Submission of views on the Draft Voluntary Guidelines

From: Executive Secretary, Convention on Biological Diversity

To: CBD National Focal Points and SBSTTA Focal Points; other Governments; relevant organizations

Subject: Submission of views on the Draft Voluntary Guidelines for the consideration of Biodiversity in Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) and Strategic Environmental Assessments (SEAs) in Marine and Coastal Areas

Thematic area: Marine and Coastal Biodiversity 

Ref.: SCBD/STTM/DC/JL/JG/79813

NOTIFICATION

No. 2012-069

Madam/Sir,

You will recall that, pursuant to paragraph 50 of decision X/29, the Executive Secretary facilitated the development of voluntary guidelines for the consideration of biodiversity in environmental impact assessments (EIAs) and strategic environmental assessments (SEAs) in marine and coastal areas, building upon the existing voluntary guidelines endorsed through decision VIII/28.

Drafts of the voluntary guidelines, together with background information, were circulated to Parties, other Governments and organizations for technical peer review through notification 2011-212, issued on 7 November 2011. The comments from the technical peer-review are reflected in the draft voluntary guidelines (UNEP/CBD/SBSTTA/16/7/Add.1) and the background document (UNEP/CBD/SBSTTA/16/INF/16) prepared for the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice (SBSTTA), at its 16th meeting, held in Montreal, 30 April to 5 May 2012.

At this meeting, SBSTTA prepared a recommendation to the Conference of the Parties on this matter and also requested the Executive Secretary to refine the voluntary guidelines for the consideration of biodiversity in environmental impact assessments and strategic environmental assessments in marine and coastal areas in light of views submitted by Parties, other Governments and relevant organizations by 30 June 2012.

In this context, I am pleased to invite you to send your views on the draft voluntary guidelines contained in document UNEP/CBD/SBSTTA/16/7/Add.1 (available at the following link: http://www.cbd.int/doc/?meeting=SBSTTA-16) to the CBD Secretariat by email, as a word document attachment to secretariat@cbd.int, at your earliest convenience, but no later than 30 June 2012.

The text of this notification is also available on the CBD website at: http://www.cbd.int/doc/notifications/2012/ntf-2012-069-marine-en.pdf

Please accept, Madam/Sir, the assurances of my highest consideration.

Braulio Ferreira de Souza Dias

Executive Secretary

Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity

United Nations Environment Programme

413 Saint-Jacques Street, Suite 800

Montreal, Quebec, Canada

H2Y 1N9

Expert Meeting on the Modalities of Operation of the Access and Benefit-sharing Clearing-House

From: Executive Secretary, Convention on Biological Diversity

To: CBD Focal Points, ABS Focal Points, International organizations, indigenous and local community organizations and relevant stakeholders

Subject: Expert Meeting on the Modalities of Operation of the Access and Benefit-sharing Clearing-House, 11-14 April 2011, Montreal, Canada

Thematic area: Access to Genetic Resources and Benefit-sharing

Ref.: SCBD/ABS/VN/SG/74725

NOTIFICATION

No. 2011-009

Madam/Sir,

Article 14 of the Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefit-sharing establishes an Access and Benefit-sharing Clearing-House (ABS Clearing-House) as part of the clearing-house mechanism under Article 18, paragraph 3 of the Convention. The ABS Clearing-House is a means for the sharing of information related to access and benefit-sharing and it shall provide access to information made available by each Party relevant to the implementation of the Protocol.

In accordance with Decision X/1, paragraph 12 and Annex II, the Open-ended Ad-hoc Intergovernmental Committee for the Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefit-sharing will consider the modalities of operation of the ABS Clearing-House, including reports on its activities, at its first meeting, from 6 to 10 June 2011. In preparation for this first meeting of the Intergovernmental Committee, I am pleased to inform you that an Expert Meeting will be held on the modalities of operation of the ABS Clearing-House, from 11-14 April 2011, in Montreal, Canada, thanks to the generous financial contribution of the European Commission. The meeting will be held in the English language.

The expert meeting will focus on practical considerations related to the establishment of the ABS Clearing-House with a view to provide input to the first meeting of the Intergovernmental Committee and to assist countries with the early ratification and implementation of the Nagoya Protocol. The meeting will build on existing experience and lessons learned from the establishment of other clearing house mechanisms, in particular the Biosafety Clearing-House. The report of the expert meeting will be made available to the first meeting of the Intergovernmental Committee for its consideration.

