Fourth decade

COP 17 (Yerevan, Armenia, 19–30 October 2026)

2025 - Online meeting of the JLG, 29 May 2025

COP 16 (Cali, Colombia, 21 October–1 November 2024; Rome, Italy, 25–27 February 2025)

Decision 16/35. Cooperation with other conventions and international organizations

Encouraging further collaboration between the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and the Science-Policy Interface of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification in Those Countries Experiencing Serious Drought and/or Desertification, Particularly in Africa,

Welcoming the outcomes of the twenty-eighth session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the fifth session of the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Paris Agreement, including decision 1/CMA.5 on the outcome of the first global stocktake, in particular the importance of conserving, protecting and restoring nature and ecosystems towards achieving the Paris Agreement,

Emphasizing the goals and targets of the Framework, its mission to halt and reverse biodiversity loss by 2030 and its vision of living in harmony with nature by 2050, which support the conservation, protection and restoration of nature and the integrity of all ecosystems, including ecosystems acting as sinks and reservoirs for greenhouse gases,

5. Invites the Parties to the Rio Conventions to strengthen synergies and cooperation in the implementation of each convention, in accordance with national circumstances and priorities;

Decision 16/22: Biodiversity and climate change

COP 15 (Kunming, China, 11 - 15 October 2021; Montreal, Canada, 7 - 19 December 2022)

Online meeting of the JLG, 29 April 2021

Decision 15/13 - Cooperation with other conventions and international organizations

Welcoming the cooperative activities under the Rio conventions,

Decision 15/30: Biodiversity and climate change

Compile country views and information on biodiversity and climate change

Third decade

COP 14 (Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, 17 - 29 November 2018)

Decision 14/5. Biodiversity and climate change, 30 November 2018, adopting the voluntary guidelines for the design and effective implementation of ecosystem-based approaches to climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction

In paragraph 7 of decision 14/2, the Conference of the Parties welcomed the conclusion: "A coherent approach is needed on biodiversity and climate change to ensure that impacts on biodiversity of climate change are reduced, that biodiversity and ecosystems can contribute solutions related to climate adaptation and mitigation, and that climate change adaptation and mitigation measures do not negatively impact biodiversity through changes in land management."

Joint Statement by the Executive Secretaries of the Rio Conventions calling for the establishment of a Project Preparation Facility (PPF) to increase financing for large-scale, transformative projects which integrate action on land degradation, biodiversity loss, and global warming (2017)

Decision 14/30. Cooperation with other conventions, international organizations and initiatives

14. Welcomes the initiative of the Government of Egypt to promote a coherent approach for addressing biodiversity loss, climate change and land and ecosystem degradation, requests the Executive Secretary and invites Parties and other Governments, as well as the governing bodies and secretariats of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, the United Nations Development Programme, the Global Environment Facility, the Green Climate Fund, other relevant entities of the United Nations, civil society, and indigenous peoples and local communities, to support and promote this initiative, as appropriate and taking into account national and organizational circumstances;

17. Encourages Parties to the Convention that are also Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change or the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification to consider, as appropriate, the relevance of their actions to implement the Convention on Biological Diversity, including their national biodiversity strategies and action plans, with actions for the achievement of their nationally determined contributions to the Paris Agreement and their national action programmes, respectively, and to also consider, where appropriate, ecosystem-based approaches to adaptation, aiming to reduce human vulnerability to climate change;

COP 13 (Cancun, Mexico, 4 - 17 December 2016) XIII/4 and XIII/5,

Fourteenth meeting of the JLG, Bonn, Germany, 24 August 2016

COP 12 (Pyeongchang, Republic of Korea, 6 - 17 October 2014) XII/20, Thirteenth meeting of the JLG, New York, USA, 24 September 2014

Twelfth meeting of the JLG, Bonn, Germany, 22 January 2013

The Terms of Reference and Modus Operandi were initially discussed by the Executive Secretaries of the three Rio Conventions at the 11th meeting of the JLG. The Terms of Reference and Modus Operandi were formally approved at the 12th meeting of the JLG.

