In its recommendation VI/5, SBSTTA requested the Executive Secretary to develop and maintain a list of ongoing and proposed assessments within the various thematic programmes and cross-cutting areas of the Convention.

Through decision V/20, the COP requested SBSTTA to identify and, where needed, further develop, procedures and methods to undertake or participate in scientific assessments, or make use of existing ones and to provide advice to Parties on scientific assessment design and implementation. COP further requested SBSTTA to identify and regularly update, within the context of its programme of work, assessment priorities and information needs.

The database of assessments has been developed in response to these requests. Through its search functions the database represents a resource to provide information to Parties and other partners on completed, ongoing and planned assessments. It is envisaged to develop a mechanism that will allow adding relevant assessments by interested partners and should the database should thus become a tool for activly sharing information on scientific assessments relevant to the Convention.

Note: The database content builds on the List of ongoing and proposed assessments in thematic areas of the Convention on Biological Diversity (UNEP/SCBD/SBSTTA/10/INF/3) presented to SBSTTA-10.