2026 Biodiversity Law & Governance Day: Grand Opening and Opening Plenary

Opening Plenary: Implementing International Biodiversity Law – From Commitments to Cooperation and Compliance How can leading international biodiversity treaties and organisations accelerate coherent, effective and rights-based compliance with the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, despite a challenging geopolitical context? Hosted by CISDL, Univ Cambridge, Univ Costa Rica, Asia Pacific Univ and Yerevan State Univ Chairs: Prof Marie-Claire Cordonier Segger WIJA (Chair, BLGI & Senior Director, CISDL / Chair in Sustainable Development Law & Policy, Univ Cambridge); Prof Jorge Cabrera Medaglia (Chair, BLGI & Lead Counsel, CISDL / Professor of Law, Univ Costa Rica); Prof Yeghishe Kirakosyan (Professor of Law & Director LLM Intl Courts & Arbitration, YSU) Keynote: Hon Elizabeth Maruma Mrema (UN Assistant Secretary-General & Deputy Executive Director, UNEP), by video address Plenary Speakers: Hon Ivonne Higuero (Secretary-General, Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna & Flora CITES); Adv Andy Raine (Executive Secretary, Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals, CMS); Adv Maria-Goreti Muavesi (Chair, IUCN WCEL Biodiversity Law Specialist Group); Dr Kent Nnadozie (Secretary, International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food & Agriculture ITPGRFA / FAO), by video address Online Operator: Dr Tejas Rao (Research Director, CISDL / Postdoctoral Research Associate, Univ Cambridge) Online Rapporteur: Adv Julieta Sarno (BLGI Secretariat)