1.Takes note of the status of implementation of goals 2 and 3 of the Strategic Plan provided in paragraphs (a)-(p) of the summary of the note by the Executive Secretary on the status of implementation of goals 2 and 3 of the Strategic Plan (UNEP/CBD/WG-RI/2/2);
2.Emphasizes that national biodiversity strategies and action plans and equivalent instruments are key implementation tools of the Convention and therefore play an important role in achieving the 2010 biodiversity target;
3.Highlights that practical implementation should be one of the key messages in all aspects of the work of the Convention;
4.Notes with concern the insufficient financial, human and technical resources, the inadequate mainstreaming of biodiversity, in particular in sectoral planning processes and in national development and poverty eradication strategies, and the paucity of information in relation to the implementation of national biodiversity strategies and action plans;
5.Emphasizes the need to strengthen coordination at the national level for implementation of the multilateral environment agreements, including the Rio conventions, in order to promote a more integrated approach and coherent implementation of national biodiversity strategies and action plans;
National biodiversity strategies and action plans
6.Urges Parties that have not yet done so to develop a national biodiversity strategy and action plan or adapt existing strategies, plans or programmes, as required by Article 6 of the Convention, as soon as possible and preferably no later than the tenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties;
7.Further emphasizes the importance of securing high-level government support in the process of developing, updating and implementing national biodiversity strategies and action plans, and the need to engage all relevant sectors and stakeholders;
8.Recalling the guidance provided by the Conference of the Parties concerning national biodiversity strategies and action plans, annexed to this recommendation, and taking note of the lessons learned from the in-depth review, urges Parties in developing, implementing and revising their national and, where appropriate, regional, biodiversity strategies and action plans, and equivalent instruments, in implementing the three objectives of the Convention, to:
Meeting the three objectives of the Convention:
(a)Ensure that national biodiversity strategies and action plans are action-driven, practical and prioritized, and provide an effective and up-to-date national framework for the implementation of the three objectives of the Convention, its relevant provisions and relevant guidance developed under the Convention;
(b)Ensure that national biodiversity strategies and action plans take into account the principles in the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development adopted at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development;
(c)Emphasize the integration of the three objectives of the Convention into relevant sectoral or cross-sectoral plans, programmes and policies;
(d)Promote the mainstreaming of gender considerations;
(e)Identify priority actions at national or regional level, including strategic actions to achieve the three objectives of the Convention;
(f)Develop a plan to mobilize national, regional and international financial resources in support of priority activities, considering existing and new funding sources;
Components of biodiversity strategies and action plans
(g)Take into account the ecosystem approach;
(h)Highlight the contribution of biodiversity, including, as appropriate, ecosystem services, to poverty eradication, national development and human well-being, as well as the economic, social, cultural, and other values of biodiversity as emphasized in the Convention on Biological Diversity, making use, as appropriate, of the methodologies and conceptual framework of the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment;
(i)Identify the main threats to biodiversity, including direct and indirect drivers of biodiversity change, and include actions for addressing the identified threats;
(j)As appropriate, establish national, or where applicable, sub-national, targets, to support the implementation of national biodiversity strategies and action plans, consistent with the flexible framework established in decisions
VII/30 and
VIII/15, taking into account, as appropriate, other relevant strategies and programmes, such as the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation and focusing on national priorities;
Support processes
(k)Include and implement national capacity development plans for the implementation of national biodiversity strategies and action plans, making use of the outcomes of national capacity self-assessments in this process, as appropriate;
(l)Engage indigenous and local communities, and all relevant sectors and stakeholders including representatives of society and the economy that have a significant impact on, benefit from or use biodiversity and its related ecosystem services. Activities might include:
(i)Preparing, updating and implementing national biodiversity strategies and action plans with the participation of a broad set of representatives from all major groups to build ownership and commitment;
(ii)Identifying relevant stakeholders from all major groups for each of the actions of the national biodiversity strategies and action plans;
