28th Meeting of the CBD Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical, and Technological Advice (SBSTTA 28) and 7th Meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Implementation (SBI 7)

The 2030 targets of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) have now reached the midway point since their adoption at the 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD COP15). The recently completed global midterm review was conducted in fulfillment of the Global Review Process, also adopted at COP 15. 

The Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice (SBSTTA) and the Subsidiary Body on Implementation (SBI) are both permanent subsidiary bodies of the CBD. SBSTTA provides scientific, technical and technological advice, while the SBI reviews the implementation progress of the Convention and its Protocols and provides recommendations to strengthen implementation. 

At their upcoming meetings, SBSTTA 28 and SBI 7 will both consider the findings of the global midterm review of the GBF and provide advice and recommendations that will inform negotiations at CBD COP 17 to be held in October 2026 in Yerevan, Armenia.

SBSTTA 28 will will also consider a range of other scientific, technical and technological matters, including:

• the monitoring framework for the GBF;
• review of the scientific findings from the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) recent assessments;
• thematic action plan in the context of synthetic biology;
• global guidance for the sustainable management of wildlife;
• strategic review and draft updates to the programme of work on protected areas; and
• voluntary guidelines on peer-review processes for updating ecologically or biologically significant marine areas (EBSAs).

SBI 7, which follows immediately after SBSTTA 28, will consider a range of other implementation-related matters, including:

• resource mobilization and the financial mechanism;
• modalities for fair and equitable sharing of benefits from the use of digital sequence information (DSI) on genetic resources, including the Cali Fund;
• the fifth assessment and review of the effectiveness of the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety;
• second assessment and review of the effectiveness of the Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and the Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits Arising from Their Utilization;
• review of the role of subnational governments, cities and local authorities in implementation of CBD, its Protocols and the GBF;
• implementation aspects of the thematic action plan on synthetic biology;
• engagement with subnational governments, cities and local authorities in implementation of the CBD, its Protocols and the GBF;
• communication, education and public awareness; and
• administrative and budgetary matters.

SBSTTA 28 will be held from 27 July to 1 August 2026 at the UN Office in Nairobi. This will be followed by the SBI 7 from 4 to 12 August 2026.

SBSTTA 28 will be preceded by three information workshops on: the global report on collective progress in the implementation of the GBF; the assessment on business and biodiversity recently completed by IPBES; and the outcomes of the Ad Hoc Technical Expert Group on Synthetic Biology. 

An informal dialogue on Article 8(j) and other provisions of the CBD related to Indigenous Peoples and local communities will take place immediately after the SBI 7 meeting. 

The Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB) writers for this meeting are Wanja Nyingi, Ph.D.; Daniel Bertram, Ph.D.; Christina Fernandez; and Tallash Kantai. The Digital Editor is Danny Skilton. The Editor is Pam Chasek, Ph.D.