Information

Emphasizing the vital importance of adequate financial resources for the implementation of the Convention on Biological Diversity and reaffirming the importance of providing new and additional financial resources through the financial mechanism in accordance with Article 20 of the Convention, Expressing its appreciation to those bilateral and regional funding institutions, United Nations institutions, intergovernmental organizations and nongovernmental organizations and convention secretariats that provided information regarding financial resources to the Conference of the Parties at its fifth meeting,

Noting that a number of funding institutions have increased financial support to biodiversity projects and activities or have taken this into account in their regular operations, Also noting the lack of comprehensive information about financial support to biological diversity,

Welcoming the pilot study on aid targeting the objectives of the Rio conventions being carried out by the Development Assistance Committee of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development,

1. Requests the Executive Secretary to further develop a database on biodiversity-related funding information, and make it available through the clearing-house mechanism and other means of communications, as appropriate;

2. Invites the Global Environment Facility to assist the Executive Secretary, in collaboration with the relevant international organizations and institutions, to convene a workshop on financing for biodiversity with a view to sharing knowledge and experience among funding institutions, and to explore the potential of the Global Environment Facility to act as a funding catalyst;

3. Recognizes the difficulties in developing a format for standardized information on financial support from developed country Parties for the objectives of the Convention and requests the workshop referred to in paragraph 2 of the present decision to provide further advice to the Executive Secretary on this matter;

4. Urges developed country Parties and encourages developing country Parties to establish a process to monitor financial support to biodiversity, and to provide further information in their national reports on financial support to biodiversity to the Conference of the Parties at its sixth meeting;

5. Invites, inter alia, funding institutions, United Nations bodies, intergovernmental organizations and non-governmental organizations to designate focal points, to develop a reporting relationship with the Convention, and to provide information to the Executive Secretary on their activities in support of the objectives of the Convention;

6. Recognizes that more complete information concerning the financial support, from all relevant sources, for the implementation of the objectives of the Convention, including the work programmes established by the Conference of the Parties, will assist it to develop further guidance to the financial mechanism and to better coordinate with other funding institutions;

7. Requests the Executive Secretary to explore further collaboration with the work on financial issues on Agenda 21 under the Commission on Sustainable Development, and to contribute to the High-Level Consultation on Financing for Development of the General Assembly in 2001;

8. Also requests the Executive Secretary to further develop collaboration with funding mechanisms of relevant conventions and agreements, and with relevant biodiversity-related programmes of international and regional organizations, and, as appropriate and upon request, to assist these in defining their funding strategies and programmes and in the promotion of capacity-building;

9. Urges developed country Parties to promote support for the implementation of the objectives of the Convention on Biological Diversity in the funding policy of their bilateral funding institutions and those of regional and multilateral funding institutions;

10. Urges developing country Parties to incorporate ways and means to support implementation of the objectives of the Convention on Biological Diversity into their dialogue with funding institutions;

11. Emphasizes the importance of financial support for the implementation of national biodiversity strategies and action plans and for capacity-building for implementation of the Cartagena Protocol;

12. Notes the cross-cutting nature of the involvement of the private sector, and resolves that the involvement of the private sector shall be included, as appropriate, on the agenda of the Conference of the Parties at its regular meetings and be integrated into the sectoral and thematic items under its programme of work;

13. Notes also that the involvement of all relevant stakeholders can contribute to the implementation of the Convention;

14. Invites Parties to include in their second national reports information on the involvement of the private sector;

15. Invites the United Nations Environment Programme, through its financial-sector initiatives, the World Bank and other financial institutions, to promote consideration of biological diversity by the financial sector;

16. Urges Parties, subject to their national legislation, to promote the consideration of tax exemptions in national taxation systems for biodiversity-related donations, and requests the Executive Secretary to encourage charitable institutions to support activities that promote the implementation of the Convention;

17. Requests the Executive Secretary to prepare a report on the implementation of the present decision for the consideration of the Conference of the Parties at its sixth meeting