The European Commission's Knowledge Centre for Biodiversity participation at CBD COP17

The Joint Research Centre (JRC) will join the European Delegation and support the work of the European Commission at the Seventeenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD COP17) in Yerevan, Armenia from 19-30 October 2026.

Representatives of the European Commission's Knowledge Centre for Biodiversity (EC KCBD), hosted at the JRC, will support the negotiations and participate to side events.

The EC KCBD coordinates the technical and scientific development of the EU Monitoring Plan to track implementation progress of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF). It also coordinates the European Technical and Scientific Cooperation support Centre (TSCC) in partnership with the Centre for Mediterranean Cooperation of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN Med) and the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences (RBINS) as part of the international Technical and Scientific Cooperation mechanism. This mechanism comprises a network of regional and/or subregional support centres coordinated by a global coordination entity (GCE).

Key events that EC KCBD will organise and/or participate in during COP17 are:

• 19 October 2026 - The European and Central Asia Technical and Scientific Cooperation support Centres (TSCC) side event

The Event is organised by the European Commission through its Knowledge Centre for Biodiversity Secretariat at the JRC, in partnership with IUCN Med and RBINS, presenting the functioning of both European and Central Asia TSCC and showing the KCBD’s work on developing and managing the EU KMGBF Monitoring Plan. Short presentations will be followed by a panel session showcasing selected pilot Knowledge hubs (one on alien invasive species led by the EC KCBD EASIN's team, one led by EEA and IUCN on protected areas, and one on the capacity building targets of the KMGBF led by the European TSCC coordination group).

If you would like to attend this event, follow the WebEx link: https://ecconf.webex.com/ecconf/j.php?MTID=m8f9190276cb25ec952216c8831966c16

• 20 October 2026 - Pan-European Biodiversity Knowledge for Global Biodiversity Framework Action side event

The conservation of biological diversity and the sustainable use of its components are the core objectives of the Convention on Biological Diversity. Reliable data and robust assessments are essential for informing conservation action and measuring progress towards biodiversity objectives.

• 21 October 2026 - Scaling up KM-GBF monitoring: Earth Observation and digital platforms as enablers for NBSAP development, monitoring and reporting side event

Putting the KMGBF into practice requires long-term technical solutions that translate complex datasets into workflows that countries can actually use for national reporting. This side event explores how advanced satellite Earth Observation (EO) technologies and digital data platforms can directly support countries in streamlining their National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAP) reporting obligations.

• 22 October 2026 - Accelerating KMGBF Implementation through the CBD’s Technical and Scientific Cooperation Mechanism: Connecting Partners through an Interactive Networking side event

A dynamic side event to experience the TSCC Mechanism in action and explore how it is accelerating implementation of the KMGBF. Bringing together TSCCs from all regions, the session will showcase concrete progress, regional priorities, and emerging opportunities for collaboration.

• 24 October 2026 - Biodiversity Capacity-Building and Development Forum

The Forum will be organized in collaboration with the Government of Armenia, the NBSAP Accelerator Partnership, the TSCCs servicing countries in Europe and Central Asia, other UN agencies and partner organizations. The EC KCBD is involved in the round tables upon invitation from the CBD Secretariat.

• 24-25 October 2026 - Seventh Science-Policy Forum for Biodiversity & Tenth International Conference on Sustainability Science

The Seventh Science-Policy Forum for Biodiversity will coincide with the Forum’s twentieth anniversary and align with the COP17 theme, “Taking Action for Nature - a global shift from words to action, from awareness to responsibility.” The Forum will therefore focus on practical pathways through which knowledge can support implementation, mainstreaming, accountability and transformative change.

You can also meet with us at our exhibition booths:

• 19 October 2026 - TSCC exhibition booth for the European and American TSCCs

• 16-28 October 2026 - everyday from 12:00-13:00 local time - EU SPI (Science Policy Interface) with the support of the COOP4CBD project.