Historic UN Body Formed to Elevate Indigenous Role in Global Biodiversity Governance

The United Nations has taken a landmark step toward integrating indigenous peoples and local communities into global biodiversity governance with the inaugural meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Article 8(j) and Other Provisions of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). The four-day session, held in Panama City from October 27 to 30, marked the first time indigenous representatives have been granted formal participation in a subsidiary body under any multilateral environmental treaty.

A New Phase of Environmental Democracy

Opening the session, Irene Vélez Torres, Colombia’s Minister of Environment and Sustainable Development and President of the Conference of the Parties (COP), called the creation of the new Subsidiary Body “an unprecedented step toward greater environmental democracy.” She emphasized that this initiative would ensure full and effective participation of indigenous peoples and local communities (IPLCs) in implementing the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF).

Bridging Science and Ancestral Wisdom

Panama’s Environment Minister Juan Carlos Navarro welcomed participants to “the ancestral lands and waters of Panama’s indigenous peoples,” highlighting that “there is no conservation without rights, and no sustainability without justice.” He said the Subsidiary Body should serve as a bridge between modern science and ancestral wisdom and pay “a historic debt” by recognizing indigenous custodians of biodiversity as full partners in decision-making.

CBD Executive Secretary Astrid Schomaker called the meeting a “watershed moment” for the Convention, thanking donor countries and indigenous groups for ensuring inclusive participation. She underscored that success would be measured by “real outcomes on the ground — stronger communities and restored ecosystems.”

Structuring Participation and Work

During the organizational session, the Subsidiary Body elected Jonas Komi Anthé of Togo as Rapporteur and confirmed the CBD Bureau to oversee proceedings. Representatives from seven indigenous regions — Africa, Arctic, Asia, the Pacific, and others — were invited as “friends of the Bureau,” with Gunn-Britt Retter of the Sámi Council (Norway) serving as Indigenous Co-Chair.

In a symbolic address, Retter quoted Sámi poet Nils-Aslak Valkeapää: “The land is different when you know there are roots, ancestors.” Her words reflected the meeting’s deeper mission — embedding lived experience and intergenerational stewardship into global biodiversity governance.

From Vision to Implementation

Delegates began detailed discussions on key agenda items, including developing guidelines to integrate traditional land use and resource management into environmental impact assessments and spatial planning. The body also debated the modus operandi — the working procedures that will define how indigenous and state representatives jointly craft recommendations for future COP sessions.

A significant focus was the mobilization of resources and capacity-building for IPLCs, particularly women and youth, to ensure equitable access to biodiversity financing. Panelists from the Global Environment Facility, UNDP, and the International Union for Conservation of Nature stressed the need for direct funding channels that empower local custodians rather than intermediaries.

Towards Inclusive Global Governance

The meeting also initiated work on updating the Voluntary Glossary of Key Terms relating to Article 8(j) to reflect evolving concepts of traditional knowledge and collective rights. Delegates exchanged views on how to align indigenous definitions with the technical language of the Kunming-Montreal GBF.

In closing remarks, participants agreed that the establishment of this Subsidiary Body is more than procedural — it is transformative. By granting equal space to indigenous voices in global decision-making, the CBD has positioned itself at the forefront of what observers called a “new model of environmental multilateralism.”

The draft report of the meeting, including recommendations on financial mechanisms and participatory governance structures, will be finalized for submission to the seventeenth Conference of the Parties in 2026.