, telling the world it cannot see the Pacific because the Pacific was never resourced to be seen. is something that we cannot accept. Thank you, Chair. Gabon · Chair · Jean Bruno Mikissa [2:40:56]: Thank you, Fiji. Before continuing, I would just like to recall a few modalities. Before making your statements, I would please ask you to post it well in advance. That will enable us to move forward. That is the first piece of information. Secondly, I would like to give the floor to the secretariat so that it can provide more information with relation to the time granted. The secretariat has the floor. CBD Secretariat · Secretariat [2:41:41]: Thank you, Chair. the intervention from the request from Russia, which was agreed by the chair. Regional groups, countries speaking on behalf of regional groups will get five minutes. Individual parties will get four minutes. Indigenous peoples and local communities and major stakeholder groups will get four minutes. Non-parties and other governments will get two minutes and all other observers will get two minutes. Thank you. Gabon · Chair · Jean Bruno Mikissa [2:42:18]: Thank you, secretariat. Now let's continue with a region statement. I can recognize Antigua and Barbuda. Antigua and Barbuda, you have the floor. Antigua and Barbuda · Caribbean region [2:42:34]: Thank you, Mr. Chair. I give this statement on behalf of the Caribbean region on item three. I am honored to speak on behalf of the Caribbean region parties present at this meeting. Mr. Chair, the Caribbean region wishes to register a fundamental concern with the very architecture of this assessment. The report before us measure collective progress, but our region is effectively rendered invisible. The indicators, baselines, and narrative framing or region is effectively, sorry, framing employed do not capture the distinctive realities of the small island developing states. The Caribbean is not a passive participant in the framework. We are among the most biodiverse dependent regions on earth with our economies, livelihoods, food security and cultural identity in singularly tied to our health, our terrestrial and marine ecosystems. We are pioneered initiative approaches to coral reef restoration, sustainable fisheries, co-management and community-based protective areas governance obtained with limited resources. Our commitment is demonstrated not in the volume of submissions alone, but in the daily realities of conservation actions on the ground and at sea. The current review methodologies reveal submission rates, but not the quality of implementation. It benchmarks progress against uniform timelines, but does not ask whether those timelines were ever realistic for parties with smallest administrative footprints and the most versatile economic and climate context. In doing so, the report generates a distorted picture that does not represent the level of ambition in the Caribbean region. We therefore submit a single uniform assessment framework applied to all parties regardless of capacity, producers, findings that do not paint a complete picture. It risk guiding future investment and policy decision towards regions that already have robust robust reporting systems while further marginalizing those that require enhanced support to build those very systems. Mister chair, the Caribbean is not seeking exemption from our responsibilities. We are seeking an honest and equitable partnership one that recognizes Collective progress cannot be measured solely by uniform benchmarks but must also account for the indifferent starting points capabilities and vulnerabilities of all parties we are committed to the full implementation of the C Montreal biodiversity framework and we have demonstrated their commitment through actions, not merely through paperwork. The halfway point to 2030 is an opportunity to recalibrate and adjust. We urge this body to seize that opportunity by embracing a more nuanced, inclusive and regional responsive approach to assessing and enabling progress. The Caribbean region looks forward to constructive engagement on these protocols and expects that the concerns be sustainably reflected in the deliberations and outcomes on this agenda. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Gabon · Chair · Jean Bruno Mikissa [2:46:27]: Thank you, Antigua and Barbuda. Then I give the floor to Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia, you have the floor. Thank you very much. Saudi Arabia [2:46:44]: Thank you, Chair. First of all, I would like to pay tribute on behalf of Saudi Arabia to the Secretariat for the efforts undertaken. And I thank them for their efforts to implement the CBD. We have been able to update our national plan and set out priorities for our national targets, including technical means. This in coordination with other parties, in line with our national priorities, the implementation of international goals continues to be lacking, in particular in terms of means of implementation. In this regard, we would like to place an emphasis on the importance of capacity building, technical and technological cooperation, technology transfer. These are necessary tools for the sound implementation of the agreement. We would also like to place an emphasis on the fact that means of implementation should be aligned with the priorities and needs as set out by States Parties taking into account their particular circumstances. This to enable them to be on the path to implementation. We would also like to emphasise the need for the accuracy of data in order to achieve sound outcomes. We also require