Distr.

GENERAL

UNEP/CBD/COP/4/14

2 April 1998

ORIGINAL: ENGLISH

CONFERENCE OF THE PARTIES TO THE

CONVENTION ON BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY

Fourth meeting

Bratislava, 4-15 May 1998 Item 13 of the provisional agenda

SYNTHESIS OF VIEWS ON THE OPERATIONS OF THE CONVENTION

Note by the Executive Secretary

INTRODUCTION

Pursuant to its decision III/22, the Conference of the Parties will at its fourth meeting review the institutional structure of the Convention.

In decision III/22, the Conference of the Parties outlined the preparatory steps for this review and, in paragraph 2, invited Parties, participants and relevant institutions to submit their views to the Executive Secretary on:

(a)	The operations of the Conference of the Parties;

(b)	The overall review of the medium-term programme of work for 1995-1997;

(c)	A longer-term programme of work.

By paragraphs 3 and 4 of the same decision, the Conference of the Parties requested the Executive Secretary to submit a synthesis of these views to the Conference of the Parties and welcomed offers to contribute to efforts to facilitate the review process.

The Executive Secretary has received numerous views from a wide range of sources. For example, 14 Parties have made written submissions, Parties and relevant organizations have made submissions at a series of informal discussions organised by the Secretariat, the out-going Chair of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice provided a synthesis of the views expressed at the informal meeting during the third meeting of the Subsidiary Body in September 1997 (see document UNEP/CBD/COP/4/2, annex 3) and the Chairman of the workshop organized by the Government of the United Kingdom in London from 5 to 7 January 1998 also provided a summary of the discussions.

The present note provides the synthesis of these views as called for in paragraph 3 of decision III/22. It is divided into four sections. Section I briefly describes the achievements of the medium-term programme of work for 1995 to 1997 adopted at the first meeting of the Conference of the Parties. Section II then presents the views received by the Executive Secretary, arranged in accordance with the institutional structure of the Convention and examining: the Conference of the Parties, the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice, other subsidiary bodies and processes, the Secretariat, the financial mechanism, the clearing-house mechanism, cooperation with other processes, civil society and national reports. Section III sets out a proposed longer-term programme of work, while Section IV presents recommendations for the consideration of the Conference of the Parties.

I. THE MEDIUM TERM PROGRAMME OF WORK 1995-1997

At its first meeting, the Conference of the Parties focused on the establishment of the institutional structure of the Convention. Important decisions were taken on, inter alia, on the rules of procedure, guidance to the financial mechanism, and the programme of work for the Conference of the Parties for the years 1995 to 1997 (the "medium-term programme of work").

The second meeting of the Conference of the Parties marked the beginning of the implementation of the substantive provisions of the Convention. At this meeting, the Conference of the Parties adopted the Jakarta Mandate on Marine and Coastal Biological Diversity, which proposes a framework for global action, and established a pilot phase for the clearing-house mechanism to promote technical and scientific cooperation. The full scale of the work proposed in the medium-term programme of work also became more evident at this meeting of the Conference of the Parties.

At its third meeting, of the Conference of the Parties continued the transition towards implementation and took important decisions on agricultural biological diversity, forest biological diversity, and indigenous and local communities. Although Parties have exercised discipline in respect of the programmes initiated to address particular ecosystems, the third meeting of the Conference of the Parties saw the proliferation of cross-sectoral programmes, with processes developed to address: biosafety, local and indigenous communities, incentives, equitable sharing of benefits and intellectual property rights.

The broad scope of the Convention, and the urgency of dealing with the widespread problems associated with the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity, have meant that the agenda of the process has rapidly expanded. There are concerns that, if this trend were to continue unabated, the capacity of the process would be stretched to the point where it would no longer be effective. The challenge for the process as it moves into its implementation phase is to develop an approach that will find a balance between pursuing an integrated approach demanded by the Convention and, at the same time, being focused enough to allow the development of its provisions.

