COP17 agrees operating rules for biodiversity body focused on Indigenous and local participation

What you need to know

• The operating rules formalise the body’s functions and participation arrangements. The CBD Secretariat calls them the Sevan Guidelines. 34
• The subsidiary body is a Party-led forum. It advises the Conference of the Parties and other CBD bodies on matters relevant to Indigenous peoples and local communities; the new arrangements do not transfer final decision-making authority from Parties. 13
• The body’s establishment and its first meeting pre-date COP17. COP16 established it in Cali, Colombia, on 1 November 2024, and it met for the first time in Panama City from 27 to 30 October 2025. 12
• Negotiations over representation were contested. Reporting says the compromise did not explicitly retain the seven sociocultural regions, a change some Indigenous representatives regretted. 5
• The agreement is a procedural step for participation in biodiversity governance. The available reporting does not show that the rules have yet led to stronger influence over decisions or ecological gains. 34

Why this matters

The rules give a permanent CBD body a defined way to operate and provide advice on issues relevant to Indigenous peoples and local communities. That creates a formal route for participation in the Convention’s work, while leaving final authority with Parties. 13

What happens next

The practical test will be how the arrangements work in future CBD processes: whether participation translates into greater influence, and whether the body receives the funding and logistical support needed to carry out its work. The reporting does not yet answer those questions. 345

What we know

• COP16 established the permanent Subsidiary Body on Article 8(j) in Cali on 1 November 2024. Its mandate is advisory and concerns matters relevant to Indigenous peoples and local communities. 12
• The body held its first meeting in Panama City from 27 to 30 October 2025. 2
• At COP17, Parties agreed operating rules that formalise the body’s functions and participation arrangements. 34
• The body advises the COP and other CBD bodies; Parties retain final decision-making authority. 13

What we don't know

• It remains unclear how the new arrangements will affect Indigenous and local participation in future CBD decisions, or whether that participation will bring greater influence in practice. 45
• The available reporting does not establish whether the body will receive sufficient funding and logistical support to deliver its programme of work. 45
• The sources do not show ecological outcomes resulting from the agreed rules. 34

Read the reporting

This WildNews briefing synthesises and summarises reporting from the sources below. WildNews did not produce the original reporting. Learn more about how we use AI