Background
In its decision
XII/2, the Conference of the Parties (COP) welcomed the efforts of the Executive Secretary to further facilitate and promote, in cooperation with the secretariats of other biodiversity-related conventions and the implementing agencies of the Global Environment Facility, capacity-building support to Parties and indigenous and local communities for the effective implementation of the Convention and its Protocols. The COP also noted the need for continued capacity-building support to Parties, especially the developing countries among them, in order to further enhance the implementation of the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020 and the achievement of the Aichi Biodiversity Targets.
In paragraph 8(d) of the same decision the COP requested the Executive Secretary to undertake:
- an evaluation of the effectiveness of capacity-building activities that the Secretariat has supported and facilitated, including recommendations on how to further integrate the needs expressed by Parties using participatory approaches;
- a review of related partnership arrangements and opportunities for delivery; and
- an analysis of the gaps in capacity-building activities supporting the implementation of the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020,
and, building on these elements, develop a short-term action plan to enhance and support capacity-building, especially for developing countries, in particular the least developed countries and small island developing States, and countries with economies in transition, and to convene an expert group to examine the proposed short-term action plan prior to its submission to the Subsidiary Body on Implementation at its first meeting, for its consideration prior to the thirteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties.
Pursuant to the above requests, the Executive Secretary issued a
notification inviting National Focal Points and participants (including government officials and representatives of indigenous peoples and local communities) who took part in capacity building activities facilitated and/or supported by the Secretariat during the period 2013-2015 to complete a survey to evaluate the overall effectiveness of those activities and make recommendations for improvement, including how the needs expressed by Parties could be further integrated using participatory approaches. The Executive Secretary also reviewed existing partnership arrangements and opportunities for delivery of capacity-building support to Parties and analyzed the needs of Parties and the gaps in capacity-building activities supporting the implementation of the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity, based on the information provided by Parties in their national reports, national biodiversity strategies and actions plans (NBSAPs) and national capacity self-assessment (NSCA) reports.
