Indigenous peoples and local communities solidify decision-making powers at COP17

At the 2026 United Nations Biodiversity Conference in Armenia (COP17), Indigenous peoples and local communities (IP&LCs) strengthened their role in decision-making processes of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). This was achieved by fully implementing the Subsidiary body on Article 8(j) (SB8J), a subsidiary body created at the 2024 biodiversity summit in Colombia.

SB8J enables IP&LCs to advise parties, draft decision texts, and handle tasks related to the implementation of global conservation goals, ensuring their full participation.

Jennifer Corpuz, a negotiator for the International Indigenous Forum on Biodiversity (IIFB), expressed her satisfaction with the historic adoption during the closing session of COP17. She emphasized that the decision further strengthens the inclusivity of SB8J, which allows for rights-based implementation of the CBD.

While the subsidiary body was established in 2024, discussions at COP17 focused on its full operationalization. This involved specifying its function, governance structure, budget, and meeting schedule. One of the most significant challenges throughout the two-week discussions centered around the representation of IP&LCs within the body and the organization of this representation.

Delegates debated whether the representatives of SB8J should come from among the five U.N. regional groups or from the seven sociocultural regions, which acknowledge the diversity of Indigenous peoples, such as the Sámi and Inuit. Another contentious issue was whether representative bodies should consist of co-chairs and friends of the Bureau. Ultimately, these debates aimed to establish a fair and effective system for IP&LCs' participation in CBD decision-making processes.