As part of their cooperation, the Norwegian government and the European Commission are supporting an informal global dialogue process to advance discussions on the DSI Multilateral Benefit-Sharing Mechanism and the Cali Fund during the inter-sessional period leading up to COP 17 in Yerevan, Armenia. The aim is to provide opportunities for informal exchange, generate useful information for all, and foster the trust- and relationship-building necessary for Parties to find common ground at the next COP.
The process involves in-person dialogues, virtual encounters, and the creation of knowledge products. It is being implemented in cooperation with GeoMedia and the Mexican Centro de Colaboración Cívica (CCC).
This page documents key outcomes and products of this process in descending order (latest first).
Side Events, 5 and 10 August 2026
Updates and Discussions at CBD SBI 7
During the seventh meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Implementation (SBI 7) from 4-12 August 2026 in Nairobi, Kenya, the DSI Informal Dialogue Partnership organised two side events:
The first was titled Towards a Testing (Pilot) Phase and Update on Informal Work and reported on insights from the in-person Dialogue in March and further elements of the informal process.
The second brought together a panel of five international experts to share and discuss perspectives on Financial Mechanisms and Incentives to Maximise the Cali Fund’s Potential.
Both events were well attended, with 50-100 participants each. Below are some impressions as well as links to the presentations and reports (EN).
Global webinar, 9 July 2026
Exploring the Implications of CBD COP 16/2 Provisions on the DSI MLM
This webinar served to examine and discuss interpretations of four key terms in CBD COP Decision 16/2 that are central to its operationalisation: publicly available, entities, indicative rates, and direct/indirect use. The objective was to identify areas of convergence in the understanding of these terms, clarify differing perspectives, and explore their practical implications for implementation.
A strong consensus emerged on several overarching principles, notably legal certainty, proportionality, fairness, scientific openness, and administrative feasibility. Discussions on the individual terms revealed both substantial convergence and important unresolved issues. However, the panelists also emphasised that the four terms should be interpreted as interconnected elements of a coherent implementation framework rather than in isolation.
More than 300 participants representing all stakeholder groups and world regions attended the webinar. Their chat contributions expanded the debate beyond terminology to practical implementation challenges. The webinar report includes an anonymised summary of the chat, grouped by key topics addressed.
Below are the full report and the recording in EN. The recording is also available in FR and ES.
Global webinar, 21 May 2026
Report and Reflection on the Informal Global Dialogue on DSI and the Cali Fund
The purpose of this webinar was to share and reflect on the outcomes of the in-person Informal Global Dialogue on DSI and the Cali Fund, held in March 2026 in Leuven, Belgium (see below). More than 300 participants representing all global regions and relevant stakeholder groups attended the webinar, which was simultaneously interpreted into French and Spanish.
After a report back on the Leuven meeting, six panellists, all of whom had participated in the event, shared their impressions and reflections. The SCBD provided an update on the formal DSI work streams, while the DSI Informal Dialogue Partnership informed about upcoming activities. Throughout the webinar, participants were able to discuss and ask questions in the chat.
Below are the full report and the recording in EN. The recording is also available in FR and ES.
In-person meeting, 10-12 March 2026, Leuven, Belgium
Informal Global Dialogue on DSI and the Cali Fund
Hosted by the EU Commission DG Environment
This three-day informal global dialogue on Digital Sequence Information (DSI) brought together some 40 representatives from governments, indigenous peoples and local communities (IPLCs), the private sector, academia, and international organisations to advance the operationalisation of the multilateral mechanism for benefit-sharing from the use of DSI (MLM), including the Cali Fund, established under CBD COP Decision 16/2.
Key Messages emerging from the meeting included the importance of:
- Moving from agreement to implementation
- Trust as the central enabling factor
- Balancing ethics, incentives, and legal certainty
- Key operational issues that require further work, especially regarding „Money IN“ (contributions), „Money OUT (disbursement)“, and Non-monetary benefit-sharing (NMBS)
- Practical testing through pilots, i.e. moving from concepts to learning by doing
Six initial pilots were developed, ranging from technical prototypes to full system validation. These could serve as basis for further discussions at COP17 and to generate evidence to further inform decisions at COP18.
Overall, the dialogue confirmed that the foundations for the MLM and Cali Fund are in place, but their success will depend on practical implementation, trust-building, and stakeholder engagement.
The report includes notes from all discussions, a documentation of group work results, and descriptions of the six pilots. It is available at the CBD ABS Clearing House and can also be downloaded HERE (2 MB).
Global webinar, 5 February 2026
Where do we stand with the implementation of the DSI Multilateral Mechanism and the Cali Fund?
In cooperation with the SCBD and the interim Secretariat of the Cali Fund
CBD Decision 16/2 operationalised the Multilateral Mechanism (MLM) for the Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits from the Use of Digital Sequence Information on Genetic Resources (DSI), including the Cali Fund and its Steering Committee.
This webinar provided Parties, observers and stakeholders with an opportunity to take stock of what has been done so far, and what still needs to be done. The agenda included, inter alia: Input on Decision 16/2; Overview of the inter-sessional formal process since CBD COP16; Inputs by Secretariats of other fora dealing with DSI; Progress made through the Friends of the Cali Fund; and Reflections by stakeholder representatives. The webinar was held in English with simultaneous interpretation into French and Spanish.
Below are the report and the recording in EN. The recording is also available in FR and ES.
