Recognizing that the work under the Cartagena Protocol has increasingly become separated from the work of the Convention resulting in biosafety receiving less attention in implementation and funding,
Recognizing also the limitations that exist in the current organization of the meetings of the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Protocol back-to-back with the meetings of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention, in terms of achieving a meaningful integration of the work of the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety into the work of the Convention,
Taking note of the
recommendation 5/2 of the Ad Hoc Open-ended Working Group on Review of Implementation of the Convention, as regards integrated approaches to the implementation of the Convention and its Protocols with a view to improving efficiencies,
Also taking note of the plan for the organization of concurrent meetings of the Conference of the Parties and Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Protocol prepared by the Executive Secretary,
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Recognizing that planning for the organization of concurrent meetings of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention and the meetings of the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to its Protocols is an iterative process,
Recognizing also the need for ensuring the availability of financial resources to support the participation of representatives from developing country Parties, in particular the least developed and small island developing States among them, and Parties with economies in transition, in the three concurrent meetings,
Recalling paragraph 2 of Article 32 of the Convention and Article 29 of the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety which provide that decisions under the Protocol shall be taken only by the Parties to the Protocol,
1.Decides to hold its future ordinary meetings concurrently with the meetings of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention in the same two-week period in which the meetings of the Conference of the Parties of the Convention are held;
2.Calls upon developed country Parties to increase their contributions to the relevant voluntary trust funds to ensure the full and effective participation of representatives from developing country Parties, in particular the least developed and small island developing States among them, and Parties with economies in transition, in the concurrent meetings;
3.Requests the Executive Secretary to further refine the plan for the organization of concurrent meetings in the light of
recommendation 5/2 of the Ad hoc Open-ended Working Group on Review of Implementation of the Convention with a specific focus on the legal, financial and logistical implications of organizing these meetings concurrently, including, by:
(a)Clarifying how the two-week period may be allocated to undertake the work of the three meetings, including the integrity of decision-making under the Convention and the Protocols;
(b)Further considering the practices and lessons learned in organizing concurrent meetings under other multilateral environmental agreements, such as the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, and the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions cluster;
(c)Drawing lessons from the experience gained as a result of the organization of the twelfth meeting of the Conference of the Parties concurrently with the first meeting of the Parties to the Nagoya Protocol;
(d)Reviewing the level of participation of developing country Parties and their representation in relevant sessions of the concurrent meetings referred to in paragraphs (b) and (c) above;
(e)Taking appropriate steps towards streamlining the agenda of the meetings of the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Protocol;
4.Requests the Executive Secretary to submit the plan, as revised in accordance with paragraph 3 above to any intersessional process for the preparation of the concurrent organization of the meetings as may be established by the twelfth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention;
5.Decides to establish criteria for reviewing experience with the concurrent organization of the meetings at its ninth meeting, in 2018, in order to complete the review at its tenth meeting, in 2020;
6.Invites the Conference of the Parties to the Convention at its twelfth meeting to take this decision into account in its deliberations related to the organization of concurrent meetings;
The Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety,
Recalling paragraph 4, Article 29 of the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety, which elaborates the measures that the Conference of Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Protocol is expected to take for the purpose of keeping under review the implementation of the Protocol,
Recalling also Article 30 of the Protocol, which stipulates that any subsidiary body established by or under the Convention may serve the Protocol if so decided by the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety, and in which case the meeting of the Parties is required to specify which functions that subsidiary body has to exercise,
Considering the terms of reference of a subsidiary body on implementation prepared by the Executive Secretary in accordance with the recommendation of the Ad Hoc Open-ended Working Group on Review of Implementation of the Convention at its fifth meeting,
Recognizing the benefits of integrated approaches to the review and support of the implementation of the Convention and its Protocols,
Recognizing also the importance of the full and effective participation of all Parties, especially developing country Parties, in particular least developed countries and small island developing States, and Parties with economies in transition, in the meetings of the subsidiary body on implementation,
1.Decides that the Subsidiary Body on Implementation, if established by the Conference of the Parties to the Convention at its twelfth meeting, will also serve the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety;
2.Agrees that the terms of reference of the Subsidiary Body on Implementation, as may be adopted by Conference of the Parties to the Convention at its twelfth meeting on the basis of the proposal of the Executive Secretary,
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mutatis mutandis, to the Subsidiary Body on Implementation when serving the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety;
3.Invites the twelfth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention to take this decision into account in its deliberations related to the establishment of a subsidiary body on implementation as well as any views expressed in this regard, including on the terms of reference for this body, as reflected in the report of this meeting.