COP 11 (Hyderabad, India, 8 - 19 October 2012)

Eleventh meeting of the JLG, Bonn, Germany, 11 April 2011

Decision XI/6. Cooperation with other conventions, international organizations, and initiatives

14. Welcomes the Rio Conventions Pavilion as a mechanism to enhance collaboration, invites Parties that are in a position to do so to provide support to this initiative so as to increase the visibility of synergies among the multilateral environment agreements, including the Rio conventions, and improve the effectiveness of the Pavilion and achievement of its objectives;

17. Requests the Executive Secretary, subject to the availability of resources, to: (e) Make available, through the clearing house mechanism, lessons learned with regard to cooperation and synergy at national level, including from the implementation of the Global Environment Facility pilot project on facilitating national reporting to the Rio conventions;

COP 10 (Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture, Japan, 18 - 29 October 2010) X/33,

Tenth meeting of the JLG, New York, United States of America, 23 September 2010

Ninth meeting of the JLG, New York, United States, 14 May 2009

Decision X/20. Cooperation with other conventions and international organizations and initiatives

6. Bearing in mind the respective independent legal status and mandates of the three Rio conventions and the different composition of Parties, and the need to avoid duplication and promote resource efficiency and, based upon this, for the purpose of enhancing the capacity of countries, particularly developing countries, to implement the decisions of the Conference of the Parties related to biodiversity, climate change and desertification/land degradation and to promote cooperation, noting the actions in decision IX/16 and the current serious knowledge and information gap in evaluating biological vulnerability as a result of climate change:

(a) Requests the Executive Secretary to convey a proposal to develop joint activities, between the three Rio conventions, to the secretariats of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification; and

(b) Invites the conferences of the parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification to collaborate with the Convention on Biological Diversity, through the joint liaison group as appropriate with a view to:

(i) Including the development of joint activities in the agenda of the next meeting of the Joint Liaison Group of the three Rio conventions, and to consider, as appropriate, the proposed elements on joint activities regarding climate change, biodiversity, and land degradation and ecosystem-based approaches to climate change mitigation and adaptation, contained in decision IX/16;

(ii) Exploring the possibility of convening, subject to the availability of financial resources and prior to Rio+20, a joint preparatory meeting between the three Rio conventions, including, if appropriate, the participation of indigenous and local communities, to consider possible joint activities while respecting existing provisions and mandates, and to identify areas for Party-driven collaboration and submit these to the next Conferences of the Parties of each of the three Conventions for their consideration;

(iii) Consulting the Bureau of the Preparatory Committee of the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development 2012 (Rio+20) and to explore with the Bureau how to make use of this preparatory work in connection with Rio+20;

(iv) Exploring the possibility of convening meetings of national and/or subsidiary body focal points, bearing in mind the need to avoid additional resource burdens, to contribute to the process of cooperation;

Results of the RIO Joint Activities Survey (2010)

Second decade

COP 9 (Bonn, Germany, 19 - 30 May 2008)

Decision IX/16: Biodiversity and Climate Change: A. Proposals for the integration of climate-change activities within the programmes of work of the Convention; B. Options for mutually supportive actions addressing climate change within the three Rio Conventions; C. Ocean Fertilization; D. Summary of the findings of the Global Assessment on Peatlands, Biodiversity and Climate Change

Secretariat-level activities in the framework of the Rio conventions:

1.Keep staff in other secretariats informed of discussions and decisions on relevant synergistic activities or programmes.

2.Continuing the sharing of experiences by secretariat staff in forums such as the Convention on Biological Diversity Ad Hoc Technical Expert Group on Technology Transfer and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Expert Group on Technology Transfer or its successor.

3.Continue the provision by the secretariats, of inputs and views on forest issues and adaptation as requested by the subsidiary bodies of the conventions.

4.Share experiences reported by Parties on communication, education and public-awareness events.

