The third Regional Knowledge Exchange, hosted in Cieneguilla, Peru, in early September, marked another milestone for biodiversity action. Building on earlier exchanges in Namibia and Indonesia, the event highlighted how peer-to-peer learning and collaboration can drive practical solutions for accelerating NBSAP implementation. Participants from across the Latin America and Caribbean region explored pressing challenges, from biodiversity financing to subnational governance, while sharing experiences that underscored the power of regional learning and cooperation in advancing National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs) and the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.

Hosted by the IUCN and supported by GIZ under the GBF Implementation Project of the NBSAP Accelerator Partnership, the regional knowledge exchange added to a series of regional events built to create space for leaders and decision-makers to engage in peer-to-peer learning and collaboration on biodiversity action. Representatives from Brazil, Ecuador, Colombia, Peru, Mexico, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, and Bolivia joined Indigenous Peoples’ organizations, NGOs such as World Wildlife Fund, women’s networks like Women4Biodiversity, and Technical and Scientific Cooperation Centres (TSCCs) such as the Alexander von Humboldt Biological Resources Research Institute and Central American Commission on Environment and Development (CCAD/ SICA). The three-day event confirmed the importance of peer-to-peer learning and collaboration to accelerate NBSAP implementation.

As the biodiversity crisis grows increasingly urgent, experts, policy-makers, and community leaders are examining the gaps and barriers that hinder progress toward global biodiversity goals. Limited capacity-building, weak regional collaboration, and a lack of shared learning continue to slow implementation.

The exchanges in Southern Africa and Southeast Asia demonstrated the value of peer learning, and the Latin American exchange carried this momentum forward. By connecting countries within similar contexts, these platforms enable enduring solutions that go beyond theory to implementation.

Grounded in an intensive preparatory phase –including a document review and 14 interviews with regional experts from government, civil society, and Indigenous Peoples and local communities– the exchange focused on three learning themes central to advancing the Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. Throughout, a strong knowledge-into-action thread connected discussions and next steps.

• Biodiversity financing
  Mobilising and aligning resources for implementation at scale, including direct financing for Indigenous Peoples and local communities, strengthened financing for protected and conserved areas (PCAs), and clearer links between budgets, safeguards, and measurable outcomes.
• Subnational governance
  Building capacities and coordination across national, regional, and local levels; ensuring meaningful participation of Indigenous Peoples; recognising and reporting Other Effective area-based Conservation Measures (OECMs); and strengthening cross-sector collaboration (e.g., agriculture and biodiversity).
• Biodiversity data, monitoring and reporting
  Making data policy-relevant by integrating traditional knowledge with scientific information, and engaging agriculture and other sectors in monitoring and reporting so evidence directly informs decisions and GBF reporting.

Peru’s exchange was an opportunity for countries to collectively identify implementable solutions while tailoring them to local realities.

Important takeaways included:

• Financing, data, and governance are interconnected. Countries emphasized the need for integrated approaches that link financial planning, evidence-based decision-making, and equitable governance structures. Mobilising resources without transparency and monitoring reduces impact, while governance without adequate financing remains fragile.
• Peer learning is a powerful accelerator. Just as in Namibia and Indonesia, countries in Latin America valued practical exchanges like PANORAMA Solutions, which showcase real-world cases ranging from community-led conservation in Peru to sustainable tourism models in Brazil.
• Inclusion is essential. Indigenous Peoples, women, and youth were consistently highlighted as drivers of innovation and resilience. The exchange confirmed the need to move beyond rhetoric to systemic action, including through tracking gender-responsive indicators, strengthening Indigenous Peoples platforms, and engaging youth in monitoring and implementation.
• Data must become policy-relevant. Countries just starting monitoring systems and those with extensive datasets face challenges in ensuring data informs policy and global reporting. The climate agenda gained traction with a clear, resonant target (“limit warming to below 2°C”) and the group pushed for biodiversity to find a similar, powerful message that can connect data with decision-makers and financial actors.

The Peru exchange reinforced that knowledge exchanges are not one-off events but necessary stepping stones toward accelerated implementation. Participants emphasized that overcoming barriers to implementing NBSAPs requires capacity building, knowledge sharing, collective action and the pooling and matching of diverse expertise. As the world moves toward 2030, it is clear that biodiversity conservation is not the responsibility of any single government or sector and only through partnership can we secure a vibrant, healthy, and resilient planet for future generations.

The NBSAP Accelerator Partnership demonstrates how global initiatives can support country-led action. Learn more about the role of its MatchMaking Mechanism and Facilitator Programme in accelerating NBSAPs through a country-driven approach.