II. THE OPERATIONS OF THE CONFERENCE OF THE PARTIES

AND SUBSIDIARY ORGANS

A. The Conference of the Parties

Article 23 of the Convention establishes a Conference of the Parties, which is the supreme body of the Convention. The principal function of the Conference of the Parties is to keep under review the implementation of the Convention, for which purpose, according to paragraph 4 of Article 23, it is inter alia, to:

(a)	Consider and, as adopt, as required, amendments to the Convention (Art. 23, para. 4 (d));

(b)	Establish such subsidiary bodies, particularly to provide scientific and technical advice, as are deemed necessary for the implementation of the Convention (Art. 23 para. 4 (g));

(c)	Consider reports by the Parties and subsidiary bodies to any Convention as required by Article 26 (Art. 23 para. 4 (a));

(d)	Contact, through the Secretariat, the executive bodies of conventions dealing with matters covered by this Convention with a view to establishing appropriate forms of cooperation with them (Art. 23 para. 4 (h)).

The Conference of the Parties has met three times: in Nassau from 28 November to 9 December 1994; Jakarta from 6 to 17 November 1995; and Buenos Aires from 4 to 15 November 1996. Its fourth meeting will be held in Bratislava, from 4 to 15 May 1998.

At its three meetings, the Conference of the Parties has adopted 63 decisions, encompassing a wide range of issues. It has adopted an ecosystem approach to developing and applying the provisions of the Convention and has established the administrative basis for the operation of the institutional structure of the Convention. It has attached importance to cooperation and has adopted numerous decisions addressed to other institutions. Meetings of the Conference of the Parties have made an important contribution to the capacity of the Convention process and have been more that simple set-piece diplomatic conferences. As a result meetings of the Conference of the Parties have attracted significant non-governmental interest, and satellite activities, such as workshops and information displays, have made an important contribution to their functioning.

Nevertheless, there is room for improvement in the operation of the Conference of the Parties, and since it is as the supreme body of the Convention process, this is the key element in the present review. The meetings of the Conference of the Parties are clearly central to the operation of its institutional role Conference of the Parties, but the Conference of the Parties as an institution is more than its meetings. The role of the Bureau, the preparations for its meetings, and the implementation of their results are crucial aspects of the effectiveness of the institution.

1. The Bureau of the Conference of the Parties

Paragraph 2 of rule 21 of the rules of procedure of the Conference of the Parties establishes, inter alia, that one of the function of the Bureau is to provide guidance to the Secretariat with regard to its preparations for and conduct of meetings of the Conference of the Parties. Several decisions of the Conference of the Parties have clarified this role. For example, decision I/4 the Executive Director of UNEP was requested to select the Executive Secretary in consultation with the Bureau, while, in decision III/23, the Executive Secretary was requested to make available to the Conference of the Parties copies of the new administrative procedures regarding the functioning of the permanent secretariat, and to report on their implementation to the Conference of the Parties through the Bureau. The Bureau has also provided detailed guidance to the Executive Secretary in his preparations for the meetings of the Conference of the Parties and on the implementation of its decisions.

The Bureau could further assist the Secretariat in carrying out its work and enhance liaisons/interactions with other institutions of relevance to the Convention, such as the financial mechanism and other outside processes. Other responsibilities or functions of the Bureau, might include; interpreting/clarifying decisions arising from meetings of the Conference of the Parties; reporting to its constituents inter-sessionally (for example, through the distribution of the minutes of the meetings of the Bureau); canvassing views of constituents by encouraging improved information flows between members; exploring cross-links between issues and, where appropriate, amalgamating or grouping issues when considering the agenda for working groups at meetings of the Conference of the Parties; providing more direction on issues to be discussed under each item of the agenda of meetings of the Conference of the Parties; and monitoring the work programme to ensure that it is of a manageable size, and in particular, that there are enough resources within the system (especially the Secretariat) to accommodate the proposed activities and new activities which emerge.

The Convention on Wetlands of International Importance, especially as Waterfowl Habitat (Ramsar Convention) provides an example of an effective bureau and a model which could provide useful lessons the Convention on Biological Diversity. The Bureau to the Ramsar Convention is actually a standing committee for the three-year interregnum between meetings of the Conference of the Parties, and the role of the Bureau is clear to the Parties. Parties accordingly have expected a degree of expertise from their Bureau representatives which may be difficult to emulate in the Convention on Biological Diversity because of the different scopes, aspirations and maturity of the two instruments. One possible idea could be to maintain a Bureau for the functioning of the meetings of the Conference of the Parties and, in addition, establish a standing committee that could help the Secretariat discharge its functions. Such a standing committee would only be useful if it was capable of meaningful contribution, was cost-effective and had a clear functional role.

