At COP17 in Armenia, the Article 8(j) body was fully launched — Mongabay

At the UN Biodiversity Conference COP17 in Armenia, the subsidiary body under Article 8(j) of the Convention on Biological Diversity was fully launched. It is intended to strengthen the role of Indigenous peoples and local communities in decision-making within the Convention. This was reported by Mongabay.

Mandate of the body

The subsidiary body under Article 8(j), or SB8J, was established during the biodiversity summit in Colombia in 2025. It enables Indigenous peoples and local communities to advise the parties to the Convention, prepare draft decision texts, and carry out tasks delegated to it.

In particular, the body will develop guidance on implementing global conservation targets with the full participation of Indigenous peoples and local communities. At COP17, delegates determined its functions, governance structure, budget, and procedures for holding meetings.

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Compromise on representation

One of the main issues during the two-week negotiations was the representation of Indigenous peoples and local communities in SB8J. The discussion concerned the composition of the body’s co-chairs and additional representatives who help its leadership carry out its work.

Participants discussed whether representation should be based on the UN’s five regional groups or on the seven sociocultural regions of Indigenous peoples. Ultimately, the parties agreed on representation among organizations working in countries of Indigenous peoples and local communities, while the reference to the seven sociocultural regions was removed from the text.

At the summit, the body also worked on guidance for the full participation of Indigenous peoples and local communities in achieving the “30 by 30” nature restoration targets. Updates to terms related to Article 8(j), which concerns traditional knowledge, practices, and the fair sharing of benefits, were considered separately. The work program under this article contains 12 tasks for the subsidiary body. The next meeting dedicated to its work is scheduled for November 18–20, 2026, in Nepal.