National level activities to promote synergies among the Rio conventions:

Collaboration amongst national focal points:

1.Schedule periodic meetings between focal points and focal point teams.

2.Establish a national coordinating committee for implementation of the three Rio conventions including, as appropriate, mainstreaming into sustainable development strategies, the Millennium Development Goals and other relevant sectors and strategies.

3.Engage, when relevant, focal points from other conventions when forming a position for negotiations.

Cooperation on national-level planning

4.Review existing national plans to identify gaps in synergies.

5.Identify relevant sector plans and policies that could benefit from cooperation on biodiversity, desertification and climate change.

6.Revise relevant plans and policies, as appropriate to enhance cooperation.

7.Build institutional and scientific capacity and raise awareness among different ministries, policy makers and non-governmental organizations dealing with the three Rio conventions and other relevant conventions.

Collaboration at the level of convention bodies and secretariats

8.Provide input, as appropriate, to the Joint Liaison Group.

Technology transfer

9.Provide inputs to the technology transfer databases of the three conventions.

10.Prepare, as appropriate, transparent impact assessments and risk analysis on the transferred technologies taking into consideration economic viability, social acceptability and environmental benefits.

11.Enhance cooperation among national focal points for the implementation of the programme of work on technology transfer under the Convention on Biological Diversity through, for example, the designation of appropriate institutions acting as a central consulting point for technology transfer.

12.Identify technologies of joint interest and relevance at a regional and global scale.

Forests and climate change

13.Integrate biodiversity, climate change and desertification/land degradation issues in forest sector planning.

14.Involve focal points from the United Nations Forum on Forests and relevant forest related and other conventions in discussions on relevant issues, such as, reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation, as well as through afforestation and reforestation, and, the in-depth review of implementation of the programme of work on forest biodiversity and other relevant issues.

Climate-change adaptation

15.Enhance the integration of biodiversity and desertification/land degradation issues within climate change adaptation planning.

16.Enhance consideration of the benefits for climate change adaptation of cross-sector planning in the context of the ecosystem approach.

17.Evaluate, as appropriate, the extent to which biodiversity and desertification/land degradation issues are integrated into existing climate change adaptation plans.

18.Subject to national capacity and the availability of funds, identify areas which are vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, contain high levels of biodiversity or biodiversity at risk, and are exposed to desertification/land degradation.

Capacity-building

19.Clearly express capacity-building needs to the secretariats.

Research and monitoring/systematic observation

20.Conduct, as appropriate, national and local assessments of climate-change impacts on biodiversity and desertification/land degradation.

21.Identify, as appropriate, local and indigenous knowledge that can contribute to synergies.

22.Identify research and/or monitoring needs and establish mechanisms or processes by which such needs could be met.

23.Encourage additional research on the impacts of climate change on oceans and marine biodiversity.

24.Encourage additional research and monitoring on the impacts of increased frequency and intensity of extreme weather events on biodiversity and associated resources.

25.Identify actions that contribute to the conservation and sustainable use of peatlands and other wetlands and enhance their positive contribution to climate change response activities.

26.Identify the impacts of climate change on ecosystem services.

27.Harmonize temporal and spatial scales in data collection and analysis considering climate change and biodiversity status and trends.

Information exchange and outreach

28.Share at regional and global levels, experiences and lessons learned on communicating synergies.

29.Develop a common pool of experts on the interrelated issues of climate change, biodiversity and combating desertification/land degradation to address the information gaps on the status, trends and threats to biodiversity, particularly within dry and sub-humid lands.

Harmonized reporting

30.National focal points share, to the extent possible, databases containing reporting data and information sources.

31.Where relevant, focal points work together on drafting the national reports for each convention.

