Retired sections:
Biological diversity of dryland, Mediterranean, arid, semi-arid, grassland and savannah ecosystems: options for the development of a programme of work
The Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice recommends that the Conference of the Parties at its fifth meeting:
1. Establishes a programme of work on the biological diversity of dryland, Mediterranean, arid, semi-arid, grassland, and savannah ecosystems, which may also be known as the programme on "dry and sub-humid lands", bearing in mind the close linkages between poverty and loss of biological diversity in these areas;
2. Endorses a first phase of the programme of work, contained in the annex to this recommendation, and urges Parties, countries, international and regional organizations, major groups and other relevant bodies to implement it;
3. Considers the need to provide the necessary financial support, in accordance with Articles 20 and 21 of the Convention on Biological Diversity, for activities required for the implementation of the programme of work, and for capacity-building;
4. Requests the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice to review and assess periodically (initially after two years, thereafter every four years) the status and trends of the biological diversity of dry and sub-humid lands on the basis of the outputs of the activities of the programme of work, and make recommendations for the further elaboration of the programme of work, as appropriate;
5. Requests the Executive Secretary to collaborate with the Secretariat of the Convention to Combat Desertification, including through the development of a joint work programme, as well as with other relevant bodies, in the implementation and further elaboration of the programme of work;
6. Requests the Executive Secretary to establish a roster of experts on the biological diversity of dry and sub-humid lands and to explore the possibility of establishing an ad hoc technical expert group to assess the loss of biological diversity of dry and sub-humid lands;
7. Requests the Executive Secretary to make available relevant information on the biological diversity of dry and sub-humid lands through various means, including the clearing-house mechanism, including the development in the clearing-house mechanism of a database on drylands.
Annex
DRAFT PROGRAMME OF WORK ON DRY AND SUB-HUMID LANDS
I. INTRODUCTION
1. The overall aim of the programme of work is to promote the three objectives of the Convention in dry and sub-humid lands.
2. The elaboration and implementation of the programme of work should:
(a) Build upon existing knowledge and ongoing activities and management practices, and promote a concerted response to fill knowledge gaps while supporting best management practices through partnership among countries and institutions;
(b) Ensure harmony with the other relevant thematic programmes of work under the Convention on Biological Diversity, as well as the work on cross-cutting issues;
(c) Promote synergy and coordination, and avoid unnecessary duplication, between related conventions, particularly the Convention to Combat Desertification, and the programmes of various international organizations, while respecting the mandates and existing programmes of work of each organization and the intergovernmental authority of the respective governing bodies;
(d) Promote effective stakeholder participation, including the identification of priorities, in planning, in research and in monitoring and evaluating research;
(e) Respond to national priorities through the implementation of specific activities in a flexible and demand-driven manner;
(f) Support the development of national strategies and programmes and promote the integration of biological-diversity concerns in sectoral and cross-sectoral plans, programmes and policies, in furtherance of Article 6 of the Convention on Biological Diversity, in seeking harmonization and avoiding duplication when undertaking activities relevant to other related conventions, in particular the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification.
3. The elaboration and implementation of the programme of work should aim at applying the ecosystem approach adopted under the Convention on Biological Diversity. Implementation of the programme of work will also build upon the knowledge, innovations and practices of indigenous and local communities consistent with Article 8(j) of the Convention.
II. PROPOSED PROGRAMME OF WORK
4. The proposed programme of work is divided in two parts, "Assessments" and "Targeted actions in response to identified needs", to be implemented in parallel. Knowledge gained through the assessments will help guide the responses needed, while lessons learned from activities will feed back into the assessments.
Part A: Assessments
Operational objective
5. To assemble and analyse information on the state of the biological diversity of dry and sub-humid lands and the pressures on it, to disseminate existing knowledge and best practices, and to fill knowledge gaps, in order to determine adequate activities.
Rationale
6. Ecosystems of dry and sub-humid lands tend to be naturally highly dynamic systems. Assessment of the status and trends of the biological diversity of dry and sub-humid lands is therefore particularly challenging. A better understanding of the biological diversity of dry and sub-humid lands, their dynamics, their socio-economic value and the consequences of their loss and change is needed. This also includes the merits of short-term adaptive management practices compared with long-term management planning. This should not, however, be seen as a prerequisite for targeted actions for the conservation and sustainable use of the biological diversity of dry and sub-humid lands. Indeed, lessons learned from practices, including indigenous and local communities practices, contribute to the knowledge base.
