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COP 8 Decision VIII/19

Forest biological diversity: implementation of the programme of work

A. Consideration of matters arising from the implementation of paragraph 19 of decision VI/22

The Conference of the Parties,

Recalling paragraph 19 of decision VI/22 of the Conference of the Parties in which the Executive Secretary was requested to initiate a series of actions in support of the implementation of the expanded programme of work on forest biodiversity,

Mindful that many fora and organizations, including the United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF), the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the World Bank and other members of the Collaborative Partnership on Forests, as well as regional forest-related processes have information on sustainable forest management and national forest programmes, including on forest law enforcement and related trade and cross-sectoral integration,

1. Welcomes the note prepared by the Executive Secretary on matters arising from the implementation of paragraph 19 of decision VI/22 (UNEP/CBD/SBSTTA/11/14) and the report on the effects of insufficient law enforcement on forest biological diversity (UNEP/CBD/SBSTTA/11/INF/12), and the compilation of best practices to reduce negative impacts and enhance positive impacts of other sectoral policies on forest biological diversity (UNEP/CBD/SBSTTA/11/INF/13);

2. Expresses its appreciation to those Parties, other Governments, non-governmental organizations, members of the Collaborative Partnership on Forests, regional forest-related processes, other United Nations bodies and conventions, intergovernmental organizations, and research institutes for their various inputs and collaborative efforts in the implementation of the different actions outlined in subparagraphs 19 (a)-(g) of decision VI/22;

3. Invites Parties to strengthen their efforts to promote sustainable forest management, to improve forest law enforcement and to address related trade, and reiterates its invitation to Parties to provide information on these subjects according to paragraph 19(e) of decision VI/22, particularly on their effects on forest biological diversity as a contribution to the review of the expanded programme of work on forest biological diversity, in the context of the activities delineated under its objective 4, goal 1, of programme element 2;

4. Requests the Executive Secretary to:

(a) Strengthen collaboration on issues regarding the promotion of sustainable forest management, including, as appropriate, forest law enforcement, governance and related trade, with the UNFF, the International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO), the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR), the World Bank, other members of the Collaborative Partnership on Forests, and regional forest-related processes in order to complement and contribute to ongoing processes and initiatives, 1 / as appropriate, with a view to improving the implementation of relevant activities of the expanded programme of work on forest biological diversity;

(b) Synthesize, in collaboration with relevant members of the Collaborative Partnership on Forests, existing information on the way Parties are promoting the implementation of their national forest programmes and national biodiversity strategies and action plans;

(c) Develop in collaboration with stakeholders and taking into account the work of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF), relevant members of the Collaborative Partnership on Forests, relevant regional forest-related processes such as the Ministerial Conference on the Protection of Forests in Europe (MCPFE), the Montreal Process, and COMIFAC (Commission des Forêts d’Afrique Centrale), a toolkit on cross-sectoral, integrated approaches making best use of already existing instruments, notably national forest programmes, to reduce negative impacts and enhance positive impacts of other sectoral policies on forest biological diversity, for consideration of SBSTTA at its thirteenth meeting, and to disseminate it through electronic and non-electronic means;

(d) Suspend the operation of the forest web portal of the Convention on Biological Diversity because of its low rate of use, and re-direct Parties, via a hyperlink to the Collaborative Partnership on Forests’ Joint Information Framework web site, hosted by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations; 2 /

(e) Complete the assessment on unauthorized harvesting on fauna (including bushmeat) as proposed in document UNEP/CBD/SBSTTA/11/INF/12 and finalize the compilation of best practices outlined in document UNEP/CBD/SBSTTA/11/INF/13;

(f) Compile the lessons learned from paragraph 19 of decision VI/22, in particular those under subparagraph (f) on sustainable use;

(g) Explore further means to strengthen the exchange of information and capacity‑building related to the implementation of the expanded programme of work on forest biological diversity through non-web based means, such as CD-Rom and hard copies and to enhance sharing of practical and useful web-based forest information;

5. Recalling paragraph 28 of decision VI/22 and paragraphs 7 and 11 (b) of decision VII/11, encourages Parties to continue to integrate the ecosystem approach and sustainable forest management into policies and practices and to further strengthen the institutional and human capacity for implementing adaptive management;

6. Invites the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations to incorporate the forest-related information of the Convention on Biological Diversity more comprehensively into the web portal of the Collaborative Partnership on Forests;

7. Urges Parties and other Governments to strengthen collaboration at the national level between the focal point for the World Heritage Convention, the Convention on Biological Diversity, and United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) focal points respectively, in order to increase the effectiveness of implementation of the expanded programme of work on forest biological diversity, and the programme of work on protected areas, in designated World Heritage sites, taking into account the relevance of the programme of work on protected areas for the implementation of programme element 1, goal 3, objective 3 of the expanded programme of work on forest biological diversity;

B. Other matters

The Conference of the Parties,

Noting the outcomes derived from the sixth session of the United Nations Forum on Forests as a positive step towards achieving sustainable forest management,

