Bangkok, Thailand | 11-13 March 2025
OPENING REMARKS
Ms. Clarissa C. Arida
Acting Executive Director
ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity
Esteemed guests:
Dr. Chayanan Pakdeejit, Secretary-General, Office of Natural Resources and Environmental Policy and Planning(ONEP) CBD National Focal Point, Thailand;
Ms. Marlene Nilsson, Deputy Regional Director of the UNEP Asia and the Pacific Office;
Mr. Abhinav Prakash and Fred Vogel from the Convention on Biological Diversity, the lead organiser of this event;
Prof. Andreas Brandner, Executive Director of the Knowledge for Development Partnership (K4DP) and our resource person;
Representatives of the subregional TSC support centres for Asia:
- Mr. Mohammad Khalid Pasha, Asia Regional Head – Protected, Conserved and Heritage Areas, IUCN Asia Regional Office (IUCN ARO);
- Mr. Hany El Shaer, Regional Director, IUCN Regional Office for West Asia (IUCN ROWA);
Parties to the CBD representing the Asia region, colleagues from ASEAN Member States;
Participants from organisations representing indigenous peoples and local communities,
Other representatives from UN agencies, UNDP, FAO and subregional TSC support centres, ladies and gentlemen,
Sawasdee kha! A pleasant morning!
The ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity (ACB) is delighted to co-organise this important workshop on Knowledge Management for Biodiversity (KM4B) in partnership with the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
Knowledge management is crucial in our mission to halt biodiversity loss. KM strategy underpins the implementation of the KM GBF goals and targets. It essentially closes the gap between scientific knowledge and practice, leading to innovative and actionable solutions in the field.
Readily accessible biodiversity data, information and knowledge is critical for effective biodiversity planning, policy-making and implementation. Recognising the immense value of KM and its essential role in biodiversity conservation, the ACB continues to facilitate cooperation and coordination among ASEAN Member States (AMS) and relevant national governments, as well as regional and international organisations, in creating, managing, and sharing information on biodiversity.
Target 21 of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KM GBF) aims to ensure that the public, decision-makers, and practitioners have access to the best available knowledge, information, and data, with the goal of using this information to guide the effective and equitable management of biodiversity.
We have very limited time to implement KM GBF and therefore we need to enhance the global knowledge ecosystem to support the achievement of the global targets by 2030.
The Knowledge Management for Biodiversity (KM4B) and the selection of technical and scientific cooperation (TSC) regional and subregional support centres are timely actions to accelerate the achievement of the KM GBF targets.
As one of the selected TSC support centres in Asia to support the KM GBF implementation, the ACB implements a Knowledge Management Plan designed to provide KM support to ASEAN Member States. Implementing a knowledge management plan is integral in enhancing the delivery of relevant knowledge products and tools on managing these resources; as well as providing better and faster access to crosscutting knowledge to further strengthen the linkage between science and policy, including knowledge from IPLCs, academe, and other stakeholders.
As part of this KM Plan, we are developing a range of knowledge products and services that highlight the importance of biodiversity and its conservation among the AMS. This includes both technical and general knowledge resources, such as publications, policy briefs, audio-visual presentations, posters, and brochures. Our flagship publication, the ASEAN Biodiversity Outlook (ABO) series, provides a summary of the efforts of each AMS to meet the objectives of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and the region’s progress toward achieving global biodiversity targets.
Our ASEAN Clearing-House Mechanism serves as a gateway to all available biodiversity-related data, information, and knowledge in the region, and our ASEAN Biodiversity Dashboard, serves as an interactive online platform for visualising trends and geographic variations in biodiversity indicators. These tools are accessible online and available to the public at no cost.
I would like to emphasise the importance of strengthening networks among knowledge managers—including the ACB’s network of stakeholders identified as “knowledge accelerators” in the ACB Knowledge Management Plan. Collaboration and sharing of best practices are essential to the successful implementation of our strategies.
By working together with various stakeholders—such as biodiversity experts, policymakers, government organisations, and development partners—we can further enhance our capacity to support biodiversity initiatives and drive meaningful change at the national and regional levels. Their roles as knowledge accelerators will significantly contribute to advancing our goals and improving biodiversity outcomes.
We express our gratitude and commendation to UNEP and the CBD Secretariat for their
remarkable work in advancing the KM4B initiatives and to our host country here, Thailand for their unrelenting support and collaboration.
The adoption of the Knowledge Management Strategy to support the implementation of the KM GBF is a significant milestone. We hope that our three-day workshop here in Bangkok will provide an active venue to explore the many aspects of KM, share individual experiences, and identify challenges and opportunities. Your contributions and collaboration are indispensable to the success of this workshop and, ultimately, to our shared mission of conserving biodiversity.
Thank you! Khop khun kha!
