4 May 2011
CBD/GEF South America Regional Workshop Focuses on Biodiversity and Finance
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The South America Regional Workshop on Biodiversity and Finance in Support of the Nagoya Outcomes gathered focal points from the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and the Global Environment Facility (GEF) from eight South American countries to discuss the financial challenges involved in implementing the outcomes of the tenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the CBD.

2 May 2011: The South America Regional Workshop on Biodiversity and Finance in Support of the Nagoya Outcomes, held on 30 April 2011 in Cartagena, Colombia, gathered focal points from the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and the Global Environment Facility (GEF) from eight South American countries to discuss the financial challenges involved in implementing the outcomes of the tenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the CBD.

Participants at the Workshop suggested that there is a need for fast funding to support national consultation workshops and measures in order to expedite national consideration of signing and ratifying the Nagoya Protocol on access and benefit-sharing (ABS). Noting that the global biodiversity challenge is now an implementation challenge, they agreed that implementation of the Strategic Plan 2011-2020 should be based on national capacities and circumstances, and that GEF funding is needed to support involvement of national and local stakeholders in revising national biodiversity strategies and action plans (NBSAPs).

Participants further observed that the CBD strategy for resource mobilization has had little or no impact at the national level due to a lack of similar processes at that level; and expressed the need to develop a clear understanding about new and additional financial resources and innovative financial mechanisms, and to clarify the meaning of ecosystem services and their application in environmental and economic sectors. [CBD Communiqué]

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