Developments within CBD on ABS and DSI:

• The ABS Initiative of the German Corporation for International Cooperation (GIZ), together with the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), hosted an international webinar on May 8, 2025: “Engaging the Private Sector in the Multilateral Mechanism (MLM) and the Cali Fund - what is necessary, what is feasible?” The event featured two panel discussions on the challenges for industry to make payments into the Cali Fund and the possible solutions. The recording of the webinar can be watched here on YouTube.
• The Federal Agency for Nature Conservation is funding the project “Examining Trends in Non-Monetary Benefit-Sharing” (ET-NMBS) with funds from the Ministry of the Environment on “non-monetary” benefit-sharing, which is to be given greater recognition in reporting on the implementation of the Global Biodiversity Framework or the Nagoya Protocol and other ABS agreements. As part of this project, the methodology for three indicators for measuring these non-monetary approaches was developed. However, it is also essential that the way ABS is cited in scientific publications is improved. An online workshop was held on May 6, the results of which can be found here.

World Health Assembly now to adopt pandemic treaty:

At the 78th World Health Assembly (May 19-27, 2025), the treaty text of the pandemic agreement is to be adopted.The text agreed by the Intergovernmental Negotiating Body (INB) on April 16 has now been published on the WHO website (here). It is not yet clear when the Pathogen Access and Benefit Sharing System (PABS) will be finalized.