Operationalising Target 23 of the KM-GBF: Indicator on national implementation of the Gender Plan of Action (2023-2030)

by Meenal Tatpati

At CBD-COP 15, Parties to the Convention adopted Target 23 on gender equality and participation, as part of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (Decision 15/4) stressing that the successful implementation of the framework will depend on ensuring gender equality and empowerment of women and girls. At the same time, Parties also adopted the post-2020 Gender Plan of Action (2022-2030) (GPA) (Decision 15/11). The 2023-2030 GPA highlights specific gender-responsive actions, deliverables, and timelines for various stakeholders, including Parties, the Secretariat, the Global Environment Facility (GEF), women’s groups/networks, and other relevant organizations, marking significant progress from previous plans. An approach for designing and using indicators to help monitor the implementation progress of the GBF was subsequently proposed through CBD/SBSTTA/24/3 and, subsequently, the Monitoring Framework (Decision 15/5).?

According to the CBD, biodiversity indicators are information tools that summarise data on complex environmental issues to indicate biodiversity's overall status and trends. They can be used to assess national performance and to signal key issues to be addressed through policy interventions and other actions. Gender-sensitive indicators are essential for measuring progress towards commitments Parties have made regarding gender-responsiveness in implementing the Kunming Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework Target. Though missing a headline indicator, a set of component and complimentary indicators were adopted at COP15. Parties will consider the recommendations of SBSTTA 26 towards the development of the Monitoring Framework at CBD COP15, under Agenda Item 10 on Planning, Monitoring Review and Reporting. SBSTAA 26 has recommended a global binary indicator for Target 23 as well as a component indicator for Target 23 (23.b) on the national implementation of the Gender Plan of Action.

However, the component indicator, while adopted, initially lacked a robust methodology. To address this, women4Biodiversity and UNEP-WCMC collaborated with several Parties and key stakeholders to co-develop a comprehensive methodology for the said indicator. This methodology supports parties in measuring progress towards gender-responsive implementation of the Framework. During the 26th meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific Technological and Technical Advice (CBD/SBSTTA/26/L.10), the Parties officially recognized the process of development of the methodology. Since then, the metadata has been co-developed with Parties, undergone a process of peer-review, and has been continuously updated to ensure its relevance and accuracy.?

Component and complementary indicators play a crucial role in the monitoring framework, providing detailed insights on progress towards the goals and targets of the KM-GBF. The component indicator on the National Implementation of the Gender Plan of Action is particularly significant, enabling Parties to track progress towards Target 23 more accurately. It provides valuable information that can feed into the binary indicator for this target, enhancing the overall effectiveness of the monitoring process.

The metadata is available here: https://gbf-indicators.org/metadata/other/23-1-C

The calculation tool is available here: https://resources.unep-wcmc.org/products/WCMC_CB058

A short brief on key information related to the indicator methodology:

A short brief on Indicator for Target 23: https://www.women4biodiversity.org/technical-brief-indicator/

For more information on the indicator and process of co-development, please contact [email protected]?and [email protected]