The eighth session of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice (SBSTTA-8) of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) met from 10-14 March 2003, in Montreal, Canada.

SBSTTA-8 delegates adopted recommendations on: mountain biodiversity, the main theme of the meeting; inland waters; marine and coastal biodiversity; dry and sub-humid lands; biodiversity and tourism; and SBSTTA operations. The meeting did not fully complete deliberations on the components of a draft work programme on mountain biodiversity, and mandated a technical expert group to further consider the issue before SBSTTA-9. Delegates were particularly pleased with the meeting’s outcomes on marine and coastal biodiversity, including recommendations on deep seabed genetic resources and on marine and coastal protected areas. The Earth Negotiations Bulletin report outlining these discussions in detail can be found at: http://enb.iisd.org/biodiv/sbstta8/