Activities
Activity 1. Assessment of the status and trends of the biological diversity of dry and sub-humid lands, including landraces, and the effectiveness of conservation measures.
Activity 2. Identification of specific areas within dry and sub-humid lands of particular value for biological diversity and/or under particular threat, such as, inter alia, endemic species and low lying wetlands, with reference to the criteria in Annex I to the Convention on Biological Diversity.
Activity 3. Further development of indicators of the biological diversity of dry and sub-humid lands and its loss, for use in the assessment of status and trends of this biological diversity.
Activity 4. Building knowledge on ecological, physical and social processes that affect the biological diversity of dry and sub-humid lands, especially ecosystem structure and functioning (e.g., grazing, droughts, floods, fires, tourism, agricultural conversion or abandonment).
Activity 5. Identification of the local and global benefits derived from the biological diversity of dry and sub-humid lands, and assessment of the socio-economic impact of its loss.
Activity 6. Identification and dissemination of best management practices, including knowledge, innovations and practices of indigenous and local communities that can be broadly applied.
Ways and means
7. The activities of part A are to be carried out through:
(a) Consolidation of information from various ongoing sources, including those under the Convention to Combat Desertification and other international conventions, the Global Observing Systems, and other programmes. This process would draw upon ongoing work of these existing programmes, with additional catalytic activities, such as workshops, further use of the clearing-house mechanism under the Convention on Biological Diversity, and partnerships between organizations, including, where appropriate, joint activities of the secretariats of the Convention on Biological Diversity and of the Convention to Combat Desertification;
(b) Targeted research, including existing programmes of international and national research centres and research systems and other relevant international or regional programmes, with additional funding for priority work needed to overcome barriers to the conservation and sustainable use of the biological diversity of dry and sub-humid lands;
(c) Case-studies on management practices, carried out primarily by national and regional institutions, including civil-society organizations and research institutions, with support from international organizations for catalysing the preparation of studies, mobilizing funds, disseminating results, and facilitating feedback and lessons learned to case-study providers and policy makers. New resources could be needed to promote such studies to analyse the results and to provide necessary capacity-building and human-resource development;
(d) Dissemination of information and capacity-building required by assessment activities.
Part B: Targeted actions in response to identified needs
Operational objective
8. To promote the conservation of the biological diversity of dry and sub-humid lands, the sustainable use of its components and the fair and equitable sharing of the benefits arising out of the utilization of its genetic resources, and to combat the loss of biological diversity in dry and sub-humid lands and its socio-economic consequences.
Rationale
9. The activity needed to promote the conservation and sustainable use of the biological diversity of dry and sub-humid lands will depend on the state of the dry and sub-humid lands resources and the nature of the threats. Hence, a range of options needs to be considered, from sustainable use to in situ and ex situ conservation.
10. Many dry and sub-humid land resources must be managed at the level of watersheds, or at higher spatial levels, implying community or inter-community, rather than individual, management. This is often further complicated by multiple user groups (e.g., agriculturalists, pastoralists and fisherfolk) and the migratory habits of some animal species and users of biological diversity. Institutions need to be developed or strengthened to provide for biological diversity management at the appropriate scale and for conflict resolution.
11. Sustainable use of biological diversity in dry and sub-humid lands may require the development of alternative livelihoods, and the creation of markets and other incentives to enable and promote responsible use.
