Incentive measures (Article 11)

The Conference of the Parties,

Noting the importance of incentive measures for achieving the objectives of the Convention, as recognized by Parties in their third national reports,

Welcoming the progress made in the design and implementation of incentive measures as described by Parties in their third national reports and during the in-depth review of the work on incentive measures,

Noting that, according to the third national reports of Parties, the lack of financial, human, and technical resources as well as the lack of mainstreaming and integration of biodiversity issues into other sectors, remain important challenges associated with the implementation of Article 11 on incentive measures,

Emphasizing that incentive measures should:

(a) Contribute to the conservation of biological diversity and the sustainable use of its components and not negatively affect biodiversity and livelihoods of other countries;

(b) Contribute to sustainable development and the eradication of poverty;

(c) Take into account national and local conditions and circumstances;

(d) Be consistent and in harmony with the Convention and other relevant international obligations,

1. Recognizes the ongoing relevance of the programme of work on incentive measures, contained in decisions V/15, VI/15, VII/18, VIII/25 and VIII/26;

2. Decides to put more emphasis on the implementation of the programme of work through enhanced sharing of information on good practices, lessons learned, difficulties encountered, and other practical experience on its implementation, as well as assessments, studies, analyses, and capacitybuilding;

3. Recognizing the wealth of useful information on incentive measures provided by Parties, international organizations and stakeholders during the in-depth review of the programme of work on incentive measures, requests the Executive Secretary to disseminate this information through the clearinghouse mechanism of the Convention;

4. Also decides, subject to availability of financial resources, to put more emphasis on:

(a) The assessment of the values of biodiversity and associated ecosystem services, as one important basis for publicawareness campaigns and policy action;

(b) The development of methods to promote science-based information on biodiversity in consumer decisions, for example through eco-labelling, as appropriate;

(c) The provision of guidance on promotion of biodiversity-based products that are produced in a sustainable manner as alternative sources of income at a local level, including within community-based conservation programmes;

(d) Studies on approaches to develop markets and payment schemes for ecosystem services at local, national and international levels, their advantages as well as potential limitations and risks, and their potential implications for biodiversity and indigenous and local communities;

(e) Analysis of the effects of different incentive measures and the impact on biodiversity across different groups in different geographical areas and over time;

(f) Methods for assessing the effectiveness of incentive measures, including positive incentive measures and the removal of perverse incentive measures;

Positive incentive measures and the removal of perverse incentive measures

5. Invites Parties, other Governments and international organizations to ensure that possible actions for reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation in developing countries do not run counter to the objectives of the Convention on Biological Diversity, but provide benefits for forest biodiversity and, where possible, to indigenous and local communities;

6. Requests the Executive Secretary to convene an international workshop on the removal and mitigation of perverse, and the promotion of positive, incentive measures, consisting of government-nominated practitioners with balanced regional representation, as well as experts from relevant organizations and stakeholders, with a view to collecting, exchanging and analysing information, including case-studies on, good practices for, and lessons learned from, concrete and practical experiences in identifying and removing or mitigating perverse incentive measures, and to identify a limited number of good practice cases from different regions, for consideration by the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice at a meeting prior to the tenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties, for review by the Conference of the Parties at its tenth meeting;

7. Requests the Executive Secretary to compile and analyse relevant information, including analyses and studies from relevant international organizations, such as the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, on the impacts of positive and perverse incentive measures, to disseminate this information through the clearing house mechanism of the Convention, and to make it available to the workshop on the removal and mitigation of perverse incentive measures;

Valuation

8. Welcomes the initiative launched at the G-8 meeting of environmental ministers in Potsdam, Germany, in March 2007, to develop a study on the economic cost of the global loss of biodiversity, and the work of Germany and the European Commission to implement this activity in form of an international study on the economics of ecosystems and biodiversity;

9. Requests the Executive Secretary to continue collaboration with the Environmental Valuation Reference Inventory (EVRI) with a view to facilitate access to the database by developing countries;

10. Takes note of the terms of reference for a study on how monitoring can support the implementation of valuation tools and positive incentive measures (UNEP/CBD/COP/9/INF/9), as a useful general framework to facilitate in-country studies;

11. Requests the Executive Secretary, in cooperation with relevant organizations and initiatives, to examine the international dimension of how monitoring can support the implementation of valuation tools and positive incentive measures, drawing on the terms of reference in section V of the note by the Executive Secretary on terms of reference for a study on how monitoring can support the implementation of valuation tools and positive incentive measures (UNEP/CBD/COP/9/INF/9);

12. Requests the Executive Secretary to identify options for effectively communicating the results of assessments of biodiversity values, with a view to informing consumer decisions and policy action on incentive measures for the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity, and/or the removal of perverse incentive measures;

Cooperation

13. Invites the Biotrade Initiative of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development to continue its work on trade promotion for biodiversity-based products which are produced in a sustainable manner and compatible with the three objectives of the Convention on Biological Diversity, through capacity-building, enhancing market access, promoting enabling environments and engaging relevant public and private actors;

14. Notes with appreciation the existing work to support the programme of work on incentive measures by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the United Nations Environment Programme, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, and other international organizations and initiatives;

15. Invites the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, the United Nations Environment Programme, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, and other national, regional, and international organizations and initiatives to undertake, and requests the Executive Secretary to encourage, further studies on payments for ecosystem services and other positive incentive measures at local, national, regional and international levels, their advantages as well as their potential limitations and risks, their cost-effectiveness, potential implications for biodiversity and indigenous and local communities, and their consistency with other international obligations. The studies should also address whether designating indigenous and local communities or local authorities as recipients of payments could help address concerns regarding equity consideration and the practical implementation of payment schemes;

16. Invites relevant national, regional and international organizations to promote scientific and technical cooperation among Parties on the design and implementation of incentive measures, including through international courses and workshops for the exchange of experiences, and to provide technical support, capacity-building and training:

(a) On the valuation of biodiversity and associated ecosystem services;

(b) For the design and implementation of incentive measures that are appropriate to national circumstances;

(c) For the promotion of biodiversity-based products which are produced in a sustainable manner ("biotrade").