, Oct. 31 -- Bangladesh participated in the first-ever meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Article 8(j) and Related Provisions (SB8j-1) under the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), held from October 27 to 30 in Panama City.

The meeting marked a historic step to formally recognize the rights of Indigenous Peoples and local communities (IPLCs) to access and share benefits from biodiversity and its genetic resources.

The discussions carry special significance for Bangladesh. Communities in the Chittagong Hill Tracts, coastal belts, haor wetlands, and rural areas have preserved rich biodiversity knowledge for generations, though much of it remains absent from national strategies and policies.

During the meeting, delegates adopted s...