The Alliance in the Blue Zone at COP16

The 16th Conference of the Parties (CBD COP 16) to the UN Biodiversity Convention will take place in Cali, Colombia, from October 21 to November 1, 2024.
Key negotiations and dialogues among member countries and accredited observers will be held in the Blue Zone, which will also host plenary sessions, official side events, pavilion events, as well as bilateral and multilateral meetings.
The Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT will be involved in several key events, including:
October 21, 2024
Sealing the deal on DSI Access and Benefit Sharing: a critical review of COP 16’s options from the perspective of agricultural R&D

Peter Wenzl
Leader, Genetic Resources Program
Marcela Quintero
Associate Director General, Research Strategy, and Innovation
Mathieu Rouard
Senior Scientist - Plant genomics and bioinformatics
Michael Halewood
Genetic Resources and Seed Systems Policies Team LeaderScientists from national and international agricultural research organizations will describe how DSI is being in efforts to conserve agrobiodiversity and make plant breeding more efficient and effective. Policy experts will then consider options for the multilateral benefit-sharing mechanism that will support the projected increased use of DSI in the future, and substantially increase benefit-sharing.
October 22, 2024
From deserts and rainforests to the Svalbard Global Seed Vault– genebanks’ role in conserving and promoting a sustainable use of genetic resources

Peter Wenzl
Leader, Genetic Resources ProgramIn the best of worlds, genetic resources would be safeguarded in nature and allowed to thrive and contribute to a sustainable development without risk. However, in reality ex situ conservation is needed to minimize the loss of valuable genetic diversity. But how do we make sure that genebanks are not just seed museums? How do we promote a sustainable use of the genetic resources that genebanks conserve? In this discussion, we share info on how genebanks work and why safety backup of seeds in the Arctic is an important part of the puzzle.
Maximizing DSI benefit-sharing from the Multilateral Mechanism

Michael Halewood
Genetic Resources and Seed Systems Policies Team LeaderThis side event will present non-commercial researchers’ perspectives on opportunities to improve the quality and quantity of benefits, maximise societal impact from DSI benefit-sharing, support the Global Biodiversity Framework, and more ensure equitable benefit-sharing.
October 23, 2024
The CBD Initiative on Biodiversity for Food and Nutrition: a catalyst for the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework

Carlo Fadda
Director, AgrobiodiversityThis side event presents a first opportunity for member states and partner organizations to reflect on past actions of the CBD's Initiative on Biodiversity for Food and Nutrition (established in 2006) and the best way to move forward over the coming years. A revived and supported Initiative, developed in the context of the CBD’s existing Programme of Work on Agricultural Biodiversity, can contribute to achieving more than half of the CBD’s Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework targets, as well as other key initiatives and actions in including the Global Action Plan on Biodiversity and Health and other global food, climate and environmental goals.
October 24, 2024
Leveraging nature positive agriculture to achieve sustainable food systems and meet multiple GBF targets

Carlo Fadda
Director, Agrobiodiversity
Sebastien Carpentier
Principal Scientist, Banana Program Leader
Javier Mateo-Vega
Trustee, Bioversity International USAThis side event aims to present the main pillars and benefits of adopting a nature-positive agriculture and its contributions to achieving the GBF. The session will showcase examples of how this approach can be implemented across countries and adapted to local conditions and cultures, while maintaining the four pillars. Examples include work on banana diversity evaluation, promotion and production, small roots and tubers in Colombia, intercropping in Kenya, local specialty mango in India and circular economy, among others.
Planetary Health and International Law: DSI Coherence in a Time of ABS Fragmentation

Michael Halewood
Genetic Resources and Seed Systems Policies Team LeaderThis panel will discuss how a COP16 DSI decision could more largely influence approaches to ABS across international law. Convening experts from across all four forementioned negotiations, panelists will attempt to resolve the issue of how to best bring about coherence for digital sequence information. With the goal of robust, coordinated and coherent implementation for any reformed ABS mechanism, this panel will articulate why this science-policy interface is essential for biodiversity governance, health governance, ocean governance, and beyond.
October 25, 2024
Montpellier Process: Pooling Collective Intelligence for Action

Carolina Navarrete Frías
Senior Advisor on Environmental Policy and BiodiversityThe Montpellier Process invites actors from cities, national governments, and trade on the front line of implementing food system interventions to share successes and challenges in using available science to achieve global goals including those articulated in the Kunming Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KM-GBF).
October 26, 2024
Transforming Agri-food Systems for People and Nature: from a new narrative to a new reality. Best cases and pathways for transformative change
By exploring the interconnectedness of agri-food systems and biodiversity, this session will focus on: the role of knowledge systems and practices in creating alternative pathways for agri-food production, distribution and consumption; the contribution of indigenous peoples, afrodescendants and local communities, especially women, to inventing new models. CGIAR speaker: Cargele Masso.
October 28, 2024
Momentum for Target 16: Enhancing collective action to reduce the global footprint of consumption equitably

