Partnerships as the Real Infrastructure of Biodiversity Monitoring

The second Traditional Knowledge Indicators (TKI) Workshop held in Cambridge, United Kingdom, from 29 to 31 January 2026 convened representatives of governments, Indigenous Peoples’ organizations, United Nations agencies, research institutions, and civil society partners to advance rights-based biodiversity monitoring under the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KM-GBF). 

Organized by the United Nations Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre  (UNEP-WCMC), Forest Peoples Programme (FPP), and the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), the workshop served as a platform for the exchange of national experiences across the full suite of TKI – including Headline Indicator 22.1 (HI22.1) on land-use change and land tenure, Indicator 9.2 on traditional occupations, and monitoring linked to the Gender Plan of Action (GPA). Contributions from the represented countries – Kenya, Cameroon, Finland, and the Philippines – underscored both notable progress and persistent structural challenges in translating global biodiversity commitments into measurable and coherent national implementation. 

The discussions underscored a clear and consistent message: biodiversity monitoring is increasingly focused not on generating entirely new datasets, but on responsibly connecting existing knowledge systems in ways that are credible, coherent and scalable. Participants emphasized the importance of strengthening linkages among Community-Based Monitoring and Information Systems (CBMIS), national statistical systems and global reporting processes to ensure more inclusive and effective implementation of the KM-GBF. 

Through the AIM4Forests programme, FAO’s Land Tenure Team continues to advance the methodological development and operationalization of Headline Indicator 22.1, linking it with Targets 2 (Restore 30% of all degraded ecosystems by 2030) and 3 (Conserve 30% of Land, Waters and Seas by 2030) of the KM-GBF, in collaboration with partners such as the International Land Coalition (ILC), World Resources Institute (WRI) and FPP.  

These efforts aim to reinforce national capacity building towards reporting pathways, enhance the visibility of land and tenure systems in biodiversity conservation, and the interoperability of CBMIS and official data within global land-use and biodiversity monitoring frameworks. 

In this context, partnerships were recognized as the operational backbone of effective biodiversity monitoring. Sustained investment in coordination mechanisms, inclusive data governance and methodological clarity will be essential to ensure that the KM-GBF translates into tangible and equitable outcomes on the ground. 

Next steps

Building on workshop outcomes, FAO, ILC, WRI, and FPP, are refining the methodology for computing (HI22.1). This will ensure methodological rigor while maintaining the flexibility needed for countries to report effectively within diverse national data infrastructure and governance contexts. 

This will feed into the intergovernmental review processes during the 28th meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice (SBSTTA-28), expected to take place in Nairobi in July 2026. The methodological review follows the request issued through CBD Notification 2025-046, which invited Parties and Indigenous Peoples and local communities to submit inputs and relevant information to strengthen the methodological framework for the indicator. 

Through the AIM4Forests programme, FAO and partners will also strengthen engagement with national and local stakeholders in Kenya, Philippines, Peru, and Brazil among others, to support capacity-building on monitoring Targets 2, 3, and 22 of the KM-GBF.  

In this context, a Kenya National Data Mapping and Validation Workshop on HI22.1 and related KM-GBF targets is planned for the second quarter of 2026, bringing together government institutions, Indigenous Peoples’ organizations, and technical partners to advance multi-stakeholder monitoring platforms. 

These efforts will be sustained by a growing community of practice that seeks to facilitate knowledge exchanges and practical learning among Indigenous Peoples and traditional community organizations globally.