Documents for the meeting, including an information note for participants, will be made available as soon as practicable on the website of the Convention at the following address: http://www.cbd.int/meetings/.

Nomination and Selection of Experts/Observers

The group of experts will be regionally balanced and composed of 8 experts per region selected on the basis of nominations by Parties. In addition, 10 observers from international organizations and agreements, industry, research institutions and/or academia, botanical gardens and other ex situ collection holders, non-governmental organizations and indigenous and local communities will also be invited to participate.

Each Party is invited to nominate one expert. International organizations and agreements, industry, research institutions and/or academia, botanical gardens and other ex situ collection holders, non-governmental organizations and indigenous and local communities are also invited to nominate one expert as an observer to the meeting. The deadline for nominations is 18 February 2011.

Nominated experts should have knowledge in the fields of access and benefit-sharing, and practical experience with regard to information-sharing and knowledge management systems and the establishment of clearing-houses. The curriculum vitae of the nominated experts/observers should be included with the nominations submitted to the Secretariat.

Based on the nominations received, the Executive Secretary in consultation with the Bureau, will select participants in the meeting. As per usual practice, the experts will be selected on the basis of their expertise, the need to ensure fair and equitable geographical distribution, as well as gender balance.

Nominations should be submitted through an official letter addressed to the Executive Secretary by fax to +1 514 288 6588, or by email as a scanned attachment to: secretariat@cbd.int.

The full text of this notification is available on the CBD website at: http://www.cbd.int/doc/notifications/2011/ntf-2011-009-abs-chm-en.pdf

Please accept, Madam/Sir, the assurances of my highest consideration.

Ahmed Djoghlaf
Executive Secretary
Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity
United Nations Environment Programme
413 Saint-Jacques Street, Suite 800
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
H2Y 1N9

Tel: +1 514 288 2220
Faxx: +1 514 288 6588
E-mail: secretariat@cbd.int
Web: http://www.cbd.int

CBD Notification 2009-169: Revision and updating of the Strategic Plan

From: Executive Secretary, Convention on Biological Diversity
To: CBD National Focal Points and Relevant Organizations

Subject: Revision and updating of the Strategic Plan of the Convention for the post-2010 Period: Possible Outline and Elements of the New Strategic Plan

Thematic area: Strategic Plan / 2010 Biodiversity Target

Ref.: SCBD/ITS/DC/LC/69800

NOTIFICATION
No. 2009-169

Dear Madam/Sir,

I am pleased to inform you that a discussion document on the Revision and Updating of the Strategic Plan of the Convention for the Post-2010 Period: Possible Outline and Elements of the New Strategic Plan (UNEP/CBD/SP/PREP/2) is available for your review at: https://www.cbd.int/sp/sp2010+/

As you are aware, the Conference of the Parties to the Convention, at its tenth meeting in Nagoya, Japan, in October 2010, is due to adopt a revised and updated Strategic Plan for the CBD, including post-2010 biodiversity target(s), on the basis of a recommendation by the third meeting of the Ad hoc Open-ended Working Group on the Review of Implementation of the Convention (WGRI-3) and inputs from the fourteenth meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice (SBSTTA-14), both to be held in Nairobi in May 2010. As set out in decision IX/9, Parties and observers are invited to submit their views on the process. The aforementioned document (UNEP/CBD/SP/PREP/2) is intended to stimulate further discussions and inputs from Parties and all stakeholders. In addition, a number of consultations are being organized. Full information is provided at the above-mentioned webpage.

Submissions should reach secretariat@cbd.int no later than 11 January 2010, so that they can be taken into account in the preparation of relevant documentation for WGRI-3 and SBSTTA-14.

The full text of this notification is available on the CBD website at: http://www.cbd.int/doc/notifications/2009/ntf-2009-169-sp-en.pdf

Please accept, Madam/Sir, the assurances of my highest consideration.

Ahmed Djoghlaf
Executive Secretary
Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity
United Nations Environment Programme
413 Saint-Jacques Street, Suite 800
Montreal , Quebec , Canada
H2Y 1N9

Tel: +1 514 288 2220
Fax: +1 514 288 6588
E-mail: secretariat@cbd.int
Web: http://www.cbd.int