Implementation of the Convention
Measures Taken to Achieve the 2010 Target
1) Legal steps: Ukraine has adopted several nature conservation programs and legal documents directed at biodiversity conservation. Since the year 2000 the following programmes were elaborated: Programme on Econet (2000), Programme “Forests of Ukraine” (2002), and Azov-Black Sea State Programme (2001). In addition, some legal acts aimed at the conservation of biodiversity were developed. Among them are: Law on Econet (2004), Law on Red Data Book (2002) with further additions (inclusion of Ursus arctos (2003)), the series of Ministry of Environmental Protection Decrees on limits of use of animal and plant species, Decree of the Cabinet of the Ministers on the Strategy of Sustainable Development of the Carpathians (2006), Resolution of the Cabinet of the Ministers on the Cadastre of Plant Species (2006), Decree of the Cabinet of the Ministers on the Concept of the State Programme on Protected Areas upon the Year 2020 (2006). Ukraine ratified a number of selected treaties in the field of biodiversity conservation (European Landscape Convention (2005), African-Eurasian Waterbird Agreement (2002), the Framework Convention on the Protection and Sustainable Development of the Carpathians (2004), joined to the Cartagena Protocol to CBD (2002), UN Convention on Combat Desertification (2002), The Agreement on the Conservation of Cetaceans in the Black Sea, Mediterranean Sea and contiguous Atlantic area (2003)). In the framework of the international agreements, the drafts of the State Programme on Biodiversity Conservation and Action Plans on Carnivores and Herbivores were prepared.
2) Field activity: As it was mentioned earlier, some new Protected Areas were created and the schemes of the ecocorridors developed.
3) Awareness: The Ministry of Environmental Protection of Ukraine cooperates with scientific institutions in the field of biodiversity conservation. In particular, the 3rd edition of the Red Data Book of Ukraine has been prepared in close collaboration with the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine. Several events (workshops, seminars and conferences) in the framework of biodiversity conservation were held during the year (among the biggest are Biodiversity Day celebration and National Workshop on Invasive Alien Species).
Initiatives in Protected Areas
Ukraine’s National EcoNetwork Formation Programme for the years 2000-2015 (Law of Ukraine, 2000) was developed in the context of requirements of CBD, Bern Convention and related to the further refinement and development of the Pan-European Biological and Landscape Diversity Strategy in respect of the development of a Pan-European EcoNetwork. The principal objective of the Programme is to increase the country’s area under natural landscapes to a level sufficient for the preservation of their diversity close to their initial natural condition and the development of the territorially-integrated system. This system would be built to ensure the possibility for species of plants and animals to use natural migration and propagation, which would ensure the preservation of natural ecosystems, species and populations of flora and fauna. During the first Phase of the Programme the following steps have been done: the schemes of the Polissky, Halytsko-Slobozhansky and Dnistrovsky ecocorridors as well as the recommendations for the formation of regional eco-networks were developed. A few more Protected Areas were established (National Nature Parks: “Hutsulshchyna” (2002), “Ichnyanskiy” (2004), “Halytskiy” (2004), “Homilshanski Lisy” (2004), “Velykiy Lug” (2006), “Mezynskiy” (2006), “Druzhkivskiy Kamyaniy Lis” (2006)) and elements of incentives measures elaborated.
Initiatives in Access and Benefit Sharing
A few measures have been identified to regulate access to and benefit-sharing from the use of genetic resources, including creating a National Centre for Genetic Resources and establishing a register of existing genetic resources.
Initiatives for Article 8(j)
Implementation of traditional nature management for conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity components is indirectly encouraged by a number of regulatory and legislative acts. The socio-economic reform in Ukraine creates some conditions for the revival of traditional forms of nature management. A number of measures have been formally identified to support Ukraine’s efforts to preserve and apply traditional knowledge and experience in biodiversity conservation and sustainable use. These measures include re-introduction of traditional fertilization systems, development of rural green tourism, involvement of local communities in development of national parks and tourism activities, restoration of traditional farming practices, including territories under traditional management in the national ecological networks and developing incentive mechanisms for traditional nature management.