equity in terms of follow-up and monitoring in line with the goals set out so that this can be in line with the implementation of all goals relating to training and resource mobilization in particular. Thank you, Chair. Gabon · Chair · Jean Bruno Mikissa [2:49:07]: Thank you, Saudi Arabia. Now, After parties speaking on behalf of regional group, now I will give the floor to the parties followed by observer. I will take the first intervention from Egypt followed by Armenia and then Ghana. Egypt, you have the floor. Egypt [2:49:43]: Thank you, Mr. Chair. Egypt align itself with the statement delivered by South Africa on behalf of the African group. The global review and monitoring framework are two complementary pillar of the enhanced planning, monitoring, reporting, and review process established under the coming Montreal global biodiversity framework. The quality of the global review depend on the quality of the monitoring framework, while lesson learned from the first global review should guide its future evolution. It is therefore essential that both processes evolve together through a gradual evidence-based and party-driven approach. Mr. Chair, as the first assessment of the collective progress under the framework, the global review represents an important milestone and should be viewed primarily as learning experience. Future review cycles should build upon the experience by further strengthening methodological clarity, transparency, and scientific robustness. In this regard, Egypt wishes to highlight four points. First, future assessment should clearly distinguish between implementation gap, reporting gap and data limitation. Limiting reporting or incomplete data shouldn't be automatically interpreted as limited implementation. Second, Greater transparency is needed in distinguishing between party self-assessment, indicator-based assessment and analytical interpretation. Likewise, the scorecard should be understood as a composite analytical tool that supports interpretation rather than a definitive measure of implementation progress. Third, analytical conclusions should remain firmly anchored in the available evidence. Strengthening the link between evidence and conclusion will further enhance the credibility and policy relevance of the future global review. Fourth, greater attention should be given to means of implementation. The report should more clearly reflect how the availability of financial resource, capacity building, technology transfer, and technical and scientific cooperation influence the implementation. This is particularly important for developing countries where the implementation gap often reflects constraint in available support rather than lack of commitment. Turning to the monitoring framework, Egypt considers it is an essential tool for supporting implementation of the framework. At the same time, it remains practical, scientifically robust and responsive to national realities. We support maintaining the stability of the monitoring framework during the current reporting cycle. Parties are now only gaining practical experience through the preparation of their seventh national reports, and significant change at this stage would increase reporting burden, reduce comparability across reporting cycle, and limit our ability to evaluate the framework based on actual implementation experience. Future updates should therefore be gradual and based on demonstrated need. New indicators should be introduced only when methodologies, metadata and data availability are sufficiently mature to support consistent application across parties. At the same time, flexibility must remain a guiding principle, recognising different national circumstances, priorities and capacity. Finally, strengthening the monitoring framework requires strengthening means of implementation, continued support for capacity building, technology transfer, technical and scientific cooperation and financial resources remain essential if all parties are to generate reliable, high quality data and participate effectively in future monitoring and reporting process. Chair, Egypt supports a continued evaluation of both global review and the monitoring framework through an iterative evidence-based process that preserves scientific integrity, enhances transparency, and remains practical and implementable for all parties. We have submitted our written comment and proposed amendments through the electronic portal. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Gabon · Chair · Jean Bruno Mikissa [2:53:43]: Thank you, Egypt. Now I give the floor to Armenia, followed by Ghana, and then Argentina. Armenia, you have the floor. Armenia [2:53:55]: Thank you, Chair, Excellencies, distinguished delegates, friends. Armenia wishes to express its sincere appreciation to the Secretariat, the members of the AFAC, the co-chairs and all parties and stakeholders for their considerable efforts in preparing the first global report on collective progress in implementation of the KMGBF. The first global report represents a major milestone in the implementation architecture of the framework. It demonstrates the collective commitment of parties and other stakeholders to evidence-based action and provides for the first time a picture of where we collectively stand, highlights areas where progress is encouraging and identifies where greater efforts are urgently needed. We welcome the draft recommendation as a solid basis for translating the findings of the global report into practical actions. The true value of this exercise will ultimately be measured not only