Presentation
The first Global Review of the Kunming-Montréal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) is an important milestone for the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), as an opportunity to take stock and inform future action. However, as this is its first iteration, uncertainties remain regarding how the process will unfold in practice and how it will be translated into political decision-making. This Study aims to clarify how the Global Review can be further operationalized, and articulates a longterm vision for the Global Review, while identifying concrete entry points to make its first iteration useful for Parties and other stakeholders.
Key Messages
- The Global Review is not merely a technical reporting exercise, but a mechanism aimed at assessing whether the GBF is delivering tangible outcomes towards agreed action targets and long-term goals and identifying the enablers to be implemented and the obstacles to be overcome. As such, it should be conceived as a multi-stakeholder, evidence-based and outcome-oriented process, and a key lever for strengthening the effectiveness of the CBD, grounded in national implementation realities and built through a bottom- up and inclusive approach.
- The first Global Review will benefit from over 120 national reports provided by Parties as an important evidence base for the global report, complemented by additional sources provided by stakeholders. This provides a strong foundation for stocktake. However, important methodological and data limitations remain and need to be acknowledged transparently. These limitations highlight both the complexity of assessing progress and the need to strengthen the CBD’s monitoring and reviews over time.
- COP17 will be key to translate the diagnosis into momentum and levers for transformation. Even as a first exercise, its findings can help identifying barriers to GBF implementation and informing prioritization of where support and reforms are most needed. Parties and stakeholders should seek to highlight these levers while avoiding two risks: formulating overly general findings that would fail to support action, and more explicit attribution of roles and responsibilities which may lead to political deadlocks.
- Dedicated dialogues ahead of and at COP17 (across levels, sectors or thematic priorities) will be essential to clarify expected outputs and the results they should trigger post-COP17. This should be complemented by clear stages of highlevel engagement from decision-makers, to translate findings into political signals, coordinated action and follow-up within CBD and beyond.
- The Global Review should be seen as part of a longer-term cycle. As such, it should evolve into a permanent mechanism for collective responsibility and accountability mechanism. For this to materialize, the first iteration at COP17 must already demonstrate its ability to inform action and cooperation.