Activities
Activity 7. Promotion of specific measures for the conservation and sustainable use of the biological diversity of dry and sub-humid lands, through, inter alia:
(a) The use and the establishment of additional protected areas and the development of further specific measures for the conservation of the biological diversity of dry and sub-humid lands, including the strengthening of measures in existing protected areas; investments in the development and promotion of sustainable livelihoods, including alternative livelihoods, and conservation measures;
(b) The rehabilitation or restoration of the biological diversity of degraded dry and sub-humid lands;
(c) The management of invasive alien species;
(d) The sustainable management of dry and sub-humid land production systems;
(e) Where necessary, the conservation in situ as well as ex situ, as a complement to the latter, of the biological diversity of dry and sub-humid lands, taking due account of better understanding of climate variability in developing effective in situ biological conservation strategies;
(f) The economic valuation of the biological diversity of dry and sub-humid lands, as well as the development and the use of economic instruments and the promotion of the introduction of new technologies that enhance productivity of dry and sub-humid lands ecosystems;
(g) The sustainable harvesting of plant biomass and appropriate forms of animal husbandry that take into account their natural potential and limitations as well as socio-economic factors and, on the other hand, sustainable pastoralism;
(h) The establishment and promotion of educational and public-awareness programmes;
(i) The facilitation and improvement of the availability, the accessibility and exchange of information on sustainable use of the biological diversity of dry and sub-humid lands;
(j) The establishment and promotion of research and development programmes with a focus on, inter alia, building local capacity for effective conservation and sustainable use of the biological diversity of dry and sub-humid lands;
(k) The cooperation with the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of International Importance especially as Waterfowl Habitat and the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals with regard to, inter alia, the creation of migratory-species corridors across dry and sub-humid lands during seasonal periods, as well as with the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of World Fauna and Flora (CITES) with regard to rare and endangered species in dry and sub-humid lands;
(l) Cooperation with all relevant conventions, in particular with the Convention to Combat Desertification with respect to, inter alia, the sustainable use of the biological diversity of dry and sub-humid lands, the ecosystem approach, the assessment of the status and trends of this biological diversity as well as to its threats.
Activity 8. Promotion of responsible resource management, at appropriate levels, applying the ecosystem approach, through an enabling policy environment, including, inter alia:
(a) Decentralization of management to the lowest level, as appropriate, keeping in mind the need for common resource management and with due consideration to, inter alia, involving indigenous and local communities in planning and managing projects;
(b) Creating or strengthening appropriate institutions for land tenure and conflict resolution;
(c) Encouraging bilateral and subregional cooperation to address transboundary issues (such as facilitating access to transboundary rangelands);
(d) Harmonizing sectoral policies and instruments to promote the conservation and the sustainable use of biological diversity of dry and sub-humid lands, including by, inter alia, taking advantage of the existing national action programmes under the Convention to Combat Desertification frameworks at the country level, as well as, as appropriate, of other existing and relevant sectoral plans and policies.
Activity 9. Support for sustainable livelihoods through, inter alia:
(a) Diversifying sources of income to reduce the negative pressures on the biological diversity of dry and sub-humid lands;
(b) Promoting sustainable harvesting as well as ranching;
(c) Exploring innovative sustainable uses of the biological diversity of dry and sub-humid lands for local income generation, and promoting their wider application;
(d) Developing local markets for products derived from the sustainable use of biological diversity in dry and sub-humid lands, adding value to harvested produce; and
(e) Promoting fair and equitable sharing of the benefits arising out of the utilization of the genetic resources of dry and sub-humid lands, including bioprospecting.
Ways and means
The activities of part B to be carried out through:
(a) Capacity-building, particularly at the national and local levels, as well as investments in the development and promotion of sustainable livelihoods, including alternative livelihoods, and conservation measures, through participatory and bottom-up processes, with funding from bilateral and multilateral sources, and catalytic support from international organizations;
(b) Establishment of an international network of designated demonstration sites to facilitate the sharing of information and experience in implementing the programme of work, as well as to demonstrate and to promote conservation and sustainable use integration on the context of dry and sub-humid lands;
(c) Case-studies on successful management of dry and sub-humid lands that could be disseminated through, inter alia, the clearing-house mechanism;
(d) Improved consultation, coordination and information-sharing, including, inter alia, documentation on knowledge and practices of indigenous and local communities, within countries among respective focal points and lead institutions relevant to the implementation of the Convention to Combat Desertification, the Convention on Biological Diversity and other relevant global conventions and programmes, facilitated by the secretariats of the various conventions and other international organizations;
(e) Enhanced interaction between the work programmes of the Convention on Biological Diversity and the Convention to Combat Desertification, through, inter alia, the regional networks and action plans of the latter; and
(f) Partnerships between all relevant stakeholders at all levels, including international organizations and programmes, as well as national and local partners, scientists and land users.
III. REPORTING FRAMEWORK
12. It is proposed that Parties and other bodies be requested to report on the implementation of the programme of work through, inter alia:
(a) Appropriate sections of the national reports on biological diversity prepared for the Conference of the Parties under Article 26 of the Convention on Biological Diversity; and/or
(b) Reports made in the context of the Convention to Combat Desertification and other relevant conventions, with due regard to, inter alia, promoting harmonization, avoiding duplication, and enhancing transparency;
13. The Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice is to review such reports after two years, and make recommendation for the further elaboration of the programme of work at that time. Thereafter, it is proposed that the implementation of the programme be reviewed every four years.