by the quality of the assessment, but by its ability to accelerate implementation on the ground. Hence, we welcome the proposed year one pathway on accelerating the implementation of the KMGBF to help identify practical ways of achieving all global targets while prioritizing action where collective progress is most needed, including through further strengthening the support for parties in addressing implementation gaps. It will also help establish a strong foundation for future review cycles and ensure that this mechanism becomes an effective tool for learning, adaptation and accelerating implementation, strengthening the overall effectiveness of the Convention. Armenia, as the incoming presidency of COP17, thanks every involved party and stakeholder in the preparation process and looks forward to continuing constructive engagement and cooperation as we advance the implementation of the CMGBF. Thank you, Chair. Gabon · Chair · Jean Bruno Mikissa [2:55:39]: Thank you, Armenia. Now I give the floor to Ghana, followed by Argentina and then Zimbabwe. Ghana, you have the floor. Ghana [2:55:49]: Thank you very much, Chair. First, we support South Africa on behalf of Africa. We also want to use the opportunity to thank the Secretariat and to congratulate all parties that have submitted national reports that have made the global review possible. while recognizing some practical challenges of the online reporting tool which need improvement. We acknowledge the progress made towards achieving the KMGF, though much remains to be done by parties. We recognize that implementation, though at midterm, is still at early stage. Chair, measuring progress is good, but enabling implementation is necessary. Future reviews should therefore measure means of implementation, especially to developing countries. We recommend that not only should we measure progress, but we need to also measure means of implementation. We join in calling for stronger monitoring systems, including capacity building and biodiversity information infrastructure. Ghana supports the call for the establishment of an inclusive ad hoc technical expert group to focus on addressing methodological gaps and headline indicators. Completing the monitoring framework will facilitate the quality of the next reporting period. I thank you, Chair, for the opportunity. Gabon · Chair · Jean Bruno Mikissa [2:57:17]: Thank you, Ghana. Now I give the floor to Argentina, followed by Zimbabwe and then Serbia. Argentina [2:57:27]: Thank you very much, Chair. Argentina. Thanks, Secretariat, for presenting the report and recognises the efforts made in order to consolidate information presented by the parties. Nevertheless, we would like to set out a few comments. First of all, we note the concern that the report does not fully reflect that Article 20 of the Convention talks of means of implementation, although the new review recognises that financing, capacity building, technology transfer continue to be insufficient. looks at this as a technical issue, whereas this is a central issue with the architecture of the Convention. The Convention clearly says that means of implementation and commitments submitted by countries will depend on the effective compliance of developed parties with their commitments in terms of financial resources and technology transfer. Without these means of implementation, developing countries face difficult obstacles to overcome for the implementation of the Convention and the global framework. Therefore, the global review needs to assess with the same rigor the implementation of substantive obligations and the compliance of commitments related to means of implementation. Without the adequate resource mobilization, parties which are developing will have insurmountable obstacles in order to have the means of implementation in order to implement things such as the global review. Secondly, this emphasizes the intergovernmental character of the Convention, which is essential. Parties design and implement their national strategies in line with their national circumstances and priorities. Participation of stakeholders can contribute to the implementation, but their collaboration should not dilute the responsibilities of States nor fragment coordination mechanisms and monitoring and information sharing mechanisms. Finally, a brief reference to target 18. Our team believes that it is essential to move forward on a solid methodological basis that is based on scientific evidence. The promotion of positive incentives, such as those mentioned in the report, should not overlook the essential goal, which is to promote and protect biodiversity. Positive incentives need to recognise national concepts and applicable international law. Within this framework, we support the global review, but it needs to take into account information already available in other MEAs based on multilateral or scientific evidence, continuing to improve the quality of indicators without generating additional burdens in terms of reporting, in particular for developing countries. Finally, with regards to 3b, The eventual re-proportion of previously excluded targets for new indicators need to be considered carefully as this will have additional burdens for countries, in particular for developing countries. In this regard, Argentina suggests that it's preferable to have robust methodologies which are comparable and easy to implement before increasing reporting charges. On the expert group, Argentina believes it is essential that, in addition to guaranteeing a geographically balanced group, we also