Antigua and Barbuda is taking an active role in global biodiversity governance as the first meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Article 8(j) of the Convention on Biological Diversity gets underway in Panama City.

Nneka Nicholas, Head of Delegation and President of the Nagoya Protocol COP/MOP-5, highlighted the meeting’s importance for Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IPLCs) across the region. She emphasised that the new body, established at COP16, aims to support the knowledge, innovations, and practices of IPLCs relevant to biodiversity conservation.

The Subsidiary Body replaces the former Ad Hoc Working Group and aligns fully with the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, signalling a renewed commitment to integrating Indigenous knowledge into international biodiversity strategies.

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(Video Credit- Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States)