In
decision 15/6, the fifteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties adopted an enhanced multidimensional approach to planning, monitoring, reporting and review, with a view to enhancing implementation of the Convention and of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, comprising voluntary peer reviews of NBSAPs, among other elements.
At its ninth and eleventh meetings, the Conference of the Parties requested the Executive Secretary to facilitate,
inter alia, voluntary review processes for implementation of NBSAPs.
At its twelfth meeting, the Conference of the Parties, in paragraph 3 of its
decision XII/29, took note of documents
UNEP/CBD/COP/12/25/Add.3 and
UNEP/CBD/COP/12/INF/24 prepared by the Executive Secretary, on a proposed pilot voluntary peer-review process for the NBSAPs, and requested the Executive Secretary, subject to the availability of resources, to develop a methodology for a voluntary peer-review process and to report to the Subsidiary Body on Implementation (
UNEP/CBD/SBI/1/10/Add.1). At its thirteenth meeting, the Conference of the Parties, through
decision XIII/25, took note of the progress made in the development of a voluntary peer-review mechanism, especially the development of a draft methodology for the review, and requested the Executive Secretary, subject to the availability of resources, to facilitate the further testing, and development of the methodology, including its application through a pilot phase, and to report on progress, including information on the cost of the pilot phase, to the Subsidiary Body on Implementation at its second meeting. At its fourteenth meeting, the Conference of the Parties, through
decision 14/29, welcomed the progress made in the development of the voluntary peer-review mechanism, and the positive result from the pilot phase initiated through decision XIII/25, and decided to include the voluntary peer review as an element of the multidimensional review approach under the Convention.
The Governments of Japan, Norway and Switzerland committed funds and resources to the further development of the voluntary peer review process.
An informal Working Group was established to continue to develop and test the proposed methodology (a total of 17 Parties nominated experts). An inception meeting of the Working Group was held in Tbilisi, Georgia from 11 to 13 February 2015. The meeting discussed the methodology presented to the twelfth meeting of the Conference of the Parties and developed a revised methodology and work plan. It also agreed that the revised methodology should be tested in at least two countries. Ethiopia and India were selected as test countries, providing a good geographical and socioeconomic range (in addition, both countries had recently revised their NBSAPs). A second meeting of the informal Working Group was convened in Bern, Switzerland, from 16 to 18 March 2016 to review the two test experiences and to further develop the methodology.
The overall objective of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) voluntary peer review process is to help Parties to improve their individual and collective capacities to more effectively implement the Convention. The specific objectives are as follows:
(a) To assess the development and implementation of national biodiversity strategies and action plans (NBSAPs) in the context of the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020 and produce specific recommendations for the Parties under review;
(b) To provide opportunities for peer learning for Parties directly involved and other Parties;
(c) To create greater transparency and accountability for NBSAP development and implementation to the public and other Parties.
Reports prepared by the Ethiopia and India review teams on the voluntary peer review process are available below:
