25 October 2010
Australian Government and SPREP Assist Pacific with Biodiversity MEAs Reporting Project
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The simplified national reporting process covers the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS), the Convention on Wetlands (Ramsar) and the World Heritage Convention (WHC).

October 2010: The Government of Australia has reported on a project with the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) to reduce the national reporting burden in Pacific Island countries for biodiversity-related multilateral environmental agreements (MEAs). A consolidated reporting template for five of the biodiversity-related MEAs has been developed and trialled.

The simplified reporting process covers the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS), the Convention on Wetlands (Ramsar) and the World Heritage Convention (WHC). By using the template, countries submit one, instead of five, reports per reporting period.

Drafted through a consultative process involving Australian Government agencies, Pacific Island countries, SPREP, and the UN Environment Programme – World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC), the reporting template was trialled in eight Pacific Island countries during 2008-2009.

A final report about the project was tabled at the 21st SPREP meeting. The project will now be brought to the attention of the Biodiversity Liaison Group (BLG), which comprises the executive Heads of all five secretariats of the MEAs addressed in this project, for their consideration. [MEA Bulletin guest article] [Australian Government website]

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