(iii)Consulting those responsible for policies in other areas so as to promote policy integration and multidisciplinary, cross-sectoral and horizontal co-operation to ensure coherence;
(iv)Establishing appropriate mechanisms to improve the participation and involvement of indigenous and local communities and civil society representatives
(v)Striving for improved action and cooperation to encourage the involvement of the private sector, namely through the development of partnerships at the national level;
(vi)Strengthening the contribution of the scientific community in order to improve the science/policy interface to support research-based advice on biodiversity;
(m)Respect, preserve and maintain the traditional knowledge, innovations and practices of indigenous and local communities consistent with Article 8(j);
(n)Establish or strengthen national institutional arrangements for the promotion, coordination and monitoring of the implementation of the national biodiversity strategy and action plans,
(o)Develop and implement a communication strategy for the national biodiversity strategy and action plan;
(p)Address existing planning processes in order to mainstream biodiversity concerns in other national strategies, including, in particular, poverty eradication strategies, national strategies for the Millennium Development Goals, sustainable development strategies, and strategies to adapt to climate change and combat desertification, as well as sectoral strategies, and ensure that national biodiversity strategies and action plans are implemented in coordination with these other strategies;
(q)Make use of or develop, as appropriate, regional, subregional or subnational networks to support implementation of the Convention;
(r)Promote and support local action for the implementation of national biodiversity strategies and action plans, by integrating biodiversity considerations into sub-national and local level assessments and planning processes, and, as and where appropriate, the development of sub-national and local biodiversity strategies and/or action plans, consistent with national biodiversity strategies and action plans;
Monitoring and review
(s)Establish national mechanisms including indicators, as appropriate, and promote regional cooperation to monitor implementation of national biodiversity strategies and action plans and progress towards national targets, to allow for adaptive management, and provide regular reports on progress, including outcome-oriented information, to the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity;
(t)Review national biodiversity strategies and action plans to identify successes, constraints and impediments to implementation, and identify ways and means of addressing such constraints and impediments, including revision of the strategies where necessary;
(u)Make available through the Convention’s clearing-house mechanism national biodiversity strategies and action plans, including periodic revisions, and where applicable, reports on implementation, case studies of good practice, and lessons learned;
9.Invites the financial mechanism, and urges Governments and other donors to provide adequate funding to developing countries, in particular the least developed countries and small island developing States, as well as countries with economies in transition, for the implementation and revision of national, and where appropriate, regional biodiversity strategies;
10.Notes that, in line with the guidelines for the fourth national reports developed in accordance with
decision VIII/14, Parties should report on progress in implementing national biodiversity strategies and action plans and on mainstreaming as part of their fourth national reports, and reiterates the importance of submitting their fourth national reports on or before 30 March 2009.
Priority areas for capacity-building, access to and transfer of technology
Recognizing the importance of capacity-building and access to and transfer of technology and that these should address identified national needs and priorities,
Aware that inadequate capacity building, access to and transfer of technology, and technology cooperation are obstacles to the implementation of the Convention, especially in developing countries, in particular least developed countries and small island developing States, as well as countries with economies in transition,
Noting the need for a better use of existing mechanisms and an enhanced partnership with international and regional organizations,
Emphasizing the importance of the issue of access to and transfer of technology and technology cooperation, and scientific and technical cooperation in the implementation of the Convention and, in that respect, of the mandate of the Ad Hoc Technical Expert Group established in
decision VIII/12 (Technology transfer and cooperation),
11.Recalling Article 20, of the Convention, urges Parties, to fulfil their obligations and commitments in regard to the Convention;
12.Encourages relevant implementing agencies to address nationally identified capacity needs for the implementation of the Convention;
13.Notes the need to provide Parties with additional information on guidance, initiatives, mechanisms, systems and tools to improve technology transfer and cooperation, including:
(a)Approaches to technology transfer and cooperation which address the prioritized needs of countries based on priorities in the national biodiversity strategies and action plans rather than non-specific and global approaches;
