. Role of the clearing-house mechanism in promoting technical cooperation to achieve the 2010 target and facilitating information exchange on progress made

Role of the clearing-house mechanism in promoting technical cooperation to achieve the 2010 target and facilitating information exchange on progress made

The Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice

Recommends that the Conference of the Parties:

1.      Requests Parties to:

(a)      Promote long-term partnerships, including twinning partnerships, among Parties on how to facilitate and stimulate effective scientific cooperation, technology transfer and technical cooperation;

(b)      Facilitate the exchange of information by using common formats, protocols and standards to make data and information interoperable;

(c)      Make accessible through the clearing-house mechanism:

(i)      Links to other relevant existing information on cartographic and remote sensing data and information on geo-referenced data,;

(ii      Information on existing indicators, developed at national, subregional, regional and international levels and priorities related to the use of indicators;

(d)      Make available in the public domain, whenever possible and as appropriate, data and information to facilitate exchange and use of such data and information;

(e)      Translate technical and scientific information and literature to increase access, to and use by, local and scientific communities and researchers and local communities;

(f)      Use the clearing-house mechanism, among other means, to support access to reporting on the use of indicators and information on progress made by Parties in meeting the 2010 target;

2.       Requests the Executive Secretary, in consultation with the informal advisory committee for the clearing-house mechanism, to:

(a) Propose new ways and means to enhance the role and function of the clearing-house mechanism as a mechanism for cooperation on technology transfer and technical and scientific cooperation;

(b) Explore ways and means to promote long-term partnerships mentioned in paragraph 1 (a) of the present recommendation;

(c) Provide support to regional networking initiatives as part of the clearing-house mechanism;

(d) Provide information through the clearing-house mechanism on new tools to assist Parties and other Governments in assessing progress made in meeting the 2010 target, particularly tools related to geographic information systems, geo-referenced data and models based on that data;

(e) Use the clearing-house mechanism, among other means, to promote and facilitate greater synergies among Parties and other Governments with regard to activities related to the Millennium Development Goals and the 2010 target, especially activities on data and information exchange and assessment of progress made toward the meeting of goals;

(f) Collaborate, to the extent possible, with existing information exchange initiatives such as the Global Biodiversity Information Facility, World Conservation Monitoring Centre of the United Nations Environment Programme and the Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS), Inter-American Biodiversity Network (IABIN), and the Pacific Basin Biodiversity Information Forum (PBIF), among others, to promote greater interoperability of data, exchange of information and capacity-building initiatives in support of the 2010 target;

(g) Organize technical workshops and provide new training programmes on new information technologies, geographical information systems and data management, to strengthen national capacities with regard to activities related to the 2010 target, especially in developing countries, in particular the least developed and small island developing States among them, and countries with economies in transition;

(h) Develop a metadata registry of information on national and regional cartographic information (geographic information systems and remote-sensing) from all thematic areas (including maps, satellite images and datasets to facilitate the creation of lists and directories of such information;

(i) Further enhance the clearing-house mechanism with more specific information on formats, protocols and standards to assist with issues related to the interoperability and exchange of data and information;

(j) Make available information on issues related to the repatriation of information;

(k) Explore, in conjunction with indigenous and local communities and other relevant stakeholders, collaboration with the Conservation Commons and other commons initiatives relevant to the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity;

(l) Make available through the clearing-house mechanism information on existing indicators developed at national, subregional, regional and international levels as appropriate;

(m) Develop an Internet-based portal dedicated to the Global Taxonomy Initiative in collaboration with the Coordination Mechanism of the Initiative.