If the role of the Bureau is developed in such a way, consideration should also be given to providing greater representation to Parties by increasing the number of Bureau members.

2. Preparations

Discipline and prioritization of the work under the Convention are necessary in order to match the capacity of the system to the demands. Without this link, the effectiveness of the entire Convention may be undermined. This point has been especially highlighted in the views expressed about the functioning of the Conference of the Parties, because of the importance of this institution to the overall process. The size and scope of the agenda impairs the effectiveness of the Conference of the Parties, because it has meant that decision-making at its meetings has not always received adequate preparation or attention. It also has had a detrimental impact on participation, which in turn has affected the transparency of the process and the implementation of decisions.

The approach which has been favoured to date is to concentrate on one thematic area for meetings of the Conference of the Parties. Several Parties indicated that this thematic approach should be continued. Others were of the opinion that the burden on the process is simply a result of the establishment phase of the Convention and that, once the Convention matures and moves more into implementation, the expanding workload of the process will stabilize. Others pointed out that, while highlighting a particular ecosystem at a particular meeting of the Conference of the Parties may appear to add focus, in practice this approach has tended to increase the workload, since much of the meeting is still taken up with progress reports on previously prioritized areas.

Focusing the agenda of the Conference of the Parties cannot be accomplished at the meeting itself. Exercising the necessary discipline to focus the agenda can only be undertaken as part of the preparations for the meeting in, for example, the medium-term programme of work, the advice prepared by the subsidiary bodies, and the work of the Secretariat. Exercising discipline ultimately requires setting priorities, which means delaying consideration of certain issues by the Conference of the Parties. This is an exercise that only the Conference of the Parties is equipped to undertake. This points to the important role that the Bureau has in guiding preparations and exercising discipline with the agenda for forthcoming meetings of the Conference of the Parties. The third meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice provided clear evidence of the importance of the role of its Bureau in focusing the agenda of the meeting. In light of this experience, the Conference of the Parties may wish to reconsider the mandate of the Bureau to better equip it to address these issues.

A rolling programme of work that provided greater clarity than the current medium-term programme of work with respect to when issues might be considered and what type of products might be forthcoming would facilitate preparations and result in more effective meetings of the Conference of the Parties and ultimately in better decisions. It would enable better participation of Parties and other partners in the overall process. It would also facilitate intersessional work and allow for greater exchange of views prior to meetings of the Conference of the Parties.

Enhancing the capacity of the institutions involved in the preparation process would improve the ability of the Conference of the Parties to consider issues properly. There are numerous potential ways in which the capacity of the system can be enhanced. Improving the existing institutional capacity through clearer mandates for existing intersessional processes, enhancing the role of the regional preparatory meetings, and elaborating the role and mandate of the Bureau, in particular the membership in terms of numbers, expertise and interests, and its inter-session role, are possible options. Additional inter-sessional capacity may be required if the existing institutions have neither the capacity nor the mandate to prepare properly for meetings of the Conference of the Parties.

Focused pre-session documentation makes a significant contribution to efficient meetings. Pre-session documentation which clearly indicates what will be dealt with under each item, what kind of follow-up will be required from the Secretariat, and the nature of the decision, would be beneficial. Pre-session documentation has largely concentrated on providing background information. It has not contained developed recommendations or costing of proposals. The Conference of the Parties sought to move to more product-oriented pre-session documentation by requiring the Secretariat to submit costing of proposals in the pre-session documentation for the fourth meeting of the Conference of the Parties. Other international processes request secretariats to provide draft decisions in the pre-session documentation and the Conference of the Parties may also wish to consider this practice for certain topics.

3. Meetings of the Conference of the Parties

With respect to the effectiveness of the way that meetings themselves are organized, there are a number of outstanding issues that impair the efficiency of the Conference of the Parties.