need experience and practical experience, and their recommendations need to take into account means of implementation and the various national contexts. Within this context of the Global Review, we can't enable us to have recommendations which will place insurmountable burdens on countries when it comes to implementing them. Thank you very much, Chair. Gabon · Chair · Jean Bruno Mikissa [3:01:16]: Gracias Argentina. Thank you, Argentina. The floor to Zimbabwe, followed by Serbia and then DRC. Zimbabwe [3:01:29]: Thank you, Chair. Zimbabwe aligns itself with the statement made by South Africa on behalf of the Africa region. and wishes to thank the secretariat for its efforts in preparing the documentation on this important agenda item, particularly the analysis of the use of indicators, the review and the update of monitoring framework and the metadata for the headline indicators. Zimbabwe proposes that sub-sacquate recommend that the conference of parties update the monitoring framework at its 18th meeting concurrently with its consideration of the reporting template for the eighth national reports and taking into account the findings of the IPBES methodological assessment on monitoring biodiversity and nature's contributions to people, which is expected to be considered in 2027. While Zimbabwe does not oppose the Secretariat's proposal to convene an expert group to provide technical advice on this matter, it emphasizes that the process should remain party-driven, transparent and inclusive. Zimbabwe recognizes that there is still a need for further work to be done on the indicators contained in the annex to the document CBD/Substa/2018/001. 28/2/Add.2 before inclusion in the monitoring framework. However, it wishes to draw the attention of the subsidiary body to the following considerations. One, the use of component and complementary indicators in the national reporting should remain voluntary and should not create additional reporting burdens for parties. The Secretariat should continue to identify and engage potential collaborators to support the development of metadata for the headline indicators, particularly indicators 1.1, 7.2 and 9.1 on the benefits derived from the sustainable use of wildlife species. We have submitted our proposal, our proposed textual changes reflecting the above. I thank you, Chair. Gabon · Chair · Jean Bruno Mikissa [3:04:01]: Thank you, Zimbabwe. Now I give the floor to Serbia, followed by DRC and then Russia. Serbia [3:04:11]: Thank you, Chair. I'm speaking on behalf of the Republic of Serbia. Regarding the item 3b, it is a great pleasure and honour to support the progress of the coming Montreal global biodiversity framework. for the national strategic planning on biodiversity and reporting process. Serbian MB sub nature protection program until 2031 aligned with the coming Montreal global biodiversity framework is in the adoption procedure. National targets are submitted to the CBD online reporting tool according to the which the seventh national report will be prepared. However, for the GEF 8 umbrella program for the NBSAP update and seventh national report project activities have not yet started in Serbia, although the agreement was signed and in enforcement since mid-March this year. Also, we want to thank all donors to support Serbian NBSAP and seventh national report. This statement will be submitted to the secretariat. Thank you, Chair. Gabon · Chair · Jean Bruno Mikissa [3:05:24]: Thank you, Serbia. Before I give the floor to DRC, please allow me the colleagues. I will soon close the list of speakers. Now I give the floor to DRC, followed by Russia Federation and then India. Democratic Republic of the Congo [3:05:47]: Thank you so much, sir, for having given us the floor. The DRC supports the statement made by South Africa on behalf of Africa. The DRC wishes to extend its gratitude to the Secretariat of the Convention, as well as to SAPSTA for the work carried out, the preparation and elaboration of the first draft national reports, which serve as an essential stage of the first world examination exercise, which constitutes a first very important assessment of our collective situation as compared to our global goals, and which underscores the main shortcomings and gaps as well as challenges and identifies fields in which additional efforts will be necessary. The DRC takes note of the technical updates which were included for the metadata contained in documents CDB/Subst.28/Info/4 as well as possible additional indicators for follow-up cases identified in documents CBD/Subst.28/2/Add.2 concerning The monitoring, the DRC rather, underscores that the main indicators of the, we should be careful when it comes to adding new indicators before COP19, and we believe that efforts should be concentrated on implementation, on full-fledged implementation, and reporting of main indicators in keeping with our agreed methodology would also be interesting to underscore. the needs in terms of improving the reporting methods, including data input, the extraction of information and reuse. The DRC would also like to remind. The World Wildlife Fund for Biodiversity requires a global approach to society based on human rights and gender-sensitive, which recognizes and supports But the key criteria, which is support, measure and integrate the contributions of indigenous peoples and local communities, women, youth and other rights holders as essential partners in implementation. Finally, the DRC welcomes the continuation of exchanges on the second draft of the global report and the review of