(b)Bilateral and multilateral cooperation agreements as means to achieve effective transfer of technology;
(c)Guidance and initiatives to increase private sector engagement and strengthen enabling environment for investments at the national level;
14.Recommends that capacity building for national biodiversity strategies and action plans focus on:
(a)Elaboration and updating of national biodiversity strategies and action plans with broad stakeholder participation and based on nationally-identified needs and obstacles;
(b)Effective delivery and implementation of national biodiversity strategies and action plans;
(c)Monitoring implementation of national biodiversity strategies and action plans;
(d)Mobilization of financial resources for development, review and implementation of national biodiversity strategies and action plans;
15.Encourages Parties to establish or strengthen national clearing-house mechanisms to promote scientific and technical cooperation with other Parties, in particular with developing countries, in particular the least developed countries and small island developing States, as well as countries with economies in transition;
16.Requests the Executive Secretary, in cooperation with partner organizations to facilitate:
(a)The continued exchange of best practices and lessons learned from the preparation, updating and implementation of national biodiversity strategies and action plans, through appropriate forums and mechanisms such as the clearing-house mechanism and, subject to available resources, strengthened cooperation with regional processes, South-South cooperation and voluntary peer review;
(b)The provision of training and technical support from partner organizations;
(c)Scientific and technical cooperation as well as technology transfer and cooperation to enhance the capacity of developing country Parties, in particular least developed countries and small island developing States, as well as countries with economies in transition, to support national implementation of the Convention including through a better use of the clearing house mechanism, the financial mechanism and communication, education and public awareness under the Convention;
17.Recalling paragraph 6 of
decision VIII/8, reaffirms the need for regional and subregional meetings to discuss national experience in implementing national biodiversity strategies and action plans, and the integration of biodiversity concerns into relevant sectors, including consideration of obstacles and ways and means for overcoming the obstacles;
18.Requests the Executive Secretary, to:
(a)Continue to build upon the existing database of national biodiversity strategies and action plans;
(b)In collaboration with partner organizations continue to compile a range of instruments, including toolkits and documentation of best practices and lessons learned, to support Parties to develop, review and implement their national biodiversity strategies and action plans and related implementation activities, including for the achievement of the 2010 biodiversity target;
(c)Identify opportunities in the organization of work of the bodies of the Convention, as appropriate, to support development, review and implementation of national biodiversity strategies and action plans;
19.Takes note of the opportunity provided by the ongoing development of “One UN” programmes and encourages Parties, including the “One UN” pilot countries, to give due consideration to integrating biodiversity issues as identified in their national biodiversity strategies and action plans;
20.Invites the United Nations Environment Programme, the United Nations Development Programme and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, in partnership with the Convention, building upon, inter alia, the Bali Strategic Plan for Technology Support and Capacity building, to further examine ways and means to support national implementation of the Convention;
21.Invites all bilateral and multilateral development cooperation agencies to promote mainstreaming of the environment, including biodiversity, into development cooperation activities;
22.Also invites Parties and other Governments and relevant organizations to contribute to initiatives aimed at assessing the benefits of implementing the three objectives of the Convention, and the costs of the loss of biodiversity and the failure to take measures to fulfil the three objectives of the Convention, and encourages Parties to take this information into account when elaborating, reviewing and implementing national biodiversity strategies and action plans;
Mechanisms for the implementation of the Convention and inputs to the process of revising the Strategic Plan beyond 2010
23.Agrees that the recommendations from the second meeting of the Working Group on Review of Implementation of the Convention arising from the in-depth review of goals 2 and 3 of the Strategic Plan provide an input to the review of Strategic Plan beyond 2010;
24.Requests the Executive Secretary to prepare an updated overview of guidance generated in the framework of the Convention, including, inter alia, guidelines, principles, and programmes of work, for the implementation of the Convention, in the context of the Strategic Plan, including an analysis of the relationship of the thematic programmes of work with the cross-cutting issues;
25.Invites Parties to provide comments on the effectiveness of the guidance as summarized in the overview prepared by the Executive Secretary, referred to in paragraph 24 above.
