Milestone agreements for Indigenous Peoples in CBD COP 16 and 16.2

The 16th Conference of Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (or CBD COP 16) was apparently the largest and the longest running Conference of Parties (COP) of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) yet.

With around 23,000 registered delegates and an excess run time of 14 hours after the planned schedule, the abrupt postponement of the closing plenary of CBD COP 16 was met with confusion and frustration - apart from exhaustion, of course. Part of the exhausted delegations during the closing plenary were Indigenous Peoples - mostly from Colombia and some from other parts of the world - as they watched and listened closely to global negotiations that could affect them when they go back home.

This forthcoming article will reflect on the process and outcomes of COP 16 (and 16.2), and look ahead to what comes next, in terms of Indigenous Peoples’ priorities in the context of the CBD.

Interested in the full article? Check out the next issue of Policy Matters, coming October 2025.