The rules of procedure governing the meetings of the Conference of the Parties have not been finalized, a situation which not only affects those meetings but all other subsidiary bodies, as these rules apply mutatis mutandis to their meetings. The most important lacunae in these rules are those governing voting and the mechanism for assessing contributions. The role of civil society at meetings themselves needs further clarification within the rules of procedure.

The Ministerial Segment has not been organized in a way that takes full advantage of the political potential or momentum of the Segment. The Organization of the Ministerial Segment is, however, the prerogative of the host country and has not traditionally been considered an appropriate subject for inter-governmental deliberations. Nevertheless, the Segment provides a useful opportunity to bring the issues covered by the Convention to the attention of ministers. One option for improving the effectiveness of this Segment is to involve ministers more in the proceedings of the Conference of the Parties. For example, a panel of elected representatives could be established as an alternative to having a series of speeches, as has been the case in the past. These panels could debate thematic issues based on the interest and expertise of the participants. This would mean that ministers are more involved; have greater interaction; are exposed to other views; and are able to share country's experiences.

Careful differentiation of issues between those items to be discussed in substance; items to be discussed briefly, for example, with the aim of giving guidance to the Secretariat; and items on which progress will be noted, could improve the efficiency of meetings. Thematic and cross-cutting issues should be clearly distinguished and the responsibility for the overlapping topics clearly allocated to one group. It would be useful if, in setting the context for discussions, the Bureau of the Conference of the Parties detailed the cross-linkages so that they could be considered as a separate item. Earlier dissemination of a provisional annotated agenda which clearly indicates the nature of the discussions to be undertaken at a meeting would allow Parties to better prepare for discussions and select more specialized delegations.

Participation, both in terms of numbers of delegates per country and the type of participants attending meetings, in particular the participation of the private sector, has had an impact on the functioning of the Conference of the Parties. Languages and the barrier these present to proper participation have also been noted periodically as diminishing the effectiveness of the Conference of the Parties. Effective consideration of all the issues on the agenda would be improved if several working groups could operate simultaneously during the meeting. Participation of developing countries is, however, generally limited and this leads to a reluctance to entertain an expansion in the number of sessional working groups. Adequate participation is so important that financial support for participants should come from the core budget and not be funded from voluntary contributions. An information paper describing the rules of procedures as they apply to working groups and explaining how working groups operate would enhance the participation of all those attending meetings. In particular, the ambiguities surrounding the rights of civil society need to be resolved. The rules of procedure should be formalized so that as a general practice there is specific direction on the participation by non-governmental organizations and governments that are not Parties to the Convention. For example, in determining the order of speakers, precedence should be given to delegations who are participating as Parties; and, while opportunities should be made available for non-governmental organizations to participate, such participation should be strictly in accordance with a procedure spelt out by the President early in the meeting.

4. Implementing the decisions of the Conference of the Parties

There is growing concern regarding the extent that decisions of the Conference of the Parties are implemented. The effectiveness of the Convention and implementation of those decisions at the national level will greatly depend upon the development of human, institutional and financial capacities for implementation. Issues such as capacity-building, technology transfer, and the functions of the financial mechanism would therefore deserve much more prominence if significant progress is to be seen regarding implementation.

Coherence and consistency in the process could be improved, for example, through some mechanism of review towards the end of a meeting of the Conference of the Parties, or immediately after a meeting of the Bureau or some committee of participants. A handbook incorporating the Convention text and decisions of the Conference of the Parties would provide useful guidance.

Effective delegation of tasks to appropriate subsidiary bodies is crucial to the effectiveness of the institution. In order to ensure that the entire system operates in an effective and coordinated fashion, the Conference of the Parties should concentrate on delegating authority to other parts of the system, avoiding overlap and duplication, and should monitor and review the execution of that delegation. As such, a core function should include acting as the point of contact, coordination and authority for all the other parts of the system. For reasons of efficiency, it should not micro-manage delegated authority.