Biological diversity of dryland, Mediterranean, arid, semi-arid, grassland and savannah ecosystems: options for the development of a programme of work
The Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice recommends that the Conference of the Parties at its fifth meeting:
1. Establishes a programme of work on the biological diversity of dryland, Mediterranean, arid, semi-arid, grassland, and savannah ecosystems, which may also be known as the programme on "dry and sub-humid lands", bearing in mind the close linkages between poverty and loss of biological diversity in these areas;
2. Endorses a first phase of the programme of work, contained in the annex to this recommendation, and urges Parties, countries, international and regional organizations, major groups and other relevant bodies to implement it;
3. Considers the need to provide the necessary financial support, in accordance with Articles 20 and 21 of the Convention on Biological Diversity, for activities required for the implementation of the programme of work, and for capacity-building;
4. Requests the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice to review and assess periodically (initially after two years, thereafter every four years) the status and trends of the biological diversity of dry and sub-humid lands on the basis of the outputs of the activities of the programme of work, and make recommendations for the further elaboration of the programme of work, as appropriate;
5. Requests the Executive Secretary to collaborate with the Secretariat of the Convention to Combat Desertification, including through the development of a joint work programme, as well as with other relevant bodies, in the implementation and further elaboration of the programme of work;
6. Requests the Executive Secretary to establish a roster of experts on the biological diversity of dry and sub-humid lands and to explore the possibility of establishing an ad hoc technical expert group to assess the loss of biological diversity of dry and sub-humid lands;
7. Requests the Executive Secretary to make available relevant information on the biological diversity of dry and sub-humid lands through various means, including the clearing-house mechanism, including the development in the clearing-house mechanism of a database on drylands.
Annex
DRAFT PROGRAMME OF WORK ON DRY AND SUB-HUMID LANDS
I. INTRODUCTION
1. The overall aim of the programme of work is to promote the three objectives of the Convention in dry and sub-humid lands.
2. The elaboration and implementation of the programme of work should:
(a) Build upon existing knowledge and ongoing activities and management practices, and promote a concerted response to fill knowledge gaps while supporting best management practices through partnership among countries and institutions;
(b) Ensure harmony with the other relevant thematic programmes of work under the Convention on Biological Diversity, as well as the work on cross-cutting issues;
(c) Promote synergy and coordination, and avoid unnecessary duplication, between related conventions, particularly the Convention to Combat Desertification, and the programmes of various international organizations, while respecting the mandates and existing programmes of work of each organization and the intergovernmental authority of the respective governing bodies;
(d) Promote effective stakeholder participation, including the identification of priorities, in planning, in research and in monitoring and evaluating research;
(e) Respond to national priorities through the implementation of specific activities in a flexible and demand-driven manner;
(f) Support the development of national strategies and programmes and promote the integration of biological-diversity concerns in sectoral and cross-sectoral plans, programmes and policies, in furtherance of Article 6 of the Convention on Biological Diversity, in seeking harmonization and avoiding duplication when undertaking activities relevant to other related conventions, in particular the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification.
3. The elaboration and implementation of the programme of work should aim at applying the ecosystem approach adopted under the Convention on Biological Diversity. Implementation of the programme of work will also build upon the knowledge, innovations and practices of indigenous and local communities consistent with Article 8(j) of the Convention.
II. PROPOSED PROGRAMME OF WORK
4. The proposed programme of work is divided in two parts, "Assessments" and "Targeted actions in response to identified needs", to be implemented in parallel. Knowledge gained through the assessments will help guide the responses needed, while lessons learned from activities will feed back into the assessments.
Part A: Assessments
Operational objective
5. To assemble and analyse information on the state of the biological diversity of dry and sub-humid lands and the pressures on it, to disseminate existing knowledge and best practices, and to fill knowledge gaps, in order to determine adequate activities.
Rationale
6. Ecosystems of dry and sub-humid lands tend to be naturally highly dynamic systems. Assessment of the status and trends of the biological diversity of dry and sub-humid lands is therefore particularly challenging. A better understanding of the biological diversity of dry and sub-humid lands, their dynamics, their socio-economic value and the consequences of their loss and change is needed. This also includes the merits of short-term adaptive management practices compared with long-term management planning. This should not, however, be seen as a prerequisite for targeted actions for the conservation and sustainable use of the biological diversity of dry and sub-humid lands. Indeed, lessons learned from practices, including indigenous and local communities practices, contribute to the knowledge base.
