Scientific and
technical cooperation and the clearing-house mechanism (Article 18,
paragraph 3)
A.
The
clearing-house mechanism
The Conference of the Parties,
Taking note
of the note by the Executive Secretary on the
activities of the clearing-house mechanism during the
inter-sessional period (UNEP/CBD/COP/7/17/Add.1),
Noting with
satisfaction the concrete steps taken
towards making the clearing-house mechanism an effective tool for
promoting technical and scientific cooperation among
Parties,
1.
Decides to extend the mandate of the informal advisory
committee, as constituted and coordinated by the Executive
Secretary, and as defined by its operational guidelines;
2.
Also decides to review the continuation and mandate of the
informal advisory committee at the ninth meeting of the Conference
of the Parties;
3.
Calls upon Parties to:
(a) Use the
clearing-house mechanism toolkit to establish clearing-house
mechanism national focal points and websites, if they have not done
so already;
(b)
Contribute resources for the translation and maintenance in the six
official languages of the United Nations of the content of the
website of the Secretariat for the Convention and of the
clearing-house mechanism toolkit;
(c) Use the
controlled vocabulary for the Convention on Biological Diversity to
facilitate interoperability of information among national
clearing-house mechanisms;
4.
Invites developed country Parties to assist developing
countries Parties, through the clearing-house mechanism, in their
efforts to implement and use new information technologies,
including the establishment of websites;
5.
Invites Parties to develop regional clearing-house
mechanisms to further promote and facilitate technical and
scientific cooperation and the exchange of information on
technology transfer at the regional and national levels;
6.
Requests the Executive Secretary to use the clearing-house
mechanism, in collaboration with the informal advisory committee,
to continue to strengthen collaboration with international partners
and organizations for review at the eighth meeting of the
Conference of the Parties and to report on that collaboration,
including an elaboration of the relative roles of the
clearing-house mechanism and information facilities dealing in
particular with taxonomic databases including, IABIN
(Inter-American Biodiversity Information Network) hubs, BioNet
LOOPs (Locally Owned and Operated Partnerships), NatureServe CDCs
(Centres for Data Conservation), nodes of the Global Biodiversity
Information Facility and Species 2000 and the Integrated Taxonomic
Information System's Catalogue of Life;
7.
Also requests the Executive Secretary to:
(a) Update
the strategic plan of the clearing-house mechanism to 2009, in
collaboration with the informal advisory committee, for
consideration by the eighth meeting of the Conference of the
Parties;
(b) Convene,
subject to the availability of financial resources, regional
workshops as a catalysing mechanism to allow for the interaction of
international thematic focal points with the national focal points
to further enhance the scientific and technical cooperation goal of
the clearing-house mechanism and to build capacities at the
national level with regard to use of and access to new information
technologies;
(c) Update
the clearing-house mechanism toolkit to be used as a meta-toolkit,
linking the different existing toolkits with a view to optimize
their resources and assist users to choose the most appropriate
technology;
(d) Examine
ways to develop regional portals to visualize and exchange national
and regional cartographic information (geographic information
systems and remote-sensing) from all thematic areas (including
maps, satellite images and datasets);
(e) Advise
on ways the clearing-house mechanism can assist to make relevant
information interoperable among the three Rio conventions for review
at the eighth meeting of the Conference of the Parties;
(f) Develop
an Internet-based web portal on island biological diversity to
integrate, into the existing clearing-house mechanism, information
on relevant programmes or initiatives such as the Small Island Developing States
Network (SIDsnet), the Coastal Regions and Small Islands-UNESCO, the
Small Islands Voice and the small island developing states
activities programme of the United Nations Environment
Programme;
(g) Further
enhance the sections on the Convention's website related to
the programme areas and cross-cutting issues, by applying the
lessons learned from the development of the Biosafety
Clearing-House, especially its use of common formats, protocols and
standards, to increase interoperability of data and
information;
8.
Calls on the Informal Advisory Committee to assess the results of
the independent review of the clearing-house mechanism of the
Convention on Biological Diversity (UNEP/CBD/COP/7/INF/12) and
assist the Executive Secretary on measures and actions to be
undertaken to strengthen the clearing-house mechanism's role
in promoting technical and scientific cooperation, including its
role in facilitating the transfer of technology and know-how and
capacity-building to support implementation of the Convention at
the national level.
B.
Operational procedures for the informal advisory committee of the
clearing‑house mechanism
The Conference of the
Parties
Decides to adopt the operational
procedures for the informal advisory committee of the
clearing-house mechanism established by its decision III/4,
paragraph 10, as annexed to the present decision.
Annex
OPERATIONAL PROCEDURES FOR THE INFORMAL ADVISORY COMITTEE
A.
Objectives
1. The
informal advisory committee shall, in providing guidance to the
Executive Secretary, have the following objectives:
(a) Provide
advice on matters relating to the clearing house-mechanism, and in
particular, on how to improve the effectiveness of the clearing
house-mechanism as a mechanism to promote scientific and technical
cooperation and exchange information on the transfer of publicly
available expertise, technology and scientific
cooperation;
(b)
Facilitate the development and implementation of guidance from the
Conference of the Parties concerning the clearing house-mechanism
and the Strategic Plan of the clearing-house mechanism
(UNEP/CBD/COP/5/INF/3);
(c)
Facilitate and encourage cooperation with other relevant
international and regional scientific and technical cooperation and
technology transfer initiatives;
(d) Advise
on means to facilitate the implementation of the clearing-house
mechanism at the national level;
(e) Enhance
the scientific and technical cooperation benefits of all Convention
activities.
B.
Operational procedures
2. The
Executive Secretary, in constituting and coordinating the informal
advisory committee, shall seek to ensure regional balance and
relevant expertise and knowledge, including of relevant
international and regional scientific and technical cooperation
initiatives, and non-Governmental organizations.
C.
Membership
3. The
members of the informal advisory committee shall be selected by the
Executive Secretary. In selecting members, he shall seek to
ensure a balance of expertise and regional and biogeographical
balance.
4.
Informal advisory committee members shall be selected for their
expertise and understanding of the clearing-house mechanism and the
Convention, taking into account the need for expertise including:
scientific and technical cooperation; capacity‑building;
information exchange and sharing; and facilitating partnership with
other organizations and initiatives.
5.
Informal advisory committee members shall be selected for two
years. The term is renewable by the Executive Secretary.
6. The
Executive Secretary should ensure that changes in membership do not
affect the continuity of the work.
7.
Proxies may be agreed to by the Executive Secretary.
D.
Chair
8. The
Chair of the informal advisory committee shall be selected by the
Executive Secretary, after consultation with the members, and serve
for at least two years.
E.
Meetings
9.
Meetings shall be convened by the Executive Secretary and held
back-to-back with SBSTTA and meetings of the Conference of the
Parties. Additional meetings, electronic or in person, may be
convened by the Executive Secretary as required to ensure the
timely handling of issues.
10. The
draft agenda for each meeting shall, if possible, be made available
two months prior and otherwise at least one month prior to each
meeting, and be posted on the Convention on Biological Diversity
web site and notified to the informal advisory committee and
clearing house-mechanism national focal points by fax and/or
e-mail, and/or post.
11. Minutes
of each meeting, and related information documents, shall be posted
on the website of the Convention on Biological Diversity as soon as
practical following their review by the Executive Secretary.
This information will also be made available to the informal
advisory committee and clearing‑house mechanism national
focal points by fax or e-mail or post.
