Highlights and images for 7 August 2026

With no Plenary meetings on Friday, the day unfolded behind closed doors as delegates turned their attention to intense contact group negotiations aimed at narrowing differences across six substantive agenda items. Working through bracketed text and competing proposals, the groups focused on finding convergence on issues that will shape the recommendations forwarded to the seventeenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP 17).

Planning, Monitoring, Reporting and Review 

Delegates spent the morning in the Contact Group on planning, monitoring, reporting and review, considering the SBI’s recommendation to COP 17 on the global review of collective progress in the implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF). Among other issues, they discussed the sources of the means of implementation required for the GBF. 

Many delegations underscored the responsibility of developed country Parties to support developing country Parties, while others argued for broadening the contributor base so that any country in a position to do so could provide financial resources. Delegates requested the Contact Group Co-Chairs Sanne Kruid (the Netherlands) and Sivendra Michael (Fiji) to revise the relevant text for further consideration later in the meeting.

Capacity-building

The Contact Group on Capacity-building co-chaired by Holly Kelley-Weil (UK) and Martha Mphatso Kalemba (Malawi) discussed, among other issues, recommendations on strengthening the implementation of the long-term strategic framework for capacity-building. Delegates also considered options for the scope of financial support to advance implementation of the GBF. 

Discussions centered on proposals ranging from continued support for country-driven projects focused on technical and scientific cooperation, technology transfer and capacity-building, to broader approaches that would also finance the establishment and operation of regional and subregional support centres. A further proposal invited the Green Climate Fund to support these centres, recognizing the interdependence of biodiversity and climate action while avoiding double counting between the two financing streams.

Resource Mobilization 

This contact group, co-chaired by Lucretia Landmann (Switzerland) and Francis Ogwal (Uganda), met to consider a non-paper containing the draft recommendation to the COP. They engaged in discussions on the impediments to the effectiveness of global biodiversity finance and elements for its further enhancement, contained in an annex to the recommendation. Working in a collegial atmosphere, they considered how to discuss the indicative, non-exhaustive list, with Co-Chair Ogwal underlining that not all impediments apply to all countries.

Delegates met late into the night in contact groups to negotiate issues related to the Financial Mechanism, Mainstreaming Biodiversity, and Digital Sequence Information.

The meeting will resume on Sunday, 9 August 2026.