From 20-24 October 2025 the 27th meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice (SBSTTA-27) to the Convention on Biological Diversity (UN CBD) took place  in Panama City, Panama, back to back with the First meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Article 8(j) and Other Provisions of the Convention on Biological Diversity Related to Indigenous Peoples and Local communities (SB8J-1).

This year’s SBSTTA aimed to provide the Conference of the Parties (COP) with science-based advice for achieving the world biodiversity goals, as the focus this year was on supporting the utilisation and monitoring of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KM-GBF). As a result, an outline of the global report on collective progress in the implementation of the KM-GBF was developed. Additionally, there were several proposals for the CBD processes to become more evidence-based and less politicised.

During the conference numerous side events were held. One of them, titled “Enhancing the role of knowledge holders in CBD: pioneering capacity-building initiatives across the world”, was co-hosted by CO-OP4CBD and Biodiversa+.

On 24 October at 13:15 GMT-5 this joint side event gathered experts in the NGOs Group meeting room to share useful tools and methods for improving the integration of knowledge into the policymaking process, in the context of the UN CBD.

At the meeting, various capacity-building initiatives were showcased with talks about the mobilisation of the indigenous knowledge holders and the perspectives from Armenia, which will host next year’s COP17. For the first time, representatives from the TSC centers from Europe, Africa, Asia and South America had the opportunity to exchange their experience.

The highlight of the side event was the presentation of the guide to CBD processes, providing tools and strategies answering the capacity building needs in the context of the UN CBD, co-developed by CO-OP4CBD and Biodiversa+.

The meeting concluded with an open discussion and encouraging remarks about the improvement of the science-policy interface.

Read more about the side event here: https://www.cbd.int/side-events/6776