The Joint Programme of Work on the links between Biological and Cultural Diversity under the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework: Transforming Relationships

The Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework is a landmark in making the connection between human rights, cultural diversity and conservation of nature. For many Indigenous Peoples and local communities, formal nature conservation has a legacy of land expropriation, unequal power relations, sometimes associated with colonial disruptions and forms of exclusion which have had a negative impact on Indigenous knowledge, cultures, languages and governance systems. 

During 2024, UNESCO and partners engaged in a series of dialogues with Indigenous Peoples regarding the Joint Programme of Work on the links between biological and cultural diversity, a component of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. 

This article highlights what is anticipated in the KM-GBF that would support both cultural diversity and biological diversity, as well as how different institutions are positioned to jointly achieve such transformation. It explores relationships, past and present, and considers necessary elements for a shared approach to caring for the planet and cultural diversity within the framework of the Convention on Biological Diversity and UNESCO designated sites.

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