1 March 2016
Seven Biodiversity-related Conventions Discuss Strengthening Implementation, Synergies
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Representatives of the Parties to seven biodiversity-related conventions held a workshop to explore ways to strengthen synergies and improve efficiency among the conventions, with a view to enhancing their implementation at all levels.

The options and elements for a possible roadmap elaborated during the workshop will be submitted to the first meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Implementation (SBI) of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), to be held in May 2016.

seven-biodiversity-related-conventions18 February 2016: Representatives of the Parties to seven biodiversity-related conventions held a workshop to explore ways to strengthen synergies and improve efficiency among the conventions, with a view to enhancing their implementation at all levels. The options and elements for a possible roadmap elaborated during the workshop will be submitted to the first meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Implementation (SBI) of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), to be held in May 2016.

The workshop was held from 8-11 February 2016, in Geneva, Switzerland. It represented the first occasion at which government officials serving on the Bureau, Standing Committee or equivalent body of each of the seven biodiversity-related conventions have come together to exchange views and find common solutions. Preparations for the workshop were made by an informal advisory group of officials nominated by governments, members of which served as co-chairs, moderators and rapporteurs. Its goal was to outline options, including elements of a possible roadmap, for Parties of the various biodiversity-related conventions to enhance implementation and synergies, and improve efficiency among them, subject to the availability of resources. The workshop built on the latest existing research on synergies, in particular on work under a project led by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP).

Discussions revolved around eight main areas that hold potential for enhanced synergy, namely: the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020, the Aichi Biodiversity Targets and national biodiversity strategies and action plans (NBSAPs); institutional arrangements and coordination mechanisms; information and knowledge management; national reporting, monitoring and indicators; communication and awareness-raising; science-policy interface; capacity building; and resource mobilization and utilization.

Workshop outcomes will be presented to the CBD SBI meeting, to be held from 2-6 May 2016, and subsequently to the 13th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the CBD, to be held from 4-17 December 2016, in Cancun, Mexico. The outcomes are expected to be presented also to the governing bodies of the other six biodiversity-related conventions, including the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS), the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC), the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGR), the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, and the UNESCO World Heritage Convention. [CMS Press Release] [Meeting Documents]


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