The story so far: A symposium on the rights of indigenous people organised by the University of Arizona on March 21-22 put the spotlight on the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) and how, in conjunction with the Forest (Conservation) Amendment Act of 2023, it will hit India’s tribes the hardest. Many at the symposium foresaw doom for the country’s indigenous communities already affected by the establishment of national parks.
What is the Kunming-Montreal GBF?
This framework was adopted during the 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties, or COP15, to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity in December 2022 following a four-year consultation and negotiation process. It claims to support the achievement of the sustainable development goals and build on previous strategic plans, paving “an ambitious pathway to reach the global vision of a world living in harmony with nature by 2050.” Accordingly, four goals were set for 2050 and 23 targets for 2030 toward planning, monitoring, reporting and reviewing implementation, organising finance, and drawing up strategies for capacity development, technical and scientific cooperation, and an agreement on digital sequence information on genetic resources. In adopting the GBF, all parties committee to setting national targets to implement it. Participating at the event, New Delhi-based rights activist Suhas Chakma drew the attention of environmentalists and leaders of indigenous communities to Target 3 of the Kunming-Montreal GBF, which aims to “increase terrestrial, inland water, and of coastal and marine areas, especially areas of particular importance for biodiversity and ecosystem functions and services” to at least 30% of the world’s terrestrial area. At present, protected areas (PAs) cover about 16%.