Welcoming in particular, the four shared Global Objectives on Forests agreed at the sixth session of the United Nations Forum on Forests, where Parties committed to work globally and nationally and to make progress toward their achievement by 2015, and noting that the implementation of the expanded programme of work on forest biological diversity will contribute toward the achievement of these four global objectives,

Recognizing the uncertainties related to the potential environmental and socio-economic impacts, including long-term and transboundary impacts, of genetically modified trees on global forest biological diversity, as well as on the livelihoods of indigenous and local communities, and given the absence of reliable data and of capacity in some countries to undertake risk assessments and to evaluate those potential impacts,

1. Instructs the Executive Secretary to continue his engagement in the Collaborative Partnership on Forests;

2. Recommends Parties to take a precautionary approach when addressing the issue of genetically modified trees;

3. Requests the Executive Secretary to collect and collate existing information, including peer-reviewed published literature, in order to allow SBSTTA to consider and assess the potential environmental, cultural, and socio-economic impacts of genetically modified trees on the conservation and sustainable use of forest biological diversity, and to report to the ninth meeting of the Conference of the Parties;

4. Invites Parties, other Governments and relevant organizations, including indigenous and local communities, as well as relevant stakeholders, to provide relevant views and information to the Secretariat for inclusion in this assessment;

C. Review of implementation of the expanded programme of work on forest biological diversity

The Conference of the Parties

1. Requests the Executive Secretary to carry out an in‑depth review of the expanded programme of work following the proposed review process as delineated in the annex to the present decision, and, subject to availability of financial resources, to convene at least one meeting of the Ad Hoc Technical Expert Group (AHTEG) on Review of Implementation of the Programme of Work on Forest Biological Diversity established by the Conference of the Parties under the terms of reference agreed in paragraph 26 of decision VI/22 in order to complete its original mandate;

2. Requests the Executive Secretary in accordance to paragraph 26 (c) of decision VI/22, concerning membership of the Ad Hoc Technical Expert Group, to increase representation for bio-geographical regions with little or no current representation;

3. Encourages Parties and other relevant stakeholders to access existing information on forest related reporting when finalizing the third and preparing the fourth national report, for example, through the Joint Information Framework for Forest-Related Reporting website of the Collaborative Partnership on Forests and other non-web-based means;

4. Encourages the Task Force on Streamlining Forest-related Reporting of the Collaborative Partnership on Forests to continue its work towards reducing reporting burden and minimizing duplication of reporting requests.

Annex

PROPOSAL ON THE REVIEW OF IMPLEMENTATION OF THE EXPANDED PROGRAMME OF WORK ON FOREST BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY

A. Sources of information

1. Relevant sources of information that will contribute to the review of implementation of the expanded programme of work on forest biological diversity are listed as follows:

(a) The primary source information is to be extracted from the third national report submitted by Parties to the Convention in 2005; 3 /

(b) Other forest-related information in the form of national reports previously submitted to the Convention on Biological Diversity, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the International Tropical Timber Agreement (but only for countries members of the International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO)), the United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF), the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), and the United Nations Framework on Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), that can be accessed at the Collaborative Partnership on Forest’s Joint Information Framework for Forest-Related Reporting web site and regional criteria and indicators processes; 4 /

(c) Information contained in voluntary thematic reports produced, in the framework of the Convention, on forest biological diversity (thematic report on forest ecosystems submitted in 2001, 5 / voluntary report on progress of implementation of the expanded programme of work in 2003. 6 /);

(d) “Country profiles” produced by the Commission for Sustainable Development as well as national reports;

(e) Relevant information on progress made in National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans and National Forest Programmes;

(f) Questionnaires to international organizations to gauge implementation at the international level; 7 /

(g) Review of implementation by non-governmental organizations dealing with indigenous and local communities (e.g., Global Forest Coalition review of the forest-related clauses in the Convention; 8 / Forest People’s Programme on indigenous people’s experiences of biodiversity conservation activities funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF); 9 / reports to the United Nations Forum on Forests; 10 / summary Report of the Expert Meeting on Traditional Forest-Related Knowledge and the Implementation of Related International Commitments 11 / );

(h) Peer–reviewed, independent reports carried out by international non-governmental organizations and scientific bodies; and

(i) International/global/regional forest assessments, including the FAO Forest Resources Assessment and Yearbook of Forest Products, the FAO State of the World’s Forests reports, the FAO regional outlook studies, the FAO national forest programme updates, the ITTO annual review and assessment of the world timber situation, 12 / the ITTO upcoming review on the status of sustainable forest management, review by the United Nations Forum on Forests of progress made on the proposals for action put forward by the Intergovernmental Panel on Forests (IPF)/Intergovernmental Forum on Forests (IFF), 13 / assessment reports under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)/Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment, the second Global Biodiversity Outlook, and the reports of the Ministerial Conference for the Protection of Forests in Europe (MCPFE) on the state of Europe’s forests and sustainable forest management in Europe.

