Biological diversity of dry and subhumid lands
The Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice recommends
that the Conference of the Parties,
Recognizing the need for adequate technical, institutional and financial
capacities for the implementation of the programme of work,
and
Emphasizing the importance to continue to strengthen collaboration with
relevant partners, in particular the United Nations Convention to Combat
Desertification,
1. Notes the progress made in the implementation of the programme of work
on the biodiversity of dry and sub-humid lands, as reported in the note by the
Executive Secretary (UNEP/CBD/SBSTTA/11/4) and the information document on
review of implementation of the programme of work (UNEP/CBD/SBSTTA/11/INF/7);
2. Recognizes that a major shortcoming in the current review has been the
limited availability of recent information on each of the activities of the
programme of work, including the insufficient number of third national reports
submitted until the time of this review;
3. Further recognizes the usefulness, for the review of the programme of
work on the biodiversity of dry and sub-humid lands at the national level, of
information contained in national and regional action plans under the United
Nations Convention to Combat Desertification;
4. Also recognizes, for a global status of implementation of the
programme of work on the biological diversity of dry and sub-humid lands, the
usefulness of the national reports submitted under the United Nations
Convention to Combat Desertification and under the United Nations Framework
Convention on Climate Change, as well as relevant reports submitted in the
framework of other programmes of work under the Convention on Biological
Diversity and biodiversityrelated agreements and conventions, in particular the
Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals, the
Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and
Fauna, the Convention on Wetlands of International Importance Especially as
Waterfowl Habitat (Ramsar, Iran, 1971), particularly in view of the fragile and
ephemeral nature of wetlands in drylands, and the World Heritage Convention;
5. Notes relevant recommendations by the Open-Ended Working Group on
Review of Implementation of the Convention and other initiatives on the
streamlining and harmonization of national reporting and on the reviews of
implementation of the Convention and its programmes of work;
6. Further notes the progress made in the implementation of the joint
work programme with the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, encourages
in particular the strengthening of the synergy between the two conventions in
implementing the joint programme of work and harmonizing national reporting,
and, accordingly, requests the Executive Secretary to fully promote the
implementation of the programme of work and the joint work programme with the
United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, including in the context
of the International Year of Deserts and Desertification, in 2006;
7. Takes note of the status and trends of, and threats to, the
biodiversity of dry and subhumid lands as described in the note of the
Executive Secretary (UNEP/CBD/SBSTTA/11/4) and the related information
documents;
8. Recognizes the need for a more comprehensive assessment of the status
and trends of, and threats to, the biodiversity of dry and sub-humid lands
while recognizing that the lack of precise information should not prevent
implementation of targeted activities of the programme of work;
9. Recognizes the need for the systematic collection of biodiversity data
at all three levels (genetic, species and ecosystem) and across all
representative biomes of the programme of work on the biological diversity of
dry and sub-humid lands as a basis for decision-making on the conservation and
sustainable use of biodiversity of dry and subhumid lands and to facilitate the
assessment of progress towards the 2010 targets and other global goals, with
due respect to national legislation on access to genetic resources and
benefit-sharing and relevant provisions of the Convention on Biological
Diversity;
10. Encourages Parties, other Governments and relevant organizations to
improve national, regional and global data on dry and sub-humid lands ecosystem
goods and services, their uses and related socioeconomic values; on species at
lower taxonomic orders including soil biodiversity; and on the threats to which
dry and sub-humid lands ecosystems are subjected in view of the ongoing
assessment of progress towards the 2010 targets and other global goals;
11. Also encourages Parties, other Governments and relevant
organizations to strengthen implementation of relevant sectoral and cross
sectoral plans and programmes in order to conserve dry and subhumid lands
ecosystem goods and services, and to respond to the threats to the biodiversity
of dry and subhumid lands in view of the important role it plays in poverty
alleviation and in achieving the Millennium Development Goals, taking into
account the findings of the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment;
12. Requests the Executive Secretary to continue developing and
strengthening collaboration, in the framework of the annex to decision VII/2,
with other organizations, institutions and conventions as a way to streamline
many of the activities contained in the programme of work, promote synergies
and avoid unnecessary duplications;
13. Recognizing that the review of the implementation of the programme of
work identified constraints at national, regional and global levels that need
to be addressed to meet the objectives of the Convention, encourages Parties,
other Governments and relevant organizations to develop or implement
activities, such as capacity-building and national, subregional, regional and
global partnerships, that will facilitate and streamline implementation of the
programme of work, and overcome the identified obstacles, and accordingly, requests
the Executive Secretary to support these initiatives including by compiling and
disseminating through the clearing-house mechanism, lessons learned and success
stories on such activities in the implementation of programmes and projects on
the biodiversity of dry and subhumid lands;
14. Notes the importance of activities 7 (f) (in situ and ex situ
conservation), 8 (a) (strengthening local institutional structures), 8(b)
(decentralization of management), 8 (d) (bilateral subregional cooperation),
8(e) (policies and instruments) and 9 (sustainable livelihoods), which are
identified as facilitating conditions for the implementation of many other
activities, and, accordingly requests
Parties, other Governments
and relevant organizations to give particular attention to supporting the
scaled-up implementation of these activities;
15. Requests the Ad Hoc Open-ended Inter-Sessional Working Group on
Article 8(j) and Related Provisions of the Convention on Biological Diversity
to further develop indicators of trends of traditional knowledge, innovations
and practices for indigenous and local communities dependant on dry and
sub-humid lands and to identify ways and means to enhance their contribution to
the implementation of the programme of work;
16. Requests the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and
Technological Advice, recalling in particular decision VII/15, paragraph 13, to
develop proposals, for the consideration of the Conference of the Parties, on
the incorporation of climate-change considerations into the programme of work
on dry and sub-humid lands, in particular in activities 1 and 2 (climate change
as a threat to dry and sub-humid land biodiversity), activity 4 (particularly
on potential impacts of climate change on biodiversity, the role of
biodiversity in maintaining the resilience of dry and sub-humid lands to
climatic variability, including prolonged drought, and other natural events,
and the use of dry and sub-humid lands biodiversity in adaptation measures),
7(i) (integration of climate change considerations in training and education
programmes) and 7(m) (consideration of dry and sub-humid lands by the Joint
Liaison Group of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, the
United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification and the Convention on
Biological Diversity);
17. Further requests the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and
Technological Advice to complete, in accordance with the annex to decision
VII/2, the assessment of the status and trends of the biodiversity of dry and
subhumid lands;
18. Requests the Executive Secretary, in support of this assessment, and
in collaboration with relevant organizations and conventions, in particular the
United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, and Land Degradation
Assessment in Drylands (LADA), taking into account the Millennium Ecosystem
Assessment, to present proposals for consideration by the Subsidiary Body on
Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice on:
(a) Processes for gathering the information required from Parties, other
Governments, and organizations for a comprehensive globallevel assessment of
the status and trends of dry and subhumid lands biodiversity, including
baseline information needed for assessing trends of biodiversity within the
framework of the 2010 targets;
(b) How to review ongoing and planned assessments in dry and sub-humid lands and
facilitate the application within these assessments of biodiversity indicators
adopted in decision VII/30; and
(c) Land-use options that promote biodiversity, with a view to generating income
for indigenous and local communities.
