The Convention on Biological Diversity Convention GBF About the Convention Introduction Text of the ConventionHistorySustaining Life on EarthStrategic PlanUN Decade for BiodiversityInternational Day for Biological DiversityDecisionsProgrammes & Issues Parties List of Parties National Focal PointsStatus of ContributionsCountry Profiles Convention Bodies Introduction Conference of the Parties (COP) COP Bureau Preparatory processArticle 23Rules of ProcedureCOP Presidency Scientific Body (SBSTTA)Subsidiary Body on Implementation (SBI)Working Group on Article 8(j)Working Group on Protected Areas Convention Protocols Cartagena Protocol Nagoya Protocol Mechanisms for ImplementationStrategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020Further Resources Global Biodiversity Outlook CBD HandbookInformation Center Convention // COP Conference of the Parties (COP) Background and Status The Conference of the Parties is the governing body of the Convention, and advances implementation of the Convention through the decisions it takes at its periodic meetings. To date the Conference of the Parties has held 16 ordinary meetings and two extraordinary meetings. From 1994 to 1996, the Conference of the Parties held its ordinary meetings annually. Following a change in the rules of procedure in 2000, these meetings are being held every two years. The Seventeenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties will be held in Yerevan, Armenia. Meetings of the Conference of the Parties COP 16 R2 -Second resumed session of the sixteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity Rome, Italy, 25–27 February 2025 COP 16 R1 -First resumed session of the sixteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity Online, , 3–6 December 2024 COP 16 -Sixteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity Cali, Colombia, 21 October–1 November 2024 COP 15 Resumed -Resumed second part of the fifteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity Nairobi, Kenya, 19 and 20 October 2023 COP 15 -Fifteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (Part Two) Montreal, Canada, 7 - 19 December 2022 COP 15 PART1 -Fifteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP-15-PART 1) Kunming, China, 11 - 15 October 2021 CBD EXCOP 2 -Second extraordinary meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity Online, , 16 - 19 November 2020 COP 14 -Fourteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, 17 - 29 November 2018 COP 13 -Thirteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity Cancun, Mexico, 4 - 17 December 2016 COP 12 -Twelfth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity Pyeongchang, Republic of Korea, 6 - 17 October 2014 COP 11 -Eleventh meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity Hyderabad, India, 8 - 19 October 2012 COP 10 -Tenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture, Japan, 18 - 29 October 2010 COP 9 -Ninth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity Bonn, Germany, 19 - 30 May 2008 COP 8 -Eighth Ordinary Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity Curitiba, Brazil, 20 - 31 March 2006 COP 7 -Seventh Ordinary Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 9 - 20 February 2004 COP 6 -Sixth Ordinary Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity The Hague, Netherlands (Kingdom of the), 7 - 19 April 2002 COP 5 -Fifth Ordinary Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity Nairobi, Kenya, 15 - 26 May 2000 EXCOP 1 -First Extraordinary Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity Cartagena, Colombia & Montreal, Canada, 22 - 23 February 1999 & 24 - 28 January 2000 COP 4 -Fourth Ordinary Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity Bratislava, Slovakia, 4 - 15 May 1998 COP 3 -Third Ordinary Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity Buenos Aires, Argentina, 4 - 15 November 1996 COP 2 -Second Ordinary Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity Jakarta, Indonesia, 6 - 17 November 1995 COP 1 -First Ordinary Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity Nassau, Bahamas (The), 28 November - 9 December 1994 The agenda of the meetings of the Conference of the Parties is very wide-ranging, reflecting the programme of work the Conference of the Parties has established for itself. At its first meeting, the Conference of the Parties decided on a medium-term programme of work for the period 1995-1997. Implementation of this programme has laid the groundwork for the long-term implementation of the Convention itself. In particular it has seen the development of a number of thematic work programmes, and identified a series of key cross-cutting issues relevant to all work programmes. The fourth meeting of the Conference of the Parties established a programme of work to cover the period from then until the seventh meeting and, more importantly, established a process to review the operations of the Convention and set out a longer term programme of work. As part of this process, an intersessional meeting on the operations of the Convention was held in 1999, the results of which were reported to the fifth meeting of the Conference of the Parties and formed the basis for a decision on future operations of the Convention. Major themes at meetings of the Conference of the Parties First ordinary meeting Guidance to the financial mechanism; Medium-term programme of work; Second ordinary meeting Marine and coastal biological diversity; Access to genetic resources; Conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity; Biosafety; Third ordinary meeting Agricultural biodiversity; Financial resources and mechanism; Identification, monitoring and assessment; Intellectual property rights; Fourth ordinary meeting Inland water ecosystems; Review of the operations of the Convention; Article 8(j) and related issues (traditional knowledge); Benefit sharing; Fifth ordinary meeting Dryland, mediterranean, arid, semi-arid, grassland and savannah ecosystems; Sustainable use, including tourism; Access to genetic resources; Sixth ordinary meeting Forest ecosystems; Alien species; Benefit-sharing; Strategic plan 2002-2010; Seventh ordinary meeting Mountain ecosystems; Protected areas; Transfer of technology and technology cooperation. Eighth ordinary meeting Island biodiversity; Biological diversity of dry and sub-humid lands; Global Taxonomy Initiative; Access and benefit-sharing (Article 15); Article 8(j) and related provisions; Communication, education and public awareness (Article 13). Ninth ordinary meeting Agricultural biodiversity; Global Strategy for Plant Conservation; Invasive alien species; Forest biodiversity; Incentive measures; Ecosystem approach; Progress in the implementation of the Strategic Plan and progress towards the 2010 traget and relevant Millennium Development Goals; Financial resources and the financial mechanism. COP also sets out a series of standing items for the provisional agenda of its meetings, namely: Organizational matters;Reports from subsidiary bodies, the financial mechanism and the Executive Secretary;Review of the implementation of the programme of work;Priority issues for review and guidance; andOther matters.
