Indigenous Leaders Hopeful After UN Biodiversity Negotiations in Rome

The 16th Conference of the Parties (COP16) to the United Nations with respect to biodiversity ended in Rome on 28 February 2025 after a series of last-minute negotiations following a resumed session from a former meeting in Cali, Colombia. The gathering was historic for Indigenous peoples and local communities, particularly through the endorsement of a new program of work on traditional knowledge and bringing them into the decision-making.

The initial round of negotiations was conducted in Cali in October 2024, where there was a historic signing of an agreement on involving Indigenous peoples in conservation policy. However, the pending budgetary commitments resulted in the prolongation of negotiations, which were subsequently concluded in Rome. One of the most important results was the creation of the Cali Fund for the Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits from the Use of Digital Sequence Information on Genetic Resources (DSI). The fund will receive donations from industries like pharmaceuticals and bio-agriculture that utilize genetic information for commercial use. Fifty percent of the resources of the fund will go to projects that are identified by Indigenous peoples and local communities.

The Cali session was abruptly ended since budget objectives that would facilitate global biodiversity objectives were yet unsettled. But in Rome, budget commitments were set, though there is uncertainty whether the ambitious 2030 biodiversity targets would be achieved. The finance issue is especially vital since United States financial contributions would decrease after the US Agency for International Development was restructured.

Another significant occurrence at COP16 was the establishment of indicators for monitoring progress for indigenous biodiversity. States are now required to report each year on a range of targets, from ecosystem restoration to species conservation and the involvement of Indigenous peoples, women, and youth. Indigenous peoples are to be at the center of this monitoring process, especially for the projects supported by the Cali Fund.

Indigenous peoples have been prominent drivers of biodiversity defense for generations yet have contributed sparingly to the world's decision-making process. Governments and other international bodies made money commitments early on but paid them little but lip service. Fortune finally broke, however, at COP15 in Montreal during 2022 when the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework was constructed. This collection of guidelines had certain objectives, including Target 22, which demands the involvement of Indigenous peoples in conservation efforts and their land tenure rights as part of biodiversity conservation.

An Indigenous working group was also established to solidify the commitment of incorporating Indigenous peoples into future conservation. The establishment of Indigenous land rights as a conservation method is a major milestone, guaranteeing that Indigenous communities continue to use and conserve their ancestral lands.

The Rome negotiations also touched on the role of DSI in conservation funding. Genetic breakthroughs allowed companies to leverage valuable information obtained from nature species, which led to commercial products used in the sectors of medicine, agriculture, and biotechnology. But they have historically been the beneficiaries of biodiversity without paying their own share for maintaining it. Now, with the new deal, firms that are availing themselves of DSI advantages will have to contribute part of their revenues or profits into the Cali Fund, which is managed by the UN. While the contributions are still theoretically voluntary, the wording of the accord reinforces expectations that industries would comply.

Though the Cali Fund is now depleted, if corporations hold to the contribution strategy, it can be approximated to contribute $1 billion every year. This will be a regular source of funding for conservation, which will lower government contributions, unequal in the past. Native communities will gain significantly because half the fund's resources will flow directly into projects handpicked and run by them.

Their success now rests in proper implementation and oversight. Having clear guidelines that will see the money well spent and that reaches Indigenous individuals in fact will be important. Second is to translate these commitments into action through concrete action at the national level so that resources are delivered to Indigenous individuals they have been promised.

The COP16 outcomes have been welcomed by Indigenous leaders, who view this as a step forward towards more active participation and endorsement of their own conservation initiatives. Acknowledgement of their contribution to biodiversity conservation, together with financial tools such as the Cali Fund, can potentially bring significant change towards meeting international biodiversity targets. However, long-term success will rest on sustained effort from governments, business, and international institutions.

Source: Mongabay