Official launch of the European Subregional Technical and Scientific Cooperation Support Centre

A major step for regional cooperation was taken this week with the launch of the European Subregional Technical and Scientific Cooperation Support Centre (TSC). The announcement came during a three-day gathering of policymakers, scientists, and civil society representatives dedicated to advancing biodiversity and climate resilience across Europe. 

Leading a network of institutions based and operating for the protection of the Mediterranean ecoregion, the IUCN Centre for Mediterranean Cooperation’s role involves close works with IUCN ECARO, the Knowledge Centre for Biodiversity (KCBD)​, the Belgium Museum of Natural History​ and key regional organizations including the UNEP MAP Specially Protected Areas Regional Activity Centre (SPA/RAC)​, the Mediterranean Network of Marine Protected Areas (MedPAN)​, Committee of Mediterranean Forestry Questions – Silva Mediterranea​, Plan Bleu (Regional Activity Centre of the Mediterranean Action Plan), MedCities, and WWF North Africa​ among others. 

IUCN Med is taking part in this first meeting of the European Subregional Technical and Scientific Cooperation Support Centre (TSC) held in Brussels from 23 to 25 September 2025 in hybrid format.  

A regional dialogue on National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs) for the Western European and Other States Group (WEOG), and for Parties covered by the European Subregional Technical and Scientific Cooperation Support Centre (TSC) is focusing on planning, monitoring, reporting and review in the frame of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF). The first day of the Dialogue (by invitation only) is organised by the European Union in cooperation with the CBD Secretariat to discuss the monitoring framework for the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KM GBF) and the preparation of the 7th national report to the CBD. 

The second and third days of the dialogue are organised by the European Commission's Knowledge Centre for Biodiversity (KCBD) as coordinator of the European subregional TSC. Split in two parts, the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences (RBINS) will be hosting the two-day meeting, co-organized with IUCN Med and supported by CO-OP4CBD in cooperation with UN Biodiversity. This event will be followed by a training and networking session for interested parties to be held in Malaga next November. 

The second and third days of the dialogue are organised by the European Commission's Knowledge Centre for Biodiversity (KCBD) as coordinator of the European subregional TSC. Split in two parts, the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences (RBINS) will be hosting the two-day meeting, co-organized with IUCN Med and supported by CO-OP4CBD in cooperation with UN Biodiversity. This event will be followed by a training and networking session for interested parties to be held in Malaga next November. 

SAVE THE DATE: Training and networking session in Malaga 

Registration open until 26 September via this registration form. 

In connection to the European Clearing-House Mechanism (CHM) network as well as and the selection of the (sub)regional centres for Technical and Scientific Cooperation (TSC) at COP16 Colombia, a training and networking session for European CHM National Focal Points, CHM experts, and technical cooperation national staff and experts will take place in Malaga by the end of the year.  

With the support of IUCN Med as one of the 3 hosts of the European sub-regional TSC centres, this event is organised by the French Museum of Natural History (MNHN) and the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences (RBINS) in the context of the CO-OP4CBD Horizon Europe project and will take place between 18 and 20 November 2025.  

The training sessions will provide an overview of the SBSTTA-27 items and recommendations related to TSC including the documents that will guide negotiations at the 6th session of the Subsidiary Body for Implementation (SBI6). Participants will be able to learn about the UN CBD governance structures, about Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KM GBF) monitoring and reporting tools such as Bioland, best practices to increase and strengthen TSCs, and benefit from unique opportunities to meet and network with TSC and CHM stakeholders and the sub-regional TSC centre from Europe.   

If you are a European TSC expert/ practitioner/ CHM National Focal Point or an expert interested or involved in the TSC UN CBD processes, please register via this form before 26 September 2025. Places are limited; selected candidates will be informed by mid-October 2025. Travel, accommodation and meal expenses of selected participants will be covered by the CO-OP4CBD project. 

The new coordination mechanism for scientific and technical cooperation 

At the fourth meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Implementation (SBI 4) of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), the Parties selected 18 regional organizations spanning the globe in a multilateral push to bolster the implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF) through science, technology and innovation. The selected centres are hosted by existing institutions that have responded to the CBD Secretariat’s call for expression of interest, among which IUCN Med. The mandate of the CBD centres for technical and scientific cooperation is to catalyse technical and scientific cooperation among the Parties to the Convention in the geographical regions they cover. As such, they will support the sharing of scientific knowledge, data, expertise, resources, technologies, including indigenous and traditional technologies, and technical know-how with relevance to the national implementation of the 23 targets of the Biodiversity Plan to build capacities.