Eighth meeting of the JLG, Madrid, Spain, 12 September 2007

Seventh meeting of the JLG, Bonn, Germany, 7 June 2007

IX/27. Cooperation among multilateral environmental agreements and other organizations

2. Invites the subsidiary scientific and technical bodies of the three Rio conventions to enhance mutual collaboration in accordance with paragraph 7 of its decision VIII/16, and noting paragraph 2 of decision 13/CP.8 of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework to Combat Climate Change and paragraph 5 of decision 7/COP.5 of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, in a manner consistent with their respective mandates, governance arrangements and agreed programmes;

COP 8 (Curitiba, Brazil, 20 - 31 March 2006)

VIII/16. Cooperation with other conventions and international organizations and initiatives

2. Urges Parties to promote, as appropriate, coordination among national focal points for the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification and the Convention on Biological Diversity with a view to achieving synergies on cross-cutting activities, and to seek funding from the Global Environment Facility for these activities where appropriate;

3. Underlines the important role of the Joint Liaison Group in supporting cooperation among the Rio conventions;

4. Welcomes the proposed options for enhanced collaboration and joint actions identified in the paper developed jointly by the secretariats of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification and the Convention on Biological Diversity (UNEP/CBD/WG-RI/1/7/Add.1);

5. Invites the Joint Liaison Group, in future papers submitted to the Conference of the Parties, to provide an assessment of the obstacles, successes and lessons learned through their collaboration and joint actions, and an indication of the resource implications associated with additional options proposed in this regard;

8. Requests the Executive Secretary to secure more resources from the programme support to fund Convention activities, including those related to joint liaison arrangements between the Convention on Biological Diversity and the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification at the United Nations Headquarters;

Decision VIII/30: Biodiversity and climate change: guidance to promote synergy among activities for biodiversity conservation, mitigating or adapting to climate change and combating land degradation. The highlights include:

(i) integrate biodiversity considerations into all relevant national policies, programmes and plans in response to climate change; taking into account the maintenance and restoration of the resilience of ecosystems which are essential for sustaining the delivery of their goods and services;

(ii) rapid assessment tools for the design and implementation of biodiversity conservation and sustainable use activities which contribute to adaptation to climate change, particularly in vulnerable countries and regions, including small island developing States;

(iii) cooperate regionally in activities aimed at enhancing habitat connectivity across ecological gradients, with the aim of enhancing ecosystem resilience and to facilitate the migration and dispersal of species with limited tolerance to altered climatic conditions;

(iv) pilot and/or ongoing projects involving joint actions within the objectives of the three Rio conventions, the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, the World Heritage Convention, the Convention on Migratory Species, and other relevant multilateral environmental agreements in order to promote better understanding and functioning of synergy among these;

UNEP/CBD/WGRI/1/7/Add.1: options for enhanced cooperation among the three Rio conventions prepared for the first meeting of the Ad Hoc Open-ended Working Group on Review of Implementation of the Convention on Biological Diversity

CBD Technical Series No. 10 and UNEP/CBD/SBSTTA/11/INF/5: reports on biodiversity and climate change

COP 7 (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 9 - 20 February 2004)

Fifth meeting of the JLG, Bonn, Germany, 30 January 2004

Fourth meeting of the JLG, Bonn, Germany, 19 May 2003

The Executive Secretaries additionally met on the margins of the meeting of the Council of the Global Environment Facility (GEF) in Washington, D.C. in November 2003.

VII/26: Cooperation with other conventions and international organizations and initiatives

Recognizing the role of the Joint Liaison Group in supporting cooperation between the Rio conventions, and the role of the Collaborative Partnership on Forests in enhancing cooperation and coordination on Forest issues, where the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity is the focal agency on forest biodiversity and traditional forest related knowledge,

Decision VII/15: Biodiversity and Climate Change, which was based on the report of the Ad Hoc Technical Expert Group on Biological Diversity and Climate Change (UNEP/CBD/SBSTTA/9/11 and UNEP/CBD/SBSTTA/9/INF/12). The highlights include:

(i) the ecosystem approach provides a framework for the integrated management of land, water and living resources. Its application could facilitate the formulation of climate change mitigation and adaptation projects that also contribute to biodiversity conservation and sustainable use at the national level;

(ii) building capacity related to accessing information and tools, and for enhancing coordination at national level to ensure that climate change mitigation and adaptation projects deliver environmental and social benefits and are consistent with national priorities.

