October 2013: The Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) has circulated the eighth issue of [square brackets], the CBD newsletter for civil society, with a special focus on enhancing stakeholder engagement and the emergence of biocultural rights under the Nagoya Protocol on access and benefit-sharing (ABS).

The message by CBD Executive Secretary Braulio Ferreira de Souza Dias is titled ‘Enhancing stakeholder engagement.’ Other articles address: the Nagoya Protocol and the emergence of biocultural rights; early lessons on developing a biodiversity strategy and action plan for cities; making a difference for biodiversity through law; the CBD and the post-2015 agenda; decisions of the eleventh meeting of the CBD Conference of the Parties (COP 11) affecting indigenous and local communities; time for the CBD to adopt the term ‘indigenous peoples’; and common targets, diverse approach.

Published by the CBD Secretariat, [square brackets] is a newsletter that aims to present a diversity of civil society opinions. The launch of this issue coincides with the eighth meeting of the CBD Working Group on Article 8(j) (traditional knowledge), held from 7-11 October 2013, and the seventeenth meeting of the CBD Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice (SBSTTA 17), held from 14-18 October 2013, in Montreal, Canada [Publication: [square brackets] Issue 8, October 2013] [IISD RS Coverage of Article 8(j) WG 8 and SBSTTA 17]