Rio Synergies Workshop at CBD COP17 – What does implementation look like in practice?
9 October 2026
Date: 20 Oct, 2026
Time: 15:00-16:30
Host: Türkiye COP31 Presidency, G20 Global Land Initiative, IUCN and the ENACT Partnership
Location: Side Event Room Spitak, CBD COP17
As momentum around strengthening synergies across the three Rio Conventions grows ahead of the launch of the Türkiye COP31 Presidency Rio Synergies Group for Action at UNFCCC COP31 in Antalya, articulating what successful implementation looks like in practice is imperative.
Discussions across recent Rio Synergies dialogues in Antalya and Ulaanbataar have identified a shared ambition to improve coherence between biodiversity, climate and land agendas through approaches that are country-led, inclusive and action-oriented. However, translating these broad principles into practical guidance for implementation remains a significant challenge. Governments, civil society organisations, Indigenous Peoples and local communities, businesses, financial institutions, research organisations and other stakeholders often use the language of “synergies” differently and operate within distinct institutional, policy and financing contexts.
This workshop, organised by the Türkiye COP31 Presidency, the G20 Global Land Initiative at the UNCCD, IUCN and the ENACT Partnership will provide an interactive space for non-state actors and interested government representatives attending CBD COP17 to collectively explore and articulate the practical dimensions of effective biodiversity-climate-land synergies. Building on emerging experiences from Nature-based Solutions (NbS), ecosystem restoration, integrated landscape approaches and collaborative governance mechanisms, participants will contribute to the development of an initial discussion paper outline that seeks to answer a central question: What does effective implementation of biodiversity-climate-land synergies look like in practice, and how can different actors contribute to achieving it?
The workshop will complement ongoing intergovernmental discussions by bringing together practical perspectives from implementation partners and stakeholders working at local, national and global levels. Furthermore, the key outcomes from the workshop will inform the subsequent Yerevan Technical and High-level Dialogues on Rio Synergies.
