Accelerating the Implementation of the KM-GBF through an Integrated and Synergistic Approach

Date: 07-09 October 2025
Venue: Bangkok, Thailand 

The Asia Pacific Workshop aims to guide countries in integrating the targets of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF) to the National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plans. COBSEA will ensure that the marine and coastal ecosystems priorities are incorporated in this process.

The Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF), adopted by the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) at its fifteenth meeting of the Conference of Parties (COP15) to the Convention provides a comprehensive framework with the overarching vision for human beings to live in harmony with nature by 2050, and a mission to halt and reverse biodiversity loss by 2030. In line with this mission, the KMGBF sets out 23 action-oriented targets to be achieved by 2030, focused on accelerating actions towards conservation, protection and restoration of nature. Following the adoption of the KMGBF in December 2022, Parties to the Convention have been working towards updating and revising their national biodiversity strategies and action plans (NBSAPs) in alignment with the Framework and accelerating their implementation. 

In view of the interconnected nature of global environmental challenges the world is facing as well as their drivers, the KMGBF emphasizes the need for integrated decision- and policy-making at the national level, taking a whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach through active engagement of all key stakeholders across multiple sectors. These stakeholders include, among others, representatives of government agencies dealing with biodiversity, climate change, land degradation, pollution, agriculture, health, economic planning and other sector-specific issues, subnational governments, Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities , civil society organizations, women and youth groups, the private sector, financial institutions and academia, each of which plays an important role in ensuring its successful implementation. 

In this regard, strengthening the nexus between the efforts towards addressing key global challenges, including climate change, biodiversity loss, land degradation, pollution, food security as well as health risks through an integrated and synergetic approach is essential. In this context, countries in  Asia and the Pacific region, in their efforts towards updating and implementing their NBSAPs are increasingly focusing on ensuring their alignments and integration with national policies, strategies, institutional arrangements and programmes related to other thematic issues such as climate change, sustainable food systems, health and others. As part of these efforts, there has been a growing focus on ensuring the alignment between NBSAPs and other strategies such as Nationally Determined Contribution (NDCs),  National Adaptation Plans (NAPs), and One health action plans. 

The importance of an integrated, synergistic approach towards the implementation of the KMGBF and other relevant Multilateral Environmental Agreements has been clearly recognized at various international fora, including at the UN Environment Assembly, which, in its sixth session in 2024 adopted a resolution 6/4 on synergies, cooperation or collaboration for the national implementation of MEAs and a resolution 6/6 highlighting the importance of facilitating the coherent and effective implementation of MEAs at regional and national levels. Under the Bern Process that was initiated in 2019, UNEP, in close collaboration with member states and the MEAs have been facilitating the efforts towards accelerating cooperation and collaborative actions for the successful implementation of MEAs, through facilitating cooperation in implementation, advancing decisions and resolutions of the governing bodies, provision of guidance and capacity building support. In this regard, the KMGBF, which serves as an overarching guiding framework for biodiversity planning and management at the national level, provides a key opportunity and entry point for promoting cooperation among relevant MEAs, not only those that are directly related to biodiversity but also those that are focused on other thematic issues such as climate change, land degradation, pollution, food security, health risks and others. 

However, while the importance of taking an integrated, synergistic approach in implementing MEAs and the KMGBF is increasingly recognized globally, a significant gap continues to exist in terms of practical and actionable approaches that can be followed to ensure integration and synergies at the national level, through active engagement of all relevant stakeholders across multiple sectors and scales. There are opportunities to bring together the representatives of member states in Asia and the Pacific region, key stakeholders and partners, including the CBD mandated subregional technical and scientific cooperation support centres[1], that are involved in the implementation of the KMGBF to share their knowledge and experiences in taking an integrated and synergistic approach in implementing the KMGBF while ensuring mutually supportive implementation of a range of international commitments, highlight successes and remaining challenges, and discuss how member states’ future efforts could be supported by regional partners in a coordinated manner. 

The Asia-Pacific region encompasses a broad range of ecological, economic, and social contexts, from small island developing countries to large and highly populated nations. This diversity brings unique opportunities as well as challenges in advancing the implementation of the KMGBF, including varying capacities, institutional arrangements, and policy priorities. Strengthening regional cooperation and coordination is therefore critical to support tailored and effective approaches that reflect national circumstances while contributing to shared global targets. 

On this basis, the proposed Asia-Pacific workshop will be co-convened by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP),  including UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO),  the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), and the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP). This workshop is followed by a regional dialogue for South and East Asia on biodiversity monitoring and reporting (documents of this dialogue will be issued separately) and a Pacific sub-regional consultation on GBF implementation. These meetings are  financially supported by China, through the China-UNEP Trust Fund.

Objectives

The specific objectives of the workshop include the following:

1. Providing an overview of the status of NBSAP revision and implementation in the Asia-Pacific region, highlighting successful examples of integrated and synergistic implementation, as well as remaining needs and priorities.
2. Promoting knowledge sharing on the interconnections between biodiversity, food systems, health/One Health and climate change, and exchange on policy entry points and synergies across these key sectors as well as relevant MEAs for implementation of NBSAPs and the KMGBF.
3. Facilitating dialogues on regional priorities for integrated and synergistic implementation of the KMGBF and regional support by key partners, including CBD’s Subregional TSCs for future efforts.
4. Develop key messages or regional inputs that can inform future global discussions on the implementation of the KMGBF, including contributions to future MEA COPs or other relevant international processes.
5. Explore opportunities for further work on developing thematic approaches for integrating across policies and actions on biodiversity, food systems, health/One Health and climate change, including NBSAPs.

Expected outcomes

1. Improved understanding on the status and support needs of NBSAP revision and implementation in the Asia-Pacific region, including the information on successful examples on the integrated and synergistic implementation (with focus on the nexus between NBSAPs and policies and strategies related to climate change, food systems and health/One Health, as well as synergies between MEAs).
2. Enhanced understanding on various tools, approaches and support available to assist national level efforts towards integrated and synergistic implementation of KMGBF.
3. Identified remaining needs and priorities, as well as entry points, effective measures and actions at the regional level for further promoting and scaling-up the integrated and synergistic implementation of KMGBF in the future and the identification of regional support by partners.
4. Strengthened regional sharing and exchange of knowledge and experiences among relevant stakeholders on an integrated and synergistic approach in implementing the KMGBF (with a focus on biodiversity, food systems, health/One Health, climate change as well as synergies between MEAs).
5. Development of key messages or regional recommendations that may inform global processes such as global review to be undertaken at CBD COP17 or other relevant international discussions.
6. Identification of potential areas for further analytical work, including the development of thematic approaches that capture the nexus of relevant fields.

More information here: https://www.cbd.int/meetings/IMP-WS-2025-01