One year after governments agreed to establish the Cali Fund, global momentum is growing to turn this landmark biodiversity agreement into a fully operational mechanism capable of mobilising new resources for nature worldwide.
Created under the Convention on Biological Diversity, the Cali Fund aims to ensure that benefits arising from the use of Digital Sequence Information (DSI) on genetic resources are shared fairly and contribute to the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity.
It represents a major innovation in global biodiversity finance and a key step in implementing the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.
EU convenes dialogue to accelerate implementation
The European Commission hosted an Informal Global Dialogue on DSI at the Cali Fund in Leuven, Belgium, from 10–12 March. The meeting brought together governments, biotech companies, researchers and international experts to explore practical pathways to strengthen the fund ahead of the next global biodiversity summit.
Around 40 participants discussed key questions for the fund’s operationalisation, including how to mobilise contributions, how resources should be allocated and how to ensure transparency, trust and effectiveness. Discussions also explored ways to encourage early engagement from companies relying on digital sequence information across sectors such as biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, agriculture, food innovation and cosmetics.
The Leuven meeting forms part of a broader series of informal exchanges on DSI supported by the European Commission and Norway to build trust, strengthen understanding and identify practical solutions as countries implement the agreement.
As preparations for COP17 intensify, the EU continues to play a key role in supporting the implementation of the global biodiversity framework and advancing innovative financing mechanisms like the Cali Fund – ensuring that the benefits of genetic science help protect nature and support communities worldwide.
Background
Hosted by the United Nations Multi-Partner Trust Fund Office and established by the United Nations Development Programme, the United Nations Environment Programme and the CBD Secretariat, the fund enables companies benefiting from digital genetic data to contribute to biodiversity conservation and sustainable use worldwide.
The fund also recognises the important role of Indigenous Peoples and local communities in protecting biodiversity.
Operationalised by Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity at CBD COP16, the fund received its first financial contribution at the end of 2025, marking an important step toward delivering resources for biodiversity protection.