(iii) case-studies on interlinkages between biodiversity and climate change following a common format developed by the joint liaison group;

(iv) measures to manage ecosystems so as to maintain their resilience extreme climate events and to help mitigate and adapt to climate change;

(v) collaborate in the development of advice or guidance to Parties in implementing activities that are mutually supportive of the objectives of the three conventions at the local, sub-national, and national levels; and to involve biodiversity experts in relevant activities of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, including methodological issues;

Decision VII/4 (Annex 1) – Inland Waters
Decision VII/13 (4) – Invasive Alien Species
Decision VII/15 – Biodiversity and Climate Change
Decision VII/16 (G.5) – Article 8(j), Traditional Knowledge
Decision VII/20 (6b) – Financial Resources and Mechanism
Decision VII/27 (Annex) – Mountain Biodiversity
Decision VII/28 (Appendix) – Protected Areas
Decision VII/2 – Dry and Sub-Humid Lands
Decision VII/13 (4a) – Invasive Alien Species
Decision VII/29 (7) – Technology transfer and cooperation

COP 6 (The Hague, Netherlands (Kingdom of the), 7 - 19 April 2002)

Decision VI/20: Cooperation with other organizations, initiatives and conventions

Cooperation with the United Nations Convention on Climate Change and the Convention to Combat Desertification

9. Welcomes the activities being undertaken with the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, including its Kyoto Protocol, and requests the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice and the Executive Secretary to continue to cooperate with the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, including its Kyoto Protocol, and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) on relevant issues such as dry and sub-humid lands, agricultural biological diversity, forest biological diversity, marine and coastal biological diversity, especially coral reefs, and incentive measures and impacts of measures envisaged under the Kyoto Protocol with a view to maximizing synergies between these processes;

10. Recognizes that there is a need to take immediate actions under the Convention on Biological Diversity and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change to reduce and mitigate the impacts of climate change on the biological diversity of coral reefs and their associated socio-economic effects;

11. Welcomes the conclusions of the sixth meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice of the Convention on Biological Diversity and the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change regarding cooperation among the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification and the Convention on Biological Diversity;

12. Welcomes further the establishment of the joint liaison group among the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification and the Convention on Biological Diversity and urges the joint liaison group to become fully operational in order to facilitate cooperation between the conventions both at national and international levels;

13. Takes note of the terms of reference of the joint liaison group of the secretariats of the Convention on Biological Diversity, the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, and the proposed programme of work agreed upon at the fifteenth session of the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and encourages further coordinated work, especially on issues relating to the national level;

14. Invites Parties to provide views to the Executive Secretary on the need for further enhanced cooperation between the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice of the Convention on Biological Diversity, including suggestions for specific actions by 30 May 2002;

Decision VI/10 (25) – Article 8(j), Traditional Knowledge
Decision VI/22 (9) – Forest Biodiversity
Decision VI/8 (Annex 1B, 4.3) – Global Taxonomic Initiative
Decision VI/15 (Annex II) – Incentive Measures
Decision VI/19 (Annex) – Communication, Education and Public Awareness
Decision VI/23 (15a) – Invasive Alien Species

COP 5 (Nairobi, Kenya, 15 - 26 May 2000)

Decision V/21: Cooperation with other bodies

3. Invites the Executive Secretary to strengthen the cooperation with the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, including its Kyoto Protocol, on relevant issues such as dry and sub-humid lands, forest biological diversity, coral reefs, and incentive measures;

Decision V/4 (20) – Forest Biodiversity
Decision V/23 (6) – Dry and Sub-Humid Lands Biodiversity
Decision V/3 (4,5) – Marine and Coastal Biodiversity
Decision V/15 (6) – Incentive Measures