metadata. First of all, we would like to note the enormous work done by the parties to the Convention in preparing their national tasks, strategies and reports, which became the basis for the preparation of the global report. We once again confirm the fundamental position on the use of national documents for the assessment of collective progress. Thank you to all colleagues in the technical expert group, secretariat and consultants for their tremendous work. Russian Federation [3:09:17]: One of the conclusions was the identification of limitations regarding both its preparation as well as the use of its findings. These must be fully taken into account in formulating draft decisions at SubSTA and the SBI. So, the national strategies form the basis of the exercise, yet only a limited number had been received as of the time point when the report was prepared, including as a result of the fact that timely resources were not provided. Now, the use of a temporary solution, national targets, provides only a general idea of the possible scope of states' actions. Also, it is not always clear over what timeframe these are applied. The methodology for determining the scale of ambitions, the goals for most global targets is not very precise. It would simply be wrong to use this as a basis to draw any conclusions as to whether or not the goals and visions of the global framework program will be achieved would probably be wrong. We must bear in mind that the global program is designed for all and is based on a whole of government approach. And this means that a great many goals are contained in other documents and strategies which were not analyzed during the work. Unfortunately, the NB-SAP is not a super document which replaces all others. So national strategies of responsible states were developed on the basis of existing resources, and this is why they reflect the level of their existence adequacy and accessibility. National reports are based on data covering only a few years, and the reports show that the system of indicators is essentially non-functional. There is a need to substantially improve the methodological basis underpinning the core indicators, thus ensuring that they are integrated into national systems. Resources must as a priority be invested into the development of national data collections rather than into international systems and metadata. The focus of a possible expert group's work should be on clearly defining methodologies for working with the core indicators focusing on the national level in accordance with those who refer to preserving the stability of the monitoring program. Now when analyzing national strategies, it is important to recall that they do not replace the full range of a country's strategic document on waste management, pollution, agriculture and so forth. They all need to be taken into account. Now the main value of the report in our view lies in the fact that its preparation has highlighted a number of very important elements, identifying shortcomings in For further work, we will require indicators for this work, and we believe that in preparing the eighth national report and the second global report, funding will have to be provided to States. Gabon · Chair · Jean Bruno Mikissa [3:12:40]: Thank you, Russia Federation. Colleagues, the list of speakers is now closed. Let's continue with India, followed by Brazil and then Indonesia. India, you have the floor. India [3:13:01]: Thank you, Chair. India welcomes the preparation of first global and collective progress in implementation of the MPPG and appreciate the work of ad hoc scientific and technical advisory group and the secretariat in supporting this important milestone under the monitoring review and reporting mechanism of the convention. Our country recognizes that the global review is intended to provide an assessment of collective progress and should not be constructed as an assessment of performance of individual parties. While the report concluded that the world is not collectively on track to achieve 2020 target, it is important to acknowledge that the progress varies considerably across parties and regions. National circumstance, capacities and priorities must be therefore remain central to the interpretation of the finding. As reflected in the India's seventh national report to CBD, India is on track to implement all 23 targets and the four goals of the framework. References in the draft edition regarding the lack of progress should therefore reflect the collective global situation and not imply uniform performance across all the parties. We would like to highlight that several of our national initiatives integrated approaches that are gender responsive and include women, youth and local stakeholders at all levels, including the local communities. For example, our biodiversity management committees at Panchayati Raj Institute at the grassroots level are working models of decentralized biodiversity governance for scaling up community and local government engagement. And several approaches and institutional mechanism of developing countries may be reflected adequately in the global report. Further, India's achievement in terms of implementation of target 13 of the KMGPF may duly be reflected as a model for other country parties. India underlines the effectiveness of global review depends on robust, transparent and nationally driven monitoring system. While supporting further operationalization of monitoring framework, India emphasizes the additional methodological work is required for several indicators, parties should be