16 May - 13 June 2021 virtual
Third Meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Implementation of the CBD

In Decision XII/12, the Conference of the Parties (COP) to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) established the Subsidiary Body on Implementation (SBI) to replace the Ad Hoc Open-ended Working Group on Review of Implementation of the Convention, with the terms of reference contained in the annex to decision XII/26.

The four functions and core areas of work of SBI consist of: (a) review of progress in implementation; (b) strategic actions to enhance implementation; (c) strengthening means of implementation; and (d) operations of the convention and the Protocols. The Bureau of the COP serves as the Bureau of the SBI.

SBI-3 aims to adopt conference room papers (CRPs) on the following agenda items:

  • Assessment and review of the effectiveness of the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety
  • The post-2020 global biodiversity framework
  • Resource mobilization and the financial mechanism
  • Capacity-building, technical and scientific cooperation, technology transfer, knowledge management, and communication
  • Cooperation with other conventions, international organizations and initiatives
  • Mechanisms for reporting, assessment and review of implementation
  • Review of the effectiveness of the processes under the Convention and its protocols
  • Mainstreaming of biodiversity within and across sectors and other strategic actions to enhance implementation
  • Specialized international access and benefit-sharing instruments (Article 4.4 of the Nagoya Protocol)
  • Global multilateral benefit-sharing mechanism (Article 10 of the Nagoya Protocol)
  • Administrative and budgetary matters

Plenaries will convene on 16-18 May, 28-30 May, and 11-13 June. Sessions will last three hours, from 7:00 – 10:00 am Montreal time (GMT-4). Adoption of final draft decision documents (L documents) will be deferred until an in-person meeting can be held, unless the Bureau decides otherwise.

The second meeting of the SBI (SBI 2) took place from 9-13 July 2018 in Montreal, Canada. The SDG Knowledge Hub summary of SBI 2 is here. SBI 1 was held on 2-6 May 2016, in Montreal, Canada. The SDG Knowledge Hub summary of SBI 1 is here.

SBI 3 was scheduled to convene from 25-29 May, in conjunction with the 24th meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice (SBSTTA) of the CBD. In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, the meetings were postponed and adjusted several times.

The Secretariat announced on 24 August 2020 that the meeting would be held in the first quarter of 2021, “conditions allowing.” In preparation for the subsidiary body meetings, the Secretariat organized a series of special virtual sessions of SBSTTA and SBI on 15-18 September 2020. 

These meetings will prepare for the UN Biodiversity Conference (CBD COP 15), which was originally scheduled to take place in October 2020. It is now expected to take place in October 2021. 

dates: 16 May – 13 June 2021
location: virtual
www: https://www.cbd.int/meetings/SBI-03




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