Malaga hosts an international workshop to strengthen cooperation ahead of a crucial cycle of UN biodiversity reports

Malaga is set to become a meeting point for international biodiversity experts this week as specialists, government representatives and scientific institutions gather for a three-day training on strengthening technical and scientific cooperation under the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). The workshop, which began on 18th November, at the Universidad Internacional de Andalucía’s (UNIA) technological campus, was inaugurated by its Dean, José Ignacio García, together with the Director of the IUCN Centre for Mediterranean Cooperation (IUCN Med), Maher Mahjoub.

The gathering forms part of the CO-OP4CBD project, an EU-funded Horizon Europe initiative designed to help countries implement the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, the global agreement adopted in 2022 to halt and reverse nature loss. Over the coming days, participants will examine the latest developments from the CBD’s scientific advisory bodies and prepare for the demanding process of compiling their 7th National Reports, which countries must submit as part of their global biodiversity commitments by 28 February 2026.

The training brings together a diverse group of experts from the Clearing-House Mechanism (CHM) National Focal Points and ministry officials to researchers and members of the newly established European Subregional Technical and Scientific Support Centre. Their sessions will explore the challenges countries face in gathering reliable biodiversity data and monitoring progress, a task made even more urgent by the accelerating environmental decline. 

Technical and Scientific Cooperation Centres

A key theme of this year’s meeting is the growing role of Technical and Scientific Cooperation Centres in supporting countries as they work to implement the Global Biodiversity Framework. The European Subregional Technical and Scientific Cooperation Support Centre (TSCC), launched in September 2025, represents a major step forward in this direction. IUCN Med is one of its three host institutions, alongside the European Commission and the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences (RBINS). Together, these institutions will facilitate demand-driven technical and scientific cooperation and support technology transfer among Parties, helping governments access the expertise they need to meet their biodiversity obligations.

“As the world moves closer to the 2030 deadline for delivering on its nature commitments, cooperation across borders, institutions and disciplines has never been more essential. We urgently need more case studies, stronger exchanges of good practices, and wider access to the methods and tools that can help countries meet the targets of the Kunming-Montreal Framework,” said Maher Mahjoub, Director of IUCN Med.

Throughout the event, participants will also look closely at the emerging landscape of tools designed to help countries track their progress, including demonstrations of the newly updated Bioland 2.0 platform. Several sessions will focus on the evolution of the Clearing-House Mechanism (CHM), the CBD’s central platform for technical and scientific cooperation, which has recently adopted a new Programme of Work running until 2030.

As a co-organiser of the event, IUCN Med is playing an active role in facilitating debates on the development of knowledge hubs across Europe, sharing the experience it has accumulated in supporting Mediterranean countries. The Mediterranean Centre will also contribute to discussions on the new Technical and Scientific Support Centres, which are expected to become a cornerstone of how countries exchange expertise and respond collectively to biodiversity challenges. 

The Malaga workshop is the latest in a series of efforts under the CO-OP4CBD project to build stronger links between science and policy, ensuring that countries have the tools and knowledge they need to implement the Global Biodiversity Framework. 

DATE AND PLACE:

🗓️18-20 November 2025

📍 Universidad Internacional de Andalucía - Sede Tecnológica de Málaga (Spain)

Related content: Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) | IUCN