Decision 16/2 of the 16th Conference of the Parties (COP 16) to the Convention on Biological Diversity entered into force on 1 November 2024. The so-called multilateral mechanism for access and benefit-sharing arising from the use of digital sequence information, including the Cali Fund, is now on the path to operationalisation. This sets the course for COP 17, which will convene in Armenia in October 2026. It is expected that payment arrangements will be adopted for companies that derive monetary benefits from the use of data. A concrete decision is also to be made on how the funds from the Biodiversity Conservation and Capacity Building Fund can be utilised. Further topics include data management, non-monetary benefit-sharing and governance. 
The publication is intended to provide guidance to stakeholders, governments and the public on the interpretation of the provisions of Decision 16/2. It also provides a legal analysis of the decision. The findings are current as of 15 March 2026.