CETAF will contribute to the 17th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity, taking place in Yerevan, Armenia, from 19 to 30 October 2026.
A CETAF side event has been approved as part of the IUCN Pavilion programme. Entitled KM-GBF Indicators: Who Validates the Numbers? Natural Science Collections and the First Global Review of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, the session will take place at the IUCN Pavilion in Yerevan on Thursday, 29 October, from 16:30 to 17:45.
COP17 will conduct the first global review of collective progress under the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. This will place renewed attention on the quality, accessibility and reliability of the evidence used to monitor progress towards global biodiversity targets.
Volume is not evidence. Technologies such as environmental DNA, automated sensors, imaging and artificial intelligence are rapidly increasing the volume and speed of biodiversity data. However, only interoperable and scientifically validated data can reliably inform policy.
The session will highlight how taxonomy and natural science collections provide the trusted evidence base needed to validate these new data streams. Integrative taxonomy, authoritative species names, reference specimens, curated databases and long-term scientific expertise are essential for connecting new information to reliable scientific baselines.
Directors and representatives from leading European natural history museums will present a shared vision for biodiversity knowledge infrastructures. Together with policymakers and international partners, they will discuss how collections, taxonomic expertise and digital resources can support implementation of the Global Biodiversity Framework.
The session will also seek to identify concrete actions and governance requirements that place data validation infrastructures at the centre of KM-GBF indicator delivery at regional and global levels. The discussion will consider how regional data can be connected to shared global references while supporting locally led monitoring in line with the FAIR and CARE principles.
The need for validated biodiversity data is already reflected in major policy frameworks and initiatives, including the G20 Mpumalanga Roadmap, the EU Nature Restoration Regulation and the EU Pollinator Monitoring Scheme.
The event is hosted by Naturalis Biodiversity Center, an IUCN Member, under the umbrella of CETAF, in collaboration with the Senckenberg Society for Nature Research, Museum für Naturkunde Berlin, the Natural History Museum London, the Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle in Paris and the Natural History Museum of Denmark.
Further information about the programme and speakers will be shared as it becomes available.