First decade

COP 4 (Bratislava, Slovakia, 4 - 15 May 1998)

Decision IV/15: The relationship of the Convention on Biological Diversity with the Commission on Sustainable Development and biodiversity-related conventions, other international agreements, institutions and processes of relevance

13. Further requests the Executive Secretary to strengthen relationships with, in particular, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and its Kyoto Protocol, and the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification in those Countries Experiencing Serious Drought and/or Desertification, particularly in Africa, with a view to making implementation activities and institutional arrangements mutually supportive;

A/Res/S-19/2: The programme approved by the XIXth Special Session of the UN General Assembly (June 1997) for the further implementation of Agenda 21 gives special priority to collaboration among the Rio Conventions. This need for collaboration has been repeatedly recognized and noted in the conclusions and decisions of the governing bodies to the Rio Conventions, and in the articles of the Conventions themselves. Below is an indicative (but not exhaustive) list of decisions taken by the respective Conference of the Parties of each Rio Convention on matters of cooperation with one another.

Decision IV/2 (10g) – Clearing House Mechanism
Decision IV/7 (9) – Forest Biodiversity
Decision IV/5 (2,3) – Marine and Coastal Biodiversity

COP 3 (Buenos Aires, Argentina, 4 - 15 November 1996)

Decision III/21: Relationship of the Convention with the Commission on Sustainable Development and biodiversity-related conventions, other international agreements, institutions and processes of relevance

4. Also requests the Executive Secretary to develop closer relationships with, in particular, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification in those Countries Experiencing Serious Drought and/or Desertification, particularly in Africa, with a view to making implementation activities and institutional arrangements mutually supportive;

Decision III/13 (1a) – Dry and Sub-Humid Lands, Inland Waters and Mountain biodiversity

Decision III/24 (6) – Operations of the Convention

COP 2 (Jakarta, Indonesia, 6 - 17 November 1995)

COP 1 (Nassau, Bahamas (The), 28 November - 9 December 1994)

Article 5
Article 24(d)

Convention to Combat Desertification
Article 8.1
Article 23 (d)
Decision 13/COP.1
Decision 17/COP.3
Decision 7/COP.5
Decision 12/COP.6

Framework Convention on Climate Change
Article 7.2 (1)
Article 8.2 (e)
Decision 1/CP.7 (3)
Decision 13/CP.8 (1)
And additional decisions and conclusions on cooperation listed here

Failing to hold the increase in the global average temperature to well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels would place many species and ecosystems with limited adaptive capacity as well as the people that depend on their functions and services, especially indigenous peoples and local communities and rural women, under very high risk,

Escalating destruction, degradation and fragmentation of ecosystems would reduce the capacity of ecosystems to store carbon and lead to increases in greenhouse gas emissions, reduce the resilience and stability of ecosystems, and make the climate change crisis ever more challenging,

Climate change is a major and growing driver of biodiversity loss, and that biodiversity and ecosystem functions and services, significantly contribute to climate change adaptation, mitigation and disaster risk reduction,

Limiting the global average temperature increase to 1.5°C compared to 2°C above pre-industrial levels would reduce the negative impacts on biodiversity and on the people that depend on ecosystem functions and services, especially indigenous peoples and local communities and rural women, especially in the most vulnerable ecosystems, such as wetlands, small islands, and coastal, marine and Arctic ecosystems,

Joint Liaison Group

In August 2001, a Joint Liaison Group (JLG) between the three Rio Conventions was established as an informal forum for exchanging information, exploring opportunities for synergistic activities and increasing coordination. The JLG comprises the officers of the Conventions’ scientific subsidiary bodies, the Executive Secretaries, and members of the secretariats.

Each of the Conference of the Parties of the three conventions has encouraged the JLG to facilitate cooperation at the national and international levels, to identify possible areas of joint activities, and to enhance coordination (CBD decision VI/20, CCD decision 12/COP.6, FCCC decision 13/CP.8). At its fifth meeting in Bonn, Germany (January 2004), the JLG identified three issues as priorities for joint collaboration: adaptation, capacity building and technology transfer.

