Held as an official side event of the Global Conference for the International Decade of Sciences for Sustainable Development (15 to 17 July 2026), this hybrid event will explore the links between biocultural diversity and Indigenous knowledge through the visual heritage of the Kofán People of Colombia.

Co-organized by UNESCO LINKS, the Permanent Delegation of Colombia to UNESCO and BES-Net, the event will showcase knowledge products developed through the BES Solution Fund project in Colombia, including a documentary, digital brochure and photo archive documenting the Kofán People’s customary governance, traditional knowledge and conservation practices associated with medicinal plants.

The programme will highlight Indigenous-led approaches to biodiversity conservation and examine how Indigenous and local knowledge can strengthen biodiversity policy and practice. Discussions will draw on lessons from the Colombia National Ecosystem Assessment and the IPBES Assessment on the Sustainable Use of Wild Species, with a focus on advancing the implementation of National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans and the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. Representatives of the Kofán Indigenous People, UNESCO and Colombia’s National Natural Parks will participate in the event.

The event will be held in a hybrid format with English and Spanish interpretation. A reception hosted by the Permanent Delegation of Colombia to UNESCO will follow the session.