BERLIN, 04 November 2026 – The Philippine Embassy in Germany put the ASEAN Center for Biodiversity (ACB) in the spotlight in a forum entitled “ASEAN-Germany Partnerships for Biodiversity: Pathways to Climate Resilience in the Indo-Pacific” held in Berlin this week.

The Embassy, together with the Max Planck Institute – NTU Singapore Centre for Biocultural Worlding and the Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities (BBAW) on 3 November 2026, brought together around 70 participants from German public and scientific institutions, development finance partners, the diplomatic community and civil society for the event.

In her opening remarks, Philippine Ambassador to Germany Maria Teresa T. Almojuela referred to the Philippines’ Chairship of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in 2026, which will culminate in the 49th ASEAN Leaders’ Summit on 16-18 November 2026, one expected outcome of which is a Leaders’ Declaration on an ASEAN strategy for the environment.  

Ambassador Almojuela emphasized that biodiversity conservation is integral to the Philippines’ vision for regional resilience.  “This is a shared responsibility which aligns with the Philippines’ ASEAN Chairship priorities and reflects our conviction that regional resilience depends not only on strong economies and institutions, but also on healthy ecosystems and empowered communities at the center of action,” Ambassador Almojuela said. She highlighted the role of the ASEAN Center for Biodiversity (ACB), which is hosted by the Philippines, in implementing the ASEAN’s biodiversity and climate resilience agenda.

The Ambassador expressed deep appreciation for Germany’s longstanding support for biodiversity conservation in Southeast Asia.  She underscored Germany’s new status as an ASEAN Sectoral Dialogue Partner, noting it opens pathways for an even stronger engagement with ASEAN, including in climate action and biodiversity. 

The Forum discussed approaches to biodiversity, the production and use of scientific knowledge, indigenous knowledge systems, science communication, innovative development financing mechanisms, and the recently-concluded 17th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD COP17). 

 

Dr. Jerome Montemayor, Executive Director of the ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity (ACB) keynoted the event. He highlighted the Centre’s work as a regional platform that connects countries, institutions, experts, and communities.  Guided by the ASEAN Biodiversity Plan, the ACB helps align regional priorities with the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, while recognizing the diverse circumstances and capacities of the ASEAN Member States. He also presented ACB’s key initiatives including programs with indigenous communities, local organizations, women and youth.

Professor Dr. Dagmar Schäfer, Co-Director of the Max Planck-NTU Singapore Centre for Biocultural Worlding, and a historian of science, brought a biocultural perspective to the program, linking biodiversity conservation with cultural diversity and local knowledge systems that respond to communities’ circumstances and promotes durable outcomes.

The event also featured a panel entitled, “Navigating New Approaches and Realities for Nature: Biodiversity Cooperation between ASEAN and Germany,” which brought together top minds in the biodiversity and development finance spheres namely,  Professor Johannes Vogel, Ph.D. of the Museum for Natural History Berlin; Prof. Dr. Denise Margaret Matias of the Eberswalde University for Sustainable Development; Ms. Vibeke Christensen of KfW Development Bank;  Dr. Julia Voss of the Centre for Biocultural Worlding’s Advisory Board and Dr. Montemayor.  

Questions from the floor sparked discussions on the increasingly important interface between scientists and policymakers, industry, and communities to translate research into practical, locally-grounded solutions; ensuring that local communities and institutions are co-leaders and partners in research; and cooperation approaches that reward stewardship while helping communities participate more meaningfully in discussions about their environment. 

In his remarks, Professor Dr. Christoph Markschies, President of the Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities, welcomed the forum’s efforts to foster dialogue on biodiversity — a topic that featured prominently on the Academy’s early agenda. He noted the timeliness of the discussion as the Academy reconnects with its roots and revisits the priorities of its earliest members. 86 Nobel laureates have been among those who shaped the Academy’s history, including Albert Einstein.

In his closing remarks, Malaysian Ambassador to Germany Mohamad Razdan Jamil, Chair of the Berlin ASEAN Committee, underscored the importance of developed nations fulfilling their commitments to provide adequate, predictable and accessible financial resources, together with effective technology transfer and capacity-building — to complement, rather than substitute, the commitments of developed nations under the Convention on Biological Diversity.  He likewise called for the Global Biodiversity Framework Fund tobe made more accessible and responsive to the needs of developing nations and for transparent, predictable financing arrangements aligned with national priorities. 

The forum was in line with the Philippines’ Chairship of ASEAN in 2026 and was held days after the CBD COP17 in Yerevan, Armenia, from 19 to 30 October 2026. -END.