Activities
Activity 1. Assessment of the status and trends of the biological diversity of dry and sub-humid lands, including landraces, and the effectiveness of conservation measures.
Activity 2. Identification of specific areas within dry and sub-humid lands of particular value for biological diversity and/or under particular threat, such as, inter alia, endemic species and low lying wetlands, with reference to the criteria in Annex I to the Convention on Biological Diversity.
Activity 3. Further development of indicators of the biological diversity of dry and sub-humid lands and its loss, for use in the assessment of status and trends of this biological diversity.
Activity 4. Building knowledge on ecological, physical and social processes that affect the biological diversity of dry and sub-humid lands, especially ecosystem structure and functioning (e.g., grazing, droughts, floods, fires, tourism, agricultural conversion or abandonment).
Activity 5. Identification of the local and global benefits derived from the biological diversity of dry and sub-humid lands, and assessment of the socio-economic impact of its loss.
Activity 6. Identification and dissemination of best management practices, including knowledge, innovations and practices of indigenous and local communities that can be broadly applied.
Ways and means
7. The activities of part A are to be carried out through:
(a) Consolidation of information from various ongoing sources, including those under the Convention to Combat Desertification and other international conventions, the Global Observing Systems, and other programmes. This process would draw upon ongoing work of these existing programmes, with additional catalytic activities, such as workshops, further use of the clearing-house mechanism under the Convention on Biological Diversity, and partnerships between organizations, including, where appropriate, joint activities of the secretariats of the Convention on Biological Diversity and of the Convention to Combat Desertification;
(b) Targeted research, including existing programmes of international and national research centres and research systems and other relevant international or regional programmes, with additional funding for priority work needed to overcome barriers to the conservation and sustainable use of the biological diversity of dry and sub-humid lands;
(c) Case-studies on management practices, carried out primarily by national and regional institutions, including civil-society organizations and research institutions, with support from international organizations for catalysing the preparation of studies, mobilizing funds, disseminating results, and facilitating feedback and lessons learned to case-study providers and policy makers. New resources could be needed to promote such studies to analyse the results and to provide necessary capacity-building and human-resource development;
(d) Dissemination of information and capacity-building required by assessment activities.
Part B: Targeted actions in response to identified needs
Operational objective
8. To promote the conservation of the biological diversity of dry and sub-humid lands, the sustainable use of its components and the fair and equitable sharing of the benefits arising out of the utilization of its genetic resources, and to combat the loss of biological diversity in dry and sub-humid lands and its socio-economic consequences.
Rationale
9. The activity needed to promote the conservation and sustainable use of the biological diversity of dry and sub-humid lands will depend on the state of the dry and sub-humid lands resources and the nature of the threats. Hence, a range of options needs to be considered, from sustainable use to in situ and ex situ conservation.
10. Many dry and sub-humid land resources must be managed at the level of watersheds, or at higher spatial levels, implying community or inter-community, rather than individual, management. This is often further complicated by multiple user groups (e.g., agriculturalists, pastoralists and fisherfolk) and the migratory habits of some animal species and users of biological diversity. Institutions need to be developed or strengthened to provide for biological diversity management at the appropriate scale and for conflict resolution.
11. Sustainable use of biological diversity in dry and sub-humid lands may require the development of alternative livelihoods, and the creation of markets and other incentives to enable and promote responsible use.
Activities
Activity 7. Promotion of specific measures for the conservation and sustainable use of the biological diversity of dry and sub-humid lands, through, inter alia:
(a) The use and the establishment of additional protected areas and the development of further specific measures for the conservation of the biological diversity of dry and sub-humid lands, including the strengthening of measures in existing protected areas; investments in the development and promotion of sustainable livelihoods, including alternative livelihoods, and conservation measures;
(b) The rehabilitation or restoration of the biological diversity of degraded dry and sub-humid lands;
(c) The management of invasive alien species;
(d) The sustainable management of dry and sub-humid land production systems;
(e) Where necessary, the conservation in situ as well as ex situ, as a complement to the latter, of the biological diversity of dry and sub-humid lands, taking due account of better understanding of climate variability in developing effective in situ biological conservation strategies;
(f) The economic valuation of the biological diversity of dry and sub-humid lands, as well as the development and the use of economic instruments and the promotion of the introduction of new technologies that enhance productivity of dry and sub-humid lands ecosystems;
(g) The sustainable harvesting of plant biomass and appropriate forms of animal husbandry that take into account their natural potential and limitations as well as socio-economic factors and, on the other hand, sustainable pastoralism;
(h) The establishment and promotion of educational and public-awareness programmes;
(i) The facilitation and improvement of the availability, the accessibility and exchange of information on sustainable use of the biological diversity of dry and sub-humid lands;
(j) The establishment and promotion of research and development programmes with a focus on, inter alia, building local capacity for effective conservation and sustainable use of the biological diversity of dry and sub-humid lands;
(k) The cooperation with the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of International Importance especially as Waterfowl Habitat and the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals with regard to, inter alia, the creation of migratory-species corridors across dry and sub-humid lands during seasonal periods, as well as with the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of World Fauna and Flora (CITES) with regard to rare and endangered species in dry and sub-humid lands;
(l) Cooperation with all relevant conventions, in particular with the Convention to Combat Desertification with respect to, inter alia, the sustainable use of the biological diversity of dry and sub-humid lands, the ecosystem approach, the assessment of the status and trends of this biological diversity as well as to its threats.
