ICLEI CBC participated in the Group of Leading Subnational Governments toward Aichi Biodiversity Targets (GoLS) side event at the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice (SBSTTA) 22, which was held in Montreal Canada, between 2 and 7 July 2018.

 The Group of Leading Subnational Governments toward Aichi Biodiversity Targets (GoLS) organized a side event at SBSTTA 22 on the Contribution of Subnational Governments for Aichi Biodiversity Targets, Strategic Plan 2011-2020 and further. The side event took place on Friday 6 July and was well attended by representatives from Aichi Prefecture, Gangwon, Quebec, the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity (SCBD) and the Network of Regional Governments for Sustainable Development (nrg4SD). Representatives from ICLEI CBC, ANAAE/Campeche and Sao Paulo attended via Skype link. In addition to the subnational government representatives, several national Parties attended as observers and commentators. These were Canada, China, Egypt, Japan, Korea and Mexico.

The side event was opened jointly by representatives of Aichi Prefecture and the SCBD. The subnational governments presented their governments’ key initiatives and progress in relation to strategic goals A to E of the Strategic Plan 2011-2020 and Aichi Biodiversity Targets. These presentations were followed by short statements from nrg4SD, on international collaboration among subnational governments; and ICLEI CBC, on preparations for the 6^th Global Biodiversity Summit of Local and Subnational Governments: Mainstreaming Biodiversity for Urban and Regional Development. The Summit is an official parallel event to the CBD COP 14, and will take place on Friday 23 and Saturday 24 November 2018 in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt. The side event concluded with comments from the national Parties.

The GoLS, in collaboration with nrg4SD and ICLEI, also submitted a voluntary report on The Contribution of Subnational Governments for the Strategic Plan 2011-2020 and Aichi Biodiversity Targets to the Second Meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Implementation (SBI) which was held from 9 to 13 July 2018 in Montreal, Canada.