Guide and management page of the Cali Fund

In the framework of the new multilateral mechanism for the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from the use of digital sequence information (DSI) on genetic resources, the Cali Fund was launched earlier this year. This website previously published two news articles on the implications of the multilateral mechanism for companies and researchers: ‘Cali Fund launched, company contributions welcome!’ and ‘What does the CBD’s DSI decision mean for public research?’.

Introductory Guide

The Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), has developed a short guide on the Cali Fund for the private sector, accessible via this link.

The guide provides a clear overview of:

i) the scope of the multilateral mechanism;

ii) the private industry sectors expected to contribute to the Cali Fund, including the associated payment thresholds;

iii) an impact statement explaining how the Cali Fund supports biodiversity conservation and sustainable use, capacity-building for DSI use, and Indigenous Peoples and local communities;

iv) the distribution and operational modalities of the financial resources from the Cali Fund, and its management by the Multi-Partner Trust Fund Office.

Official webpage

The Multi-Partner Trust Fund Office has also created a dedicated webpage on its website which will showcase the contributions made by companies to the Cali Fund, as well as the projects that are supported through these contributions. In the future, this page will also include financial reporting and monitoring and evaluation information (M&E) of the funded projects. Under the section ‘Documents’, you will find the preliminary terms of reference (ToR) of the Cali Fund, as well as a standard memorandum of understanding (MoU) used by the Multi-Partner Trust Fund Office for collaboration with the CBD.

At this time, it is not possible yet to make direct contributions through the webpage. If you are interested in contributing or intend to do so, you are advised to contact the individuals listed under the section ‘Contacts’, or to reach out directly to the Cali Fund Secretariat at califund@un.org.

Follow-up process

Further details about the Cali Fund will become available in the coming months. If you have any questions, would like to share your input, or seek support in making a financial contribution, please contact Ms. Kim van Seeters (ABS Competent National Authority; k.vanseeters@minlnv.nl), and/or Martin Brink and Bob Kreiken (National ABS Focal Point; martin.brink@wur.nl, bob.kreiken@wur.nl).