The first series of regional and sub-regional capacity-development workshops was organized during 2008 and 2009, in response to decision VIII/8 (paragraph 6), with the purpose to strengthen national capacity for the development, implementation, review and update of NBSAPs, and for integrating biodiversity concerns into relevant sectors and cross-sectoral strategies, such as poverty eradication strategies. This was accomplished through, for example, the exchange of experience in these areas and training in the use of relevant tools and mechanisms. The workshops provided an opportunity for countries to identify ways and means of overcoming challenges in the implementation of NBSAPs. The results of the workshops also informed the ongoing review of implementation of goals 2 and 3 of the Strategic Plan considered by the ninth meeting of the Conference of the Parties in May 2008.

The workshops were organized with the generous financial support of a number of donors including Canada, France, Germany, Japan, Norway, Singapore, Spain, the United Kingdom, the United Nations Environment Programme, the Center for Biodiversity of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the Central African Forests Commission (COMIFAC).

The workshops were organized according to the following schedule. Additional information related to each workshop, including links to background documents and presentations made by participants, is accessible below:

South, Southeast, and East Asia: South and East Africa: Central America: South America: Europe: Central Africa: West Africa: Caribbean: North Africa & the Middle East: Pacific: Central Asia: Europe (second workshop):

14–18 January 2008, Singapore 4–8 February 2008, South Africa 26-27 March 2008, Mexico City 31 March-4 April 2008, Brazil 26-30 April 2008, Germany 22-25 September 2008, Limbé, Cameroon 29 Sept–3 Oct 2008, Burkina Faso 3-7 November 2008, Trinidad and Tobago 14–18 December 2008, Cairo, Egypt 2-6 February 2009, Nadi, Fiji 9-13 March 2009, Ramsar, Iran 13-17 June 2009, Germany

• Participant Preparation for the Workshop
  
  

A summary report on the outcome of the workshops is provided in UNEP/CBD/COP/9/14/Rev.1. Further information and examples of the case studies presented at the workshops are available in the booklet: "Mainstreaming Biodiversity - Workshops on national biodiversity strategies and action plans".

Also linked to this series of workshops are targeted workshops, such as the "Workshop on the Development of National/Regional Biodiversity-related Targets and Indicators and their Integration in National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans", held in Rome in February 2008. The final report of the workshop is provided in UNEP/CBD/NBSAP/WS-TI/1/2.