By Ms.Scovia Ampumuza, CBD Women’s Caucus member
On 10 June 2025, the CBD Women’s Caucus took part in the inaugural meeting of the Drafting Committee for the Global Plan of Action (GPA) on Education for Biodiversity, convened by the CBD Secretariat. This event is a crucial first step toward implementing Decision 16/10, which recognizes education, communication, and public awareness (CEPA) as fundamental tools for halting biodiversity loss. CBD Women’s Caucus participation ensures that gender perspectives, women’s leadership, and traditional knowledge systems are embedded from the very beginning of this global process.
The meeting brought together a diverse group of stakeholders, including representatives from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the Global Youth Biodiversity Network (GYBN), the International Indigenous Forum on Biodiversity (IIFB), the International Union for Conservation of Nature – Commission on Education and Communication (IUCN-CEC), and the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). Together, they shared a common goal: to lay the groundwork for a 10-month collaborative drafting process to develop a truly inclusive and transformative Global Plan of Action on Education for Biodiversity.
This collaborative drafting process, focused on Communication, Education, and Public Awareness (CEPA), aligns closely with the CBD Women’s Caucus’s mission to ensure that women’s and girls experiences, leadership, and knowledge systems are recognized and valued in all global environmental efforts, linking biodiversity education with social justice, equity, and community-based knowledge. Ms. Scovia Ampumuza, program manager at FARAJA Rwanda and advocate for gender and environmental justice, represented the CBD WC.
Ms. Scovia contributed key perspectives on how the Global Plan of Action for Biodiversity Education should reflect the lived realities and knowledge systems of women and girls across the globe, centering the rights and leadership of women and girls in biodiversity policies and actions
Opening Reflections: Framing an Inclusive Path for the Global Plan of Action
The meeting opened with remarks from Mr. Asad Naqvi of the CBD Secretariat, who emphasized the transformative role education must play in our collective response to biodiversity loss. Discussions centered on:
- Defining a flexible, inclusive scope for the Global Plan of Action for Biodiversity Education
- Clarifying roles and the organization of drafting work
- Affirming the importance of integrating gender perspectives, traditional knowledge, and youth voices
- Mapping future opportunities for consultations, including the Salzburg Global Seminar and the IUCN World Conservation Congress
Scovia added that it’s crucial to define gender-responsive building blocks early in the process and ensure women and girls are not just included but empowered in how biodiversity education is shaped.
Looking Ahead: Collective Commitments and Next Steps for an Inclusive Biodiversity Education Agenda
The session concluded with strong commitments from the CBD Secretariat to support the drafting process and from UNESCO the lead the drafting process and align with stakeholder groups in the committee priorities.
Key next steps include:
- Developing a collaborative workspace and outline for the Global Plan of Action for Biodiversity Education by UNESCO with CBD Secretariat support.
- Creating simplified terms of reference for all committee members of UNESCO with the CBD secretariat at UNESCO.
- Planning for broader consultations across regions and sectors by all stakeholder groups and the CBD Secretariat.
The CBD Women’s Caucus will continue to:
- Monitor the integration of gender-transformative education principles
- Contribute to the design of the Global Plan of Action (GPA) on Education for Biodiversity’s structure and content
- Ensure that grassroots women’s knowledge and leadership shape the future of biodiversity learning
The next meeting is expected in August 2025, moving us closer to a shared, inclusive vision for biodiversity education leading into SBI 7 and COP17
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this blog are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official position or opinions of the CBD Women’s Caucus.