Convention // COP Conference of the Parties (COP) Background and Status The Conference of the Parties is the governing body of the Convention, and advances implementation of the Convention through the decisions it takes at its periodic meetings. To date the Conference of the Parties has held 16 ordinary meetings and two extraordinary meetings. From 1994 to 1996, the Conference of the Parties held its ordinary meetings annually. Following a change in the rules of procedure in 2000, these meetings are being held every two years. The Seventeenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties will be held in Yerevan, Armenia. Meetings of the Conference of the Parties COP 16 R2 -Second resumed session of the sixteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity Rome, Italy, 25–27 February 2025 COP 16 R1 -First resumed session of the sixteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity Online, , 3–6 December 2024 COP 16 -Sixteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity Cali, Colombia, 21 October–1 November 2024 COP 15 Resumed -Resumed second part of the fifteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity Nairobi, Kenya, 19 and 20 October 2023 COP 15 -Fifteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (Part Two) Montreal, Canada, 7 - 19 December 2022 COP 15 PART1 -Fifteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP-15-PART 1) Kunming, China, 11 - 15 October 2021 CBD EXCOP 2 -Second extraordinary meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity Online, , 16 - 19 November 2020 COP 14 -Fourteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, 17 - 29 November 2018 COP 13 -Thirteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity Cancun, Mexico, 4 - 17 December 2016 COP 12 -Twelfth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity Pyeongchang, Republic of Korea, 6 - 17 October 2014 COP 11 -Eleventh meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity Hyderabad, India, 8 - 19 October 2012 COP 10 -Tenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture, Japan, 18 - 29 October 2010 COP 9 -Ninth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity Bonn, Germany, 19 - 30 May 2008 COP 8 -Eighth Ordinary Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity Curitiba, Brazil, 20 - 31 March 2006 COP 7 -Seventh Ordinary Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 9 - 20 February 2004 COP 6 -Sixth Ordinary Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity The Hague, Netherlands (Kingdom of the), 7 - 19 April 2002 COP 5 -Fifth Ordinary Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity Nairobi, Kenya, 15 - 26 May 2000 EXCOP 1 -First Extraordinary Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity Cartagena, Colombia & Montreal, Canada, 22 - 23 February 1999 & 24 - 28 January 2000 COP 4 -Fourth Ordinary Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity Bratislava, Slovakia, 4 - 15 May 1998 COP 3 -Third Ordinary Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity Buenos Aires, Argentina, 4 - 15 November 1996 COP 2 -Second Ordinary Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity Jakarta, Indonesia, 6 - 17 November 1995 COP 1 -First Ordinary Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity Nassau, Bahamas (The), 28 November - 9 December 1994 The agenda of the meetings of the Conference of the Parties is very wide-ranging, reflecting the programme of work the Conference of the Parties has established for itself. At its first meeting, the Conference of the Parties decided on a medium-term programme of work for the period 1995-1997. Implementation of this programme has laid the groundwork for the long-term implementation of the Convention itself. In particular it has seen the development of a number of thematic work programmes, and identified a series of key cross-cutting issues relevant to all work programmes. The fourth meeting of the Conference of the Parties established a programme of work to cover the period from then until the seventh meeting and, more importantly, established a process to review the operations of the Convention and set out a longer term programme of work. As part of this process, an intersessional meeting on the operations of the Convention was held in 1999, the results of which were reported to the fifth meeting of the Conference of the Parties and formed the basis for a decision on future operations of the Convention. Major themes at meetings of the Conference of the Parties First ordinary meeting Guidance to the financial mechanism; Medium-term programme of work; Second ordinary meeting Marine and coastal biological diversity; Access to genetic resources; Conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity; Biosafety; Third ordinary meeting Agricultural biodiversity; Financial resources and mechanism; Identification, monitoring and assessment; Intellectual property rights; Fourth ordinary meeting Inland water ecosystems; Review of the operations of the Convention; Article 8(j) and related issues (traditional knowledge); Benefit sharing; Fifth ordinary meeting Dryland, mediterranean, arid, semi-arid, grassland and savannah ecosystems; Sustainable use, including tourism; Access to genetic resources; Sixth ordinary meeting Forest ecosystems; Alien species; Benefit-sharing; Strategic plan 2002-2010; Seventh ordinary meeting Mountain ecosystems; Protected areas; Transfer of technology and technology cooperation. Eighth ordinary meeting Island biodiversity; Biological diversity of dry and sub-humid lands; Global Taxonomy Initiative; Access and benefit-sharing (Article 15); Article 8(j) and related provisions; Communication, education and public awareness (Article 13). Ninth ordinary meeting Agricultural biodiversity; Global Strategy for Plant Conservation; Invasive alien species; Forest biodiversity; Incentive measures; Ecosystem approach; Progress in the implementation of the Strategic Plan and progress towards the 2010 traget and relevant Millennium Development Goals; Financial resources and the financial mechanism. COP also sets out a series of standing items for the provisional agenda of its meetings, namely: Organizational matters;Reports from subsidiary bodies, the financial mechanism and the Executive Secretary;Review of the implementation of the programme of work;Priority issues for review and guidance; andOther matters.
