Upholding the spirit, substance, and terminology of the KMGBF

Joint views from the International Indigenous Forum on Biodiversity (IIFB), the Global Youth Biodiversity Network (GYBN), the CBD Women’s Caucus, and the CBD Alliance - Discontinue inappropriate use of “Actors Other than National Governments” (AONG)

Capacity Building or Corporate Capture? The Fight Over Synthetic Biology at COP17

Dana Perls (Friends of the Earth US) - Developing countries have long called for predictable finance, equitable access to appropriate technologies, scientific cooperation and stronger regulatory capacity to conserve biodiversity and secure fair benefits from genetic resources. At COP17, the question is what kind of capacity will be built - and for whose benefit. The Thematic Action Plan on Synthetic Biology (TAP) could strengthen countries’ ability to assess, regulate and, where necessary, reject synthetic biology applications. Yet it currently leans towards technology development. Where organisms may persist and spread, precaution must come first.

Marginalizing the Science of Indigenous Sustainability:  Intention or Ignorance

Dipayan Dey & Mrinmoyee Naskar (ICARSIS) - Indigenous science infused in Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) provide high-impact, cost-effective solutions for climate change mitigation, biodiversity protection, and ecosystem resilience. However, it has been deliberately ignored and intentionally marginalised in sustainable climate practices owing to vested interests of the stewards of consumer economies and corporate lobbies. 

Where is the Accountability? Parties Are Violating the Decision on GE Trees

Anne Petermann (Campaign to STOP GE Trees) - In 2008, at COP9 in Bonn, the Convention on Biological Diversity agreed to take a precautionary approach to genetically engineered (GE) trees (decision IX/5). They recognized serious uncertainties about the long-term and transboundary impacts of GE trees on forest biodiversity and the livelihoods of Indigenous Peoples and local communities. That decision has served as a de facto global moratorium. As Parties gather in Yerevan for the first global review of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, it is being openly ignored.