Gina Kennedy
Principal ScientistThe side-event will focus on how the commitment to reduce the global footprint by 2030 and significantly reduce overconsumption in an equitable manner can be integrated adequately in NBSAPs. The side event will also provide an opportunity to discuss how actions by multiple players can accelerate progress on Target 16.
WHEN |
WHERE | STREAMING | TITLE | SPEAKERS |
22 October 2024 11:30 – 13:00 |
GBF Pavilion | NBSAPs DAY - Turning NBSAPs into reality | Marcela Quintero | |
22 October 2024 11:30 – 13:00 |
CGIAR Pavilion | Making agroecosystem living labs (ALLs) work for the national biodiversity strategies and action plans (NBSAPs) | Marcela Quintero | |
22 October 2024 13:30 - 15:00 |
Colombian Pavilion | El mecanismo multilateral sobre DSI: ¿Cómo hacerlo realidad? | Michael Halewood | |
22 October 2024 14:00 – 15:30 |
CGIAR Pavilion | Mitigating the Agricultural Drivers of Biodiversity Loss | Carlo Fadda, Wei Zhang | |
23 October 2024 9:00 – 10:30 |
Peru Pavilion | Gestión Sostenible de la Agrobiodiversidad | Marleni Ramirez | |
23 October 2024 9:30 – 11:00 |
CGIAR Pavilion | Livestreaming | Communities Leading the Way: Partnering with Nature-Dependent Communities for the Conservation of Biodiversity-Rich Landscapes in Latin America |
Manuel Narjes |
23 October 2024 11:30 - 13:00 |
CGIAR Pavilion | Livestreaming | The role of women in peacebuilding and biodiversity conservation: integrated approaches to community resilience | Deissy Martinez, Lisset Perez, Charlotte Pennel |
23 October 2024 13:15 – 14:45 |
Peru Pavilion | In situ conservation of Agrobiodiversity: contribution to food security | Marleni Ramirez | |
23 October 2024 14:00 – 15:30 |
CGIAR Pavilion | Livestreaming | Biodiversity, gender and ethnicity | Mónica Chavarro |
23 October 2024 14:00 – 17:00 |
China Pavilion | You are what you eat: supporting the food aspirations of the Pastos of Cumbal, Colombia | Marleni Ramirez | |
23 October 2024 16:00 – 17:30 |
CGIAR Pavilion | Livestreaming | Achieving Target 23: Identifying effective approaches for the gender-responsive implementation of the KM-GBF | |
24 October 2024 12:00 – 13:00 |
Colombian Pavilion | Food Systems and Agrobiodiversity: An Intercultural Approach (Crop Trust event) | Carolina Navarrete | |
24 October 2024 14:00 – 15:30 |
CGIAR Pavilion | Livestreaming | Making The Case For Ecological Benefits: A Common Language For Nature-Positive Solutions | Carlo Fadda, Marleni Ramirez |
24 October 2024 16:00 – 17:30 |
CGIAR Pavilion | Livestreaming | Impact Investment Models and Partnerships for Biodiversity Conservation in the Amazon and beyond | Bernardo Caldas, Mayesse de Silva |
24 October 2024 16:30 – 17:45 |
Netherlands Pavilion | The Agroecology Opportunity: an investment in biodiversity, water, climate, soil, and community security and resilience | Marcela Quintero | |
24 October 2024 17:00 – 17:50 |
GBF Pavilion | HEALTH DAY - Unlocking synergies: Leveraging food systems to advance the health-biodiversity nexus | Carlo Fadda | |
25 October 2024 8:30 – 9:30 |
EU Pavilion | Montpellier Process: use case dialogue: countries food system pathways | ||
25 October 2024 14:00 – 15:30 |
CGIAR Pavilion | Livestreaming | Harnessing agroecology, agrobiodiversity and family farming to transform food systems and halt biodiversity loss | Jonathan Mockshell |
25 October 2024 16:00 – 17:30 |
CGIAR Pavilion | Livestreaming | Integrating Soil Health, Livestock and Crop Management, Nutrition, and Biodiversity for Sustainable Agriculture | Marcela Quintero, Juan Andres Cardoso |
26 October 2024 8:30 – 9:30 |
EU Pavilion | Boosting food systems transformation: Linking Rural Communities to GBF Implementation and Peace with Nature Synergies | ||
26 October 2024 9:30 – 11:00 |
CGIAR Pavilion | Livestreaming | Leveraging human-centered Artificial Intelligence to enhance achievement of the GBF at the national level | |
26 October 2024 11:30 – 13:00 |
CGIAR Pavilion | Livestreaming | Harvesting Solutions: Aligning NBSAPs and NDCs for Climate and Biodiversity Benefits | Deissy Martinez |
27 October 2024 15:30 – 16:30 |
Nature Positive Pavilion | Boosting NBSAPs through agroecology - launch of a new Guidance Tool (also launch of the Agroecology Handbook) | Marcela Quintero, Jonathan Mockshell | |
27 October 2024 15:30 – 16:55 |
