4 October 2011: Biodiversity experts and officials from across the Pacific region met in two workshops to promote national implementation of the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020, and the Convention on Biological Diversity’s (CBD) Programme of Work on Protected Areas (PoWPA). The two workshops were held in parallel from 3-7 October 2011, in Nadi, Fiji.

The regional workshop to promote implementation of the Strategic Plan focused on updating national biodiversity strategies and action plans (NBSAPs), to incorporate work on valuation and incentive measures. Organized by the CBD Secretariat in collaboration with the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP), the workshop aimed to: strengthen national capacities for the development, implementation, reviewing, updating and communication of NBSAPs; help facilitate national implementation of the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020; and translate the Strategic Plan into national targets and commitments. Participants also addressed: integrating biodiversity into relevant national and local planning processes; valuation and incentive measures as a tool for mainstreaming; and resource mobilization for the implementation of NBSAPs.

The sub-regional workshop on capacity building on protected areas was organized by the CBD Secretariat in collaboration with the Government of Fiji, the SPREP Secretariat and the PoWPA Friends Consortium. Participants reviewed and assessed current capacity building tools and approaches to implementing the PoWPA and relevant decisions adopted at the 10th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP 10). They focused on strengthening capacities for: adapting to and mitigating climate change, including integration of protected areas into wider land- and seascapes; developing national action plans for implementation of the Programme of Work; marine protected areas; governance; valuation of the costs and benefits of protected areas, including ecosystem services; and funding opportunities under the Fifth Replenishment of the Global Environment Facility’s Trust Fund (GEF-5).

Additionally, a celebration of the UN Decade on Biodiversity, co-hosted by the Government of Fiji, SPREP and the CBD Secretariat, was held during the workshops. [CBD Communiqué] [Documents for Workshop on NBSAPs] [Documents for Workshop on Protected Areas] [Statement by the CBD Executive Secretary]