Terms of Reference and Modus Operandi

The Terms of Reference and Modus Operandi were initially discussed by the Executive Secretaries of the three Rio Conventions at the 11th meeting of the JLG. The Terms of Reference and Modus Operandi were formally approved at the 12th meeting of the JLG.

Options for collaboration

In line with the guidance provided by the bodies of the Rio Conventions, the JLG is developing a number of cooperative activities. Options for enhanced cooperation have already been identified by the three convention secretariats, as outlined in a joint paper, and include:

• Promotion of complementarity among the national biodiversity strategies and action plans (NBSAPs) under the CBD, the national action programmes (NAPs) of the UNCCD, and the national adaptation programmes of action (NAPAs) for least developed countries of the UNFCCC
• Collaboration among national focal points
• Collaboration among the scientific subsidiary bodies to the conventions, the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice (SBSTTA) to the CBD, the Committee for Science and Technology (CST) to the UNCCD, and the SBSTA to the UNFCCC
• Development of joint work programmes or plans, of joint workshops (at the international level) and of joint capacity-building activities (including training, and local, national and regional workshops to promote synergy in implementation)
• Case studies on interlinkages
• Facilitation of exchange of information and experience, including improving inter-accessibility of available web-based data
• Cooperation in communication, education and public awareness programmes
• Cooperation in the development of advice, methodologies and tools

There is a growing recognition that while each Rio Convention does stand on its own, with its own defined objectives and commitments, there are also mutual dependencies and inherent relationships among them. The Rio Conventions share a concern for many of the same environmental and sustainable development issues, and operate within the same ecosystems.

If the Conventions can be implemented collaboratively and in a co-ordinated manner, synergies may result that will lead to greater progress on all fronts. For example:

• Addressing climate change can impact rates of desertification and biodiversity loss, for which climate is a key factor.
• Introducing renewable energy technologies for the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions can also reduce pressure on land and forest biodiversity by providing an alternative to unsustainable biomass fuels.
• Combating deforestation reduces net carbon dioxide emissions, land degradation, and the loss of biodiversity.
  The varied issues on which the Rio Conventions overlap is reflected in the decisions on cooperation

The Rio Conventions overlap not only on issues, but also in the obligations required of their Parties, such as requirements for research, reporting, training and public education and awareness. Given that the responsibility for meeting the obligations of each convention does not necessarily fall to the same institution within a country, coordination and collaboration are needed at the national level to reduce costs and duplication of effort, and to enhance implementation by Parties.

Each Rio Convention shares the common objective of contributing to the sustainable development goals of Agenda 21. (including the targets of the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation of the World Summit on Sustainable Development) and the Millenium Development Goals.

Activities

Cooperation among the Rio Conventions may occur at various levels—among the respective convention bodies, among the convention secretariats, and at the national or local levels. Activities that promote synergy at the national and local levels are accorded particular importance, as this is the level at which conventions are implemented and tangible benefits achieved.

A number of options for collaboration have been jointly identified by the Rio Convention bodies. To date, collaborative activities have included the development of joint programmes of work, preparation of technical reports and involvement in outreach activities:

Climate Change and Biodiversity
The CBD has developed a cross-cutting initiative on climate change and biodiversity that links closely to the UNFCCC.

The CBD COP established an Ad Hoc Technical Expert Group on Biodiversity and Climate Change, including scientists involved in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) process and experts from the UNFCCC process and its secretariat. The expert group completed a report on inter-linkages between biological diversity and climate change to promote integration of biodiversity considerations into the implementation of the FCCC and its Kyoto Protocol. Meetings are held regularly.

In addition, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, at the request of the CBD, prepared IPPC Technical Paper V: Climate Change and Biodiversity

Dry and Sub-Humid Lands
The CBD and UNCCD have developed a Joint work programme on Biodiversity of Dry and Sub-Humid Lands (Phase 1: 2001-2005), welcomed in decision VII/2 by the CBD COP. In response to identified needs, the programme of work was developed into two programme elements: part A - Assessments and part B – “Targeted Actions”, to be implemented in parallel.

