GENOA News & Views No. 48
This edition of the News & Views brings you: ANNOUNCEMENTS 1. VMG call open in WG1 under the O1.1 2. VMG call open in WG1 under the O1.3 3. GENOA at the 7th ECGM DECODING THE CBD 4. Learn your CBD ABCs Click to read the newsletter
GENOA News & Views No. 47
This edition of the News & Views brings you: ANNOUNCEMENTS 1. The new episode of the GENOA comic series 2. GENOA’s WG2/WG3 joint workshop 3. GENOA co-organizes the art exhibition 4. Summary report from SBSTTA 28 and SBI 7 DECODING THE CBD 5. Learn your CBD ABCs Click to read the newsletter
GENOA’s WG2/WG3 joint workshop
GENOA’s WG2/WG3 joint workshop on Ne/Nc ratios and genetic indicators in the wild-to-domesticated continuum took place on July 23 and 24 in the Herman Teirlinck Building Brussels. Thirty participants worked in two groups and held short plenary sessions to inform on reciprocal progress. A WG2 team led by Joachim Mergeay and Ivan Paz Vinas critically examined scientific papers containing estimates of ratios of effective to census population size in order to strengthen emerging scientific evidence that Ne/Nc ratios correlate with life history strategies, and ultimately to develop an estimation method for these ratios from life history traits. They
The new episode of our comic series is out!
Gene-Force is back! In The Boat Without a Compass, our heroes face a challenging question: how can we protect nature if we do not know which populations are best equipped to survive future environmental changes? Join the Gene-Force team as they uncover how genetic information can guide conservation efforts and help safeguard biodiversity for generations to come. DOWNLOAD THE COMIC
GENOA at CBD COP17
GENOA will be represented at the 17th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD COP17), taking place in Yerevan, Armenia, in October 2026, as part of the Coalition for Conservation Genetics. The shared exhibition booth will showcase how conservation genetics can support the implementation of the KMGBF, with a particular focus on genetic diversity indicators and their application in national biodiversity monitoring and reporting. Under the message “We help report genetic diversity indicators”, our booth will serve as a hub for exchange, collaboration, and outreach, highlighting practical tools, scientific advances, and capacity-building opportunities that help
Open call to contribute to WG1 O1.2 subproject
Within GENOA, WG1 O1.2 subproject aims to systematically evaluate the extent and quality of genetic diversity conservation commitments in National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plans (NBSAPs) of countries submitted to the Convention on Biological Diversity. No prior experience is required to participate in this project. The first step is to search National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs) for a set of predefined keywords. The assessment itself is straightforward and does not require any specialist training. To provide background and context, we recommend reading Hoban et al. (2025). This paper explains the motivation for the project and the overall
GENOA COST ACTION TRAINING SCHOOL ON LAW AND POLICY OF THE CONVENTION ON BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY
The GENOA COST Action Training School on the Legal and Policy Dimensions of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD): A Focus on Genetic Diversity Indicators was held on 23-25 June 2026 in Brussels to strengthen capacities on biodiversity governance ahead of COP17 in Yerevan, Armenia. The training brought together 25 participants from more than 18 countries across Europe and neighbouring countries, creating an interdisciplinary learning environment for researchers and governmental officers working at the science–policy interface. This training school acted as a platform in which participants including, natural science researchers, CBD National Focal Points, and governmental
GENOA COST action at the World Biodiversity Forum
At the World Biodiversity Forum (14-19 June, 2026) in Davos, Switzerland, GENOA's co-chair Isa-Rita Russo contributed to two oral presentations highlighting the work of the GENOA COST Action and its role in advancing genetic diversity monitoring across Europe. Both talks were delivered within the thematic track focused on implementing and achieving the goals of the Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF), specifically Target 4 on genetic diversity. The first presentation, titled “Integrating genetic diversity monitoring in Europe: The GENOA COST Action,” was delivered within the session on methods, tools, and lessons learned for integrating genetic diversity
GENOA TO CO-CURATE ART EXHIBITION ON GENETIC DIVERSITY AT THE 7TH EUROPEAN CONSERVATION GENETICS MEETING
GENOA WG5 will co-curate an art exhibition during the 7th European Conservation Genetics Meeting in Antwerp, Belgium, bringing together artists and scientists to explore how genetic diversity can be communicated beyond scientific language. The exhibition, Evolving Narratives, curated by Xiatong Cai, Siyu Gao, and Ivan Vander Biesen, unfolds as a journey from genetic data to public imagination. Artist Simon Martin's visualization of population structure introduces genetic diversity as a pattern and scientific evidence, while Yi Zhao's DNA-based practice expands it into questions of identity, society, and human connection. Ivan Vander Biesen's Basil reflects on growth, transformation, and the timing of conservation across a species'
CONFERENCE GRANTS CALL IS OPEN
Adding to the continuous call for applications for dissemination conference grant, GENOA COST action now opens the call for 5 ITC Conference Grants (ITC = Inclusiveness Target Country) and 2 YRI Conference Grants (YRI = Young Researcher and Innovator). The call is for conference attending between 1st July - 30th September 2026. Application deadline: June 8, 2026 (23:59 CEST) Results: June 12th, 2026 Applications must be sent only via the e‑COST platform Download call text