Science Policy Forum | Presidency event: A scientists’ view on Digital Sequence Information and Access and Benefit Sharing (Science- Policy Forum) | Claudio Chiarolla | |
27 October 2024 15.30 – 17:00 |
EU pavilion | Lessons learnt from DeSIRA projects on new research pathways to support biodiversity through agroecological innovations in agriculture and food systems. | Marcela Quintero | |
27 October 2024 16:30 – 18:00 |
Science Policy Forum | Presidency event: Environmental Peace: Pathways to Foster Just Transitions Towards Sustainability (Science- Policy Forum) | Augusto Castro, Janelle Sylvester | |
28 October 2024 9:30 – 10:30 |
CGIAR Pavilion | Livestreaming | Peace with Nature: A Pathway to Achieving the Global Biodiversity Framework Goals and Beyond |
Mary Ngaiwi, Augusto Castro, Janelle Sylvester, Cargele Masso, Eliza Villarino, Marcela Quintero
|
28 October 2024 10:30-11:30 |
CGIAR Pavilion | Livestreaming |
Research Roadmap: Biodiversity and Climate Action for Environmental Peacebuilding |
Lisset Perez, Leonardo Medina |
28 October 2024 11:30 - 12:30 |
CGIAR Pavilion | Peace for Nature: Integrating Biodiversity Conservation, Climate Action, and Peacebuilding for Global Resilience | Augusto Castro, Janelle Sylvester | |
28 October 2024 11:40 - 13:00 |
Marie Khan Women's Caucus meeting room Plaza One |
Momentum for Target 16: Enhancing collective action to reduce the global footprint of consumption equitably | Gina Kennedy | |
28 October 2024 12:30 – 13:30 |
CGIAR Pavilion | Livestreaming |
Translating Evidence into Solutions: Biodiversity and Climate Action for Environmental Peacebuilding | |
28 October 2024 14:00 – 15:30 |
CGIAR Pavilion | Livestreaming | Building Ecosystem and Social Resilience as a strategy for environmental crime prevention? A critical panel discussion on the Amazon | Julian Higuera-Florez, Leonardo Medina |
28 October 2024 14:15 - 15:45 |
IUCN Pavilion | Harnessing agroecology, agrobiodiversity and family farming to transform food systems and halt biodiversity loss | Marcela Quintero | |
28 October 2024 14:30 – 16:00 |
GBF Pavilion | Food day – Biodiversity for food and nutrition | Juan Lucas Restrepo | |
28 October 2024 16:00 – 17:30 |
CGIAR Pavilion | Livestreaming | Food Systems for People and Planet: How True Cost Accounting can offer a Roadmap toward Solutions | Carlo Fadda, Juan Lucas Restrepo |
28 October 2024 17:45 – 19:15 |
CGIAR Pavilion | Livestreaming | Empowering communities to restore land and biodiversity through incentives and digital innovation | |
28 October 2024 18:00 – 19:15 |
Netherland Pavilion | The Montpellier Process - Use case dialogue international trade policies | ||
29 October 2024 |
CGIAR Pavilion | TARGET 3 DAY | ||
29 October 2024 9:30 – 11:00 |
CGIAR Pavilion | Livestreaming | Periodic Table of Food Initiative: Mapping Food Quality of the Planet’s Edible Biodiversity for Human and Planetary Health |
Juan Lucas Restrepo Maya Rajasehkaran Gina Kennedy (moderator) Jenny gallo (postdoc fellow) |
29 October 2024 11:30 – 13:00 |
CGIAR Pavilion | Livestreaming | Health, biodiversity and climate change in Latin America and the Caribbean: a discussion of a current problem for a better future | Camilo Barrios |
29 October 2024 15:30 – 17:00 |
Eu Pavilion | Lessons learned on the potential of inclusive commodity traceability systems for protecting the Great Forests of Mesoamerica. | Brian King | |
29 October 2024 16:00 – 17:30 |
CGIAR Pavilion | Livestreaming | Enhancing Agrobiodiversity and Climate Resilience for Sustainable Agricultural Systems in Colombia | Marcela Quintero, Deissy Martinez Baron, Julian Ramirez, Carlo Fadda |
29 October 2024 17:45 – 19:15 |
CGIAR Pavilion | Livestreaming | Montpellier Process Use Cases Dialogue cities and territories | |
30 October 2024 14:00 – 15:30 |
CGIAR Pavilion | Livestreaming | Advancing the Biodiversity Agenda through Seed Systems and Nature-Farmers Rights |
Carlo Fadda, Isabel Lopez |
30 October 2024 16:00 – 17:30 |
CGIAR Pavilion | Livestreaming | Biodiversity for nutrition and health through Agroecology | Marcela Quintero |
30 October 2024 16:30 |
Press Conference on NBSAPs | Carolina Navarrete | ||
31 October 2024 14:00 – 15:30 |
CGIAR Pavilion | Livestreaming | From Displacement to Development: Tackling the root causes of migration through biodiversity conservation and climate adaptation | Ignacio Madurga |
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