The CBD, in collaboration with the secretariats of the UNCCD, the UNFCCC and the Global Environment Facility organized a ‘Regional Workshop for Africa on synergy among the Rio Conventions and other Biodiversity-related conventions in implementing the programmes of work on dry and sub-humid lands and agricultural biodiversity’, Gaborone, Botswana, 13-17 September 2004. (10 documents)

The ecosystem types under consideration included dryland, Mediterranean, arid, semi-arid, grassland and savannah ecosystems, which are vulnerable to the combined effects of biodiversity loss, desertification and climate change. These areas are usually dominated by agricultural activities and, therefore, there are significant linkages to the CBD programme of work on agro-biodiversity.

Forests
The secretariats of the UNCCD and CBD, with the cooperation of the UNFCCC, organized a ‘Workshop on Forests and Forest Ecosystems: Promoting Synergy in the Implementation of the Three Rio Conventions’, Viterbo, Italy, 5-7 April 2004. The focus on forests and forest ecosystems provided a theme around which to discuss the best ways and means for planning and implementing plans and programmes addressing the provisions of all three Conventions. The output of the workshop is expected to be applicable to other biomes and issues relating to desertification, biodiversity and climate change. The final report is available here.

Other meetings
Workshops on synergies and cooperation with other international conventions, Espoo, Finland, 2-4 July 2003
Organized by the UNFCCC secretariat, in cooperation with secretariats of the other conventions, the workshop made a number of recommendations for cooperation in the areas of exchange of information, in areas such as technology transfer, education and outreach, research and systematic observation, capacity-building, reporting, and impacts and adaptation. The workshop also examined the inter-linkages between biodiversity and climate change and highlighted the use of the ecosystem approach as a framework for activities contributing to the objectives of the three Rio conventions. The final report is available here.

Outreach activities
The three secretariats are collaborating on a number of outreach activities, including the development of common web-based tools to facilitate access to national reports and communications, and to information for national focal points.

Rio Conventions Joint Publications

The Rio Conventions - Action on Adaptation

The Rio Conventions - Action on Forests

The Rio Conventions - Action on Gender

The three Rio Conventions—on Biodiversity, Climate Change and Desertification—derive directly from the 1992 Earth Summit. Each instrument represents a way of contributing to the sustainable development goals of Agenda 21. The three conventions are intrinsically linked, operating in the same ecosystems and addressing interdependent issues.

Convention on Biological Diversity

The objectives of the CBD are the conservation of biological diversity, the sustainable use of its components, and the fair and equitable sharing of the benefits arising from commercial and other utilization of genetic resources. The agreement covers all ecosystems, species, and genetic resources.

United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification

The UNCCD aims to combat desertification and mitigate the effects of drought in countries experiencing serious drought and/or desertification, particularly in Africa, through effective actions at all levels, supported by international co-operation and partnership arrangements, in the framework of an integrated approach which is consistent with Agenda 21, with a view to contributing to the achievements of sustainable development in affected areas.

United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change

The UNFCCC sets an overall framework for intergovernmental efforts to tackle the challenge posed by climate change. Its objectives are to stabilize greenhouse-gas concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that would prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system, within a time-frame sufficient to allow ecosystems to adapt naturally to climate change; to ensure that food production is not threatened; to enable economic development to proceed in a sustainable manner.

The Conferences of the Parties (COP) to each Rio Convention have underlined through numerous articles and decisions the need for enhanced collaboration among the conventions, in order to enhance synergy and reduce duplication of activities. In August 2001, the Conventions established a Joint Liaison Group as an informal forum for exchanging information, exploring opportunities for synergistic activities and increasing coordination. Options for collaboration have been explored in several meetings and documents, and a number of collaborative activities are already underway.