provided sufficient time to review newly developed metadata and methodologies before they are adopted or used as a basis for assessing progress. India supports the establishment of proposed ad hoc technical expert group to address methodology gaps and strengthen the monitoring framework. The group should be given due consideration to technical capacities, data availabilities and report constraints of developing countries without increasing the reporting burden on the parties. India stressed the predictable and adequate means of implementation under article 20 of the convention are essential for developing countries to effectively implement the framework and strengthen national monitoring systems. India also emphasizes integrated traditional knowledge of indigenous people and local communities into biodiversity monitoring consistent with national legislation and sovereign rights. Information from non-government actors should complement national reporting through national focal points to ensure coherence. India supports efforts to improve planning, monitoring, report and review under the convention. However, any additional report requirement including the provision of supplementary information on national target should remain voluntary. India remains committed to work constructively with all parties to strengthen the implementation of KMPGF through science based national driven and collaborative that respect national circumstance and principles of the provisions of the conventions. Thank you, Chair. Gabon · Chair · Jean Bruno Mikissa [3:16:45]: Thank you, India. Now I give the floor to Brazil. Brazil [3:16:52]: Thank you, Mr. Chair. At the outset, Brazil thanks the Secretariat and the ATAC to the substantial work in preparing the global report and supporting this first review of collective progress. Brazil welcomes the report as an important evidence base, given the short implementation period and uneven capacities of parties to collect, process, and report comprehensive data. This first review should avoid premature conclusions, recognize the efforts already undertaken, and identify practical ways to accelerate implementation. National reports should remain its primary source of information. Scientific assessments, global data sets, and information from other actors may provide complementary inputs, but should not override nationally validated information or be used to rank or compare individual parties. Data monitoring and reporting gaps must not automatically be interpreted as implementation gaps or insufficient political commitment. The global report also confirms that means of implementation have not increased at the pace and scale required. Developing countries could advance considerably faster if finance, capacity building, technical and scientific cooperation and technology transfer increased with the same urgency expected of national implementation. For mega-biodiverse developing countries, implementation and monitoring entail exceptional and continuous costs. The global review should therefore ensure that implementation and means of implementation advance together. Regarding the monitoring framework, Brazil considers that the period until 2030 should focus on consolidating and operationalizing the framework already agreed. Frequent additions, removals, or reclassifications of headlines and binary indicators would weaken the comparability, create methodological uncertainty, and impose disproportionate burdens on developing countries. Headline and binary indicators should therefore remain stable through 2030. Technical work should prioritize improved metadata, methodologies, guidance, and national capacities. Brazil supports the proposed ADTAG, provided that its mandate remains technical, advisory, and focused on operationalization. It should assist Parties in applying the framework, improve methodological readiness, and identify data, capacity, and infrastructure needs. It should not redesign the framework or create new reporting requirements without intergovernmental approval. Improved monitoring requires more than guidance and online tools. Developing countries need sustained, practical and demand-driven support for national technical teams, data processing, information system, scientific cooperation and technology transfer. Brazil. Priority is clear, consolidate what parties have built, preserve comparability, strengthen national systems and reduce rather than increase reporting burdens. A stable, flexible and adequately supported framework will provide more reliable information and enable parties to focus resources on implementation and measurable results for biodiversity. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Gabon · Chair · Jean Bruno Mikissa [3:20:30]: Thank you, Brazil. Colleagues, it is now almost 1:00 p.m. and we must close this session for this morning. 00 p.m. to continue our consideration of item three. I have on my list the following parties. Indonesia, Tanzania, Kenya, Colombia, EU, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Maldives, Guatemala, Burundi, China, Nigeria, Malawi, Nepal, Costa Rica, Uganda, Somalia, Jordan, Syria, Malaysia, Cameroon. In terms of observers, We have women, Pcs. And youth. I remind you to applaud your writing statement within one hour after the close of this session. Please be reminded that if any parties which is to have a statement reflected in the report of the meeting. It must be applauded in the same manner as statement. I wish you a pleasant lunch break. I hope you can enjoy the many side event taking place. The session is adjourned.