1. Takes note of recommendation V/13 of the Subsidiary Body for Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice on guidelines for national reports;

2. Endorses the format contained in annex I of the note by the Executive Secretary on national reporting (UNEP/CBD/COP/5/13/Add.2) as the recommended format for future national reports to be submitted by Parties in accordance with Article 26 of the Convention;

3. Requests the Executive Secretary to further develop this format to incorporate the views expressed by Parties and further questions arising from the decisions of its fifth meeting and to make the revised format available to Parties by September 2000;

4. Is of the view that national reports developed in this format will help Parties to measure the state of national implementation of the Convention and to review national priorities and actions;

5. Requests Parties to submit their next national report:

(a) By 15 May 2001;
(b) In an official language of the Conference of the Parties;
(c) In both hard copy and electronic format; and thereafter for consideration at alternate ordinary meetings of the Conference of the Parties, and include them in their clearing-house mechanism national focal point where feasible;

6. Recommends that Parties prepare their national reports through a consultative process involving all relevant stakeholders, as appropriate, or by drawing upon information developed through other consultative processes;

7. Also invites Parties to prepare detailed thematic reports on one or more of the items for in-depth consideration at its ordinary meetings, thereby providing national contributions to the work of the Conference of Parties and its subsidiary bodies;

8. Accordingly, invites Parties to submit to the Executive Secretary, reports on forest ecosystems, alien species and benefit-sharing for consideration at its sixth meeting:

(a) In accordance with the formats contained, respectively, in annexes II, III and IV of the note by the Executive Secretary on national reporting;
(b) By, respectively, 15 May 2001, 30 September 2000, and 30 December 2000;
(c) In an official language of the Conference of the Parties;
(d) In both hard copy and electronic format;

9. Requests the Executive Secretary to:

(a) Prepare reports based on information contained in national reports for consideration by the Conference of the Parties at its meetings, and make them available through the clearing-house mechanism;
(b) Keep the format of national reports under review, and provide further advice to the Conference of Parties on its revision;
(c) Proceed with the further development and implementation of the proposals for streamlining national reporting contained in section 5.2 of the "Feasibility study for a harmonized information management infrastructure for biodiversity-related treaties", in collaboration with the secretariats of the other biodiversity-related conventions, with a view to simplifying reporting procedures and reducing the burden of reporting on Parties, and report on progress to the Conference of the Parties at its sixth meeting;

10. Invites organizations, such as the United Nations Development Programme and the United Nations Environment Programme, undertaking regional or global programmes providing support to Parties in biodiversity planning, including capacity development, to provide the Executive Secretary with information on programme activities and lessons learned