Activity 8. Promotion of responsible resource management, at appropriate levels, applying the ecosystem approach, through an enabling policy environment, including, inter alia:
(a) Decentralization of management to the lowest level, as appropriate, keeping in mind the need for common resource management and with due consideration to, inter alia, involving indigenous and local communities in planning and managing projects;
(b) Creating or strengthening appropriate institutions for land tenure and conflict resolution;
(c) Encouraging bilateral and subregional cooperation to address transboundary issues (such as facilitating access to transboundary rangelands);
(d) Harmonizing sectoral policies and instruments to promote the conservation and the sustainable use of biological diversity of dry and sub-humid lands, including by, inter alia, taking advantage of the existing national action programmes under the Convention to Combat Desertification frameworks at the country level, as well as, as appropriate, of other existing and relevant sectoral plans and policies.
Activity 9. Support for sustainable livelihoods through, inter alia:
(a) Diversifying sources of income to reduce the negative pressures on the biological diversity of dry and sub-humid lands;
(b) Promoting sustainable harvesting as well as ranching;
(c) Exploring innovative sustainable uses of the biological diversity of dry and sub-humid lands for local income generation, and promoting their wider application;
(d) Developing local markets for products derived from the sustainable use of biological diversity in dry and sub-humid lands, adding value to harvested produce; and
(e) Promoting fair and equitable sharing of the benefits arising out of the utilization of the genetic resources of dry and sub-humid lands, including bioprospecting.
Ways and means
The activities of part B to be carried out through:
(a) Capacity-building, particularly at the national and local levels, as well as investments in the development and promotion of sustainable livelihoods, including alternative livelihoods, and conservation measures, through participatory and bottom-up processes, with funding from bilateral and multilateral sources, and catalytic support from international organizations;
(b) Establishment of an international network of designated demonstration sites to facilitate the sharing of information and experience in implementing the programme of work, as well as to demonstrate and to promote conservation and sustainable use integration on the context of dry and sub-humid lands;
(c) Case-studies on successful management of dry and sub-humid lands that could be disseminated through, inter alia, the clearing-house mechanism;
(d) Improved consultation, coordination and information-sharing, including, inter alia, documentation on knowledge and practices of indigenous and local communities, within countries among respective focal points and lead institutions relevant to the implementation of the Convention to Combat Desertification, the Convention on Biological Diversity and other relevant global conventions and programmes, facilitated by the secretariats of the various conventions and other international organizations;
(e) Enhanced interaction between the work programmes of the Convention on Biological Diversity and the Convention to Combat Desertification, through, inter alia, the regional networks and action plans of the latter; and
(f) Partnerships between all relevant stakeholders at all levels, including international organizations and programmes, as well as national and local partners, scientists and land users.
III. REPORTING FRAMEWORK
12. It is proposed that Parties and other bodies be requested to report on the implementation of the programme of work through, inter alia:
(a) Appropriate sections of the national reports on biological diversity prepared for the Conference of the Parties under Article 26 of the Convention on Biological Diversity; and/or
(b) Reports made in the context of the Convention to Combat Desertification and other relevant conventions, with due regard to, inter alia, promoting harmonization, avoiding duplication, and enhancing transparency;
13. The Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice is to review such reports after two years, and make recommendation for the further elaboration of the programme of work at that time. Thereafter, it is proposed that the implementation of the programme be reviewed every four years.
