The 21st meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice (SBSTTA-21) and the 10th meeting of the Ad Hoc Open-ended Working Group on Article 8(j) and Related Provisions (WG8(j)- 10) of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) will be held 11-16 December 2017, in Montréal, Canada. SBSTTA-21 and WG8(j)-10 will consider issues ranging from the Global Biodiversity Outlook and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development to the Plan of Action on Customary Sustainable Use and assessing the contributions of Indigenous Peoples’ and Local Communities’ collective actions. This position paper highlights key issues and additional considerations identifying ways of strengthening the draft recommendations to more appropriately recognise community conservation. It draws on the recommendations and perspectives of Indigenous peoples and local communities involved in the Community Conservation Resilience Initiative (CCRI). CCRI aims to contribute to the implementation of the CBD Aichi Targets by providing policy advice on effective and appropriate forms of support for community conservation and restoration initiatives by Indigenous peoples and local communities. Coordinated by the Global Forest Coalition (GFC), it has been supporting more than 70 communities in 22 countries to assess their own conservation efforts and to identify forms of support needed to sustain and strengthen them.