B. Technical components of the review

2. The review of implementation of the expanded programme of work on forest biological diversity shall carry out, whenever feasible and relevant, the following activities as they relate to the section on forest biodiversity within the third national report to the Convention, and other relevant sources as mentioned in paragraph 5 of the note by the Executive Secretary on advice on the review of the expanded programme of work on forest biological diversity (UNEP/CBD/SBSTTA/11/15), taking into account annex III to recommendation 1/8 of the Working Group on Review of Implementation of the Convention;

3. A background report will be prepared by the Executive Secretary in collaboration with the AHTEG on the Review of Implementation of the Programme of Work on Forest Biological Diversity on status and trends in forest biological diversity and on the review of the implementation of the expanded programme of work on forest biodiversity. The report will cover:

(a) Analysis and presentation of the information in a regional context, including maps;

(b) Analysis and synthesis of the information submitted in written form in the third national report (as opposed to only reporting frequency of compliance for a given question), including information arising from the implementation of activities contained in paragraph 19 of decision VI/22;

(c) Assessment of the adequacy of the expanded programme of work on forest biological diversity in addressing national priorities, including those related to rehabilitation and long-term restoration of forest cover;

(d) Identification of information gaps by clustering those questions with poor responses;

(e) Consideration of options for analysing, synthesizing, presenting, and publishing the information submitted, including through the clearing‑house mechanism, in order to provide feedback to Parties and enhance the value and ownership of the reported information;

(f) Analysis of the information by identifying, developing, and/or elaborating on (but not limited to):

(i) Major global and regional benefits and problems in implementing the programme of work;

(ii) Most implemented goals and/or objectives;

(iii) Least implemented goals and/or objectives;

(iv) Not implemented goals and/or objectives;

(v) Conclusions on a regional basis;

(vi) Conclusions on a global basis;

(vii) Suggestions for improvement to the forest work programme and ways forward;

(viii) Lessons learned and best practices;

(ix) Identification of barriers to implementation in the context of priorities for capacity-building;

(g) An overall assessment on:

(i) If and how the forest work programme has been a helpful tool in reducing the loss of forest biodiversity;

(ii) How the forest work programme has been helpful in addressing the three objectives of the Convention;

Future priorities, opportunities, and challenges for the further implementation of the forest work programme;

4. There are a number of technical limitations to the review of the information contained in the forest biodiversity section of the third national report. These limitations need to be noted in the introduction to the review and taken into account when conducting this review. Some specific examples of limitations to the information include:

(a) The inability to assess status and trends directly, because most of the questions were not designed for this purpose;

(b) Different interpretations and hence different answers to questions;

(c) Often the absence of baseline data.

5. Assessment and identification of successes, challenges, and obstacles to implementation, as well as on the effects of the types of scientific and technical measures taken and tools used in implementing the expanded programme of work on forest biological diversity will be drawn from the third national reports and other sources of relevant information as appropriate.

6. Taking into account limitations identified in paragraph 4 above the review will address status and trends in forest biological diversity, the effectiveness and the constraints of the expanded programme of work on forest biological diversity and matters requiring further consideration arising from paragraph 19 of decision VI/22. The review will provide recommendations on subject matters associated with the work programme and possible ways and means to develop, design and/or refine the future programme of work on forest biological diversity.

 

 

 


1 / Tarapoto Process in the context of the Amazon Cooperation Treaty; Forest Law Enforcement and Governance (FLEG) Ministerial Processes in South East Asia and Pacific, Africa, and Europe and North Asia; and the Forest Law Enforcement and Governance and Trade (FLEGT) Action Plan of the European Union; and other relevant processes and initiatives.

2 / www.fao.org/forestry/site/2082/en

3 / At its first meeting, in 2003, the Group developed a refined questionnaire on forest biological diversity within the format of the third national report, structured around the 12 goals and 27 objectives of the expanded forest work programme, and later adopted by the Conference of the Parties in its decision VII/25.

4 / www.fao.org/forestry/site/26880/en.

5 / Available at http://www.biodiv.org/world/reports.aspx?type=for

6 / Available at http://www.biodiv.org/world/reports.aspx?type=vfe

7 / To this end, the Group developed, in its first meeting in 2003, a questionnaire directed at International organizations, including all members of the Collaborative Partnership on Forests. The questionnaire format was adopted at the seventh meeting of the Conference of the Parties and sent in 2004.

8 / See “Status of implementation of Forest-related Clauses in the CBD”. March 2002. FERN-Global Forest Coalition.

9 / Griffiths, T. 2005. Indigenous Peoples and the Global Environment Facility (GEF). Forest Peoples Programme.

10 / Fifth session of the United Nations Forum on Forests. report on traditional forest related knowledge and the implementation of related international commitments: International Alliance of Indigenous and Tribal Peoples of the Tropical Forests, 6-10 December 2004, San Jose, Costa Rica (E/CN.18/2005/16)

11 / Costa Rica, 2004; International Alliance of Indigenous and Tribal Peoples of the Tropical Forests

12 / http://www.itto.or.jp/live/Live_Server/400/E-Annual%20Review%202004.pdf

13 / Fifth session of the United Nations Forum on Forests. Report of the Secretary-General on the review of the effectiveness of the international arrangement on forest (E/CN.18/2005/6).