16/13. Mainstreaming of biodiversity within and across sectors

The Conference of the Parties,
Recalling its decision 14/3 of 29 November 2018, by which it established a long-term strategic
approach for mainstreaming biodiversity in relevant sectors and between sectors,
Recalling also Article 6 (b) of the Convention on Biological Diversity,1 under which Parties
are required to integrate, as far as possible and as appropriate, the conservation and sustainable use
of biological diversity into relevant sectoral or cross-sectoral plans, programmes and policies,
Reiterating the critical importance of mainstreaming biodiversity across the whole of
government and the whole of society to achieve the objectives of the Convention and its Protocols,
and the urgent need to mainstream biodiversity in line with the Kunming-Montreal Global
Biodiversity Framework,2
Taking note of the submissions provided by Parties, international organizations and initiatives,
as well as stakeholder organizations, including during the online forum on mainstreaming held from
12 December 2023 to 10 January 2024,
Taking note also of the analysis conducted by the Secretariat,
3 which demonstrated an
alignment of the long-term strategic approach for mainstreaming with certain goals and targets of the
Framework,
Recalling its decision that the Framework should be used as a strategic plan for the
implementation of the Convention and its Protocols, its bodies and its Secretariat over the period
2022–2030 and that, in that regard, the Framework should be used to better align and direct the work
of the various bodies of the Convention and its Protocols, its Secretariat and its budget, according to
the goals and targets of the Framework,4

Emphasizing the importance of ensuring that the processes under the Convention and its
Protocols remain inclusive and regionally balanced,
Recognizing that actions related to biodiversity mainstreaming should be implemented on a
balanced and flexible basis, taking into consideration national circumstances and capabilities, and
that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to biodiversity mainstreaming,

Recognizes that the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework captures
biodiversity mainstreaming and provides a wide range of options for mainstreaming biodiversity,
and considers that the provisions of paragraphs 17 and 18 of decision 14/3 have been implemented;

Urges Parties, and invites other Governments and subnational and local governments,
with the support of international and other relevant organizations, as well as the business and
financial sectors, as appropriate, to undertake biodiversity mainstreaming, as reflected in the
Framework, in a manner supportive of the three objectives of the Convention on Biological Diversity,
in particular to enable mainstreaming at all levels of government and society, with a view to fostering
the full and effective contributions of women, youth, indigenous peoples and local communities, civil
society organizations and stakeholders, within and across all sectors,5
in an inclusive manner, as
appropriate, and in accordance with relevant national and international regulations;

Invites Parties, as well as relevant organizations, initiatives and stakeholders, to provide
relevant information, including on good practices, new and innovative tools, mechanisms, challenges
and lessons learned with regard to biodiversity mainstreaming, through their seventh national reports,
in line with decision 15/6 of 19 December 2022, or through information on commitments by nonState actors and subnational and local governments;

Encourages Parties, in line with national circumstances and priorities, to promote and
support the private and financial sectors in their contributions to the three objectives of the
Convention;

Also encourages Parties, and invites other Governments, subnational and local
governments, the secretariats of multilateral environmental agreements, relevant organizations,
initiatives, partners and relevant stakeholders, including from the private and financial sectors,
academia, the scientific community and philanthropic organizations, to mainstream biodiversity in
all relevant processes;

Requests the Executive Secretary of the Convention, subject to the availability of
resources:

(a) To integrate the consideration of biodiversity mainstreaming into regional and
subregional dialogue meetings to support the implementation of the Framework, including by
identifying challenges and scientific, technical and technological gaps that may undermine the
capacity of countries to support mainstreaming and ensure just transitions, in particular in developing
countries;

(b) To strengthen collaboration with relevant convention secretariats, organizations and
institutions and foster collaboration and cooperation, as appropriate, among relevant processes and
programmes in order to make available the information, expertise and relevant technologies needed,
including in relation to transition plans, to achieve biodiversity mainstreaming at all levels;

(c) To invite Parties, other Governments and relevant convention secretariats, organizations
and institutions and other stakeholders to share good practices, tools, mechanisms, guidance and relevant solutions that can support biodiversity mainstreaming across sectors, and to provide a structured overview of that information through the clearing-house mechanism;

(d) To support capacity-building and development activities related to biodiversity mainstreaming, in collaboration with Parties and other Governments, subnational and local governments, the regional and subregional support centres of the technical and scientific cooperation mechanism, indigenous peoples and local communities and networks of women and youth, as well as relevant stakeholders, such as non-governmental organizations, international financial institutions and private sector entities;

(e) To undertake the following activities ahead of the seventeenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties:

(i) To provide a structured overview of available good practices, tools, mechanisms, guidance and relevant solutions to support biodiversity mainstreaming within and across sectors, under both the Convention and other processes;

(ii) To foster sector-specific communities of practice for the exchange of lessons learned, inter alia, through the holding of a series of webinars focused on mainstreaming across various sectors, in particular those already covered in previous decisions of the Conference of the Parties, bringing together partners and experts from a variety of backgrounds to share best practices, existing tools, solutions, guidance and innovative practices that could support implementation within and across sectors;

(f) To prepare a progress report on the aforementioned activities, for consideration at a meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Implementation to be held before the seventeenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties;

(g) To undertake, on the basis of the results of the activities listed in the subparagraphs above, ahead of the eighteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties, the additional activities necessary to advance biodiversity mainstreaming, which may include assessing the need for an analysis of challenges to biodiversity mainstreaming support and of scientific, technical, technological and institutional capability gaps that may undermine the capacity of countries to support biodiversity mainstreaming, using information from the seventh national reports and from non-governmental actors.