By Ms. Ruth Spencer, Chair of Marine Ecosystems Protected Areas (MEPA) Trust
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
Forest Restoration at the Global Level
At a moment when cooperation across multilateral environmental agreements (MEAs) is more vital than ever, the Bogis-Bossey Expert Workshop 2025 offered a unique space to reflect, share, and strategize on how to accelerate progress toward the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KM-GBF).
Held from 27–28 August 2025 in Switzerland, the workshop was organized under the Bern Process, a Party-led initiative launched in 2019 that has been instrumental in strengthening relationships, building capacities, and mapping interconnections between the KM-GBF and MEA targets.
Who Was in the Room?
The workshop gathered 40 participants in an informal, collaborative setting, following Chatham House Rules. Representatives from 16 MEAs, the CBD Women’s Caucus, the International Indigenous Forum on Biodiversity (IIFB), and the Global Youth Biodiversity Network came together to exchange insights. This balanced mix of Parties, experts, and stakeholders ensured rich discussions, with contributions made in both plenary and breakout sessions.
Why Women's Representation Matters
For the CBD Women’s Caucus, represented by Ms Ruth Spencer, participation was essential to ensure that local, community-driven perspectives, often carried forward with voluntary and in-kind resources, were visible at the global policy table. The CBD Women’s caucus emphasized that women are not just stakeholders but key implementers of biodiversity commitments, bridging global decisions with local realities.
Our interventions underscored the need for human rights-based approaches in biodiversity governance. One proposal was to invite the UN ECLAC Secretariat, which implements the Escazú Agreement (the first legally binding environmental human rights
Key Themes and Discussions
The workshop highlighted several critical points:
- While the Bern Process is Party-led, observers must also have space and a voice in shaping its outcomes.
- Women and girls play indispensable roles in biodiversity implementation and must be actively included in the ongoing Bern Process.
- Strengthening cooperation among MEAs requires recognizing the linkages between biodiversity, human rights, and gender justice.
Outcomes and Next Steps
The workshop strengthened networks and created new opportunities for collaboration:
- The Executive Secretary of the Minamata Convention and Malgorzata Stylo (UNEP Nairobi) welcomed continued engagement from the CBD Women’s Caucus at COP-6, including possible participation in panel discussions.
- Valuable connections were made with Abiola Olanipekun, Head of the Science and Technical Assistance Branch, opening further pathways for collaboration between the Caucus and MEA processes.