Delegation of tasks by the Conference of the Parties has not, however, always been effective, because of a lack of clarity in the delegation and guidance. The experience of the consideration of the issues associated with Article 8(j) by the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice provides an example of the impact of the lack of clarity in guidance. Repeated requests by Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice for clearer guidance indicates that this lack of clarity is more than just an isolated incident. This situation is not simply due to the vague nature of some of the instructions of the Conference of the Parties, but is also due to the uncertainty about the roles and mandates of subsidiary bodies. Such a situation is to be expected in any new structure and will improve with experience. Nevertheless, clarity might be enhanced by the adoption of mission statements for the Conference of the Parties and other subsidiary bodies, which will minimize the time spent on discussing the scope of a particular negotiation, as was seen in the discussions on forest biological diversity at the third meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice.

The nature of the work to be handled under the Convention could broadly be classified as follows:

(a)	Administrative, institutional and financial issues (e.g. budget, financial mechanism, institutional issues including relationship with other international processes);

(b)	Analysis and monitoring of issues (e.g. reports from the Parties, information on the clearing-house mechanism, sharing of information and analysis);

(c)	Technical themes and issues (e.g. access to genetic resources and benefit sharing, Article 8(j), issues relating to technologies and incentive measures, biosafety, biotechnology and intellectual property rights); and

(d)	Residual issues.

Category (a) issues would generally be dealt with by the Conference of the Parties directly, although review of implementation of projects under the financial mechanism may require a standing committee to interact with GEF. Category (b) would require technical treatment based on analysed information placed before the Parties at the Conference of the Parties, including information posted on the clearing-house mechanism. Category (c) issues have been considered through technical papers in the past but will require far more intense and meticulous work in future because the core of the Convention rests on the effective development and implementation of these issues. Category (d) issues would be addressed as and when they emerge.

Delegation of tasks or competencies to outside bodies through cooperation would ease the burden on the Conference of the Parties. This idea is explored in more detail below.

B. The Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical

and Technological Advice

Article 25 of the Convention establishes the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice (SBSTTA) as an open-ended intergovernmental scientific advisory body for the Conference of the Parties. Its functions include:

(a)	Providing assessments of the status of biological diversity;

(b)	Preparing scientific and technical assessments of the effects of types of measures taken in accordance with the provisions of the Convention; and

(c)	Responding to questions that the Conference of the Parties may put to it. The Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice has met three times: in Paris from 4 to 8 September 1995, and in Montreal from 2 to 6 September 1996 and from 1 to 4 September 1997. The Body also develops advice inter-sessionally through the use of small advisory groups of experts. For example, its advice on marine and coastal biological diversity, forest biological diversity, and indicators have all benefited from this type of preparatory work.

The Subsidiary Body has developed into a leading and authoritative body for the provision of scientific advice on biological diversity. It has been successful in conceptualizing issues and, for example, made a vital contribution to the development of the Jakarta Mandate on Marine and Coastal Biological Diversity. It has, however, experienced difficulties in developing into a truly scientific and technical advisory body for the Conference of the Parties and in fully realizing its role. The timing of its meetings in relation to meetings of the Conference of the Parties and their structure, as open-ended intergovernmental meetings, has meant that, in some respects, it has operated as a preparatory meeting for the forthcoming meeting of the Conference of the Parties. It has also been less effective in making the necessary assessments, understanding its mandate and role, coping with the lack of clarity in the guidance it has received, and developing action orientated recommendations.

Increasing the level of scientific and technical input into the system would improve the effectiveness of the process. Experience with other international environmental issues shows that international action has not be forthcoming until a certain level of consensus has been achieved regarding the underlying scientific knowledge. As the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice is principal mechanism for channelling scientific information into the process, efforts to improve the extent to which this occurs within the overall process should initially focus on its operations.

The Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice has considered its own modus operandi on a regular basis, and a revised modus operandi is before the fourth meeting of the Conference of the Parties. At its third meeting, the Subsidiary Body also considered issues not covered by the revised modus operandi as contained in the Chairman's report annexed to the report of the meeting (UNEP/CBD/COP/4/2, annex 3). In the interests of brevity, the information relating to these issues will only be described briefly here, with the relevant recommendation of the Subsidiary Body presented in annex V below. It is nevertheless expected that the revised modus operandi and the action to be taken thereon will be considered under this item of the agenda.

The proposed modus operandi already contains the key legal components necessary for the effective functioning of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice and, consequently, its adoption is recommended.

1. Preparations

A longer-term programme of work for the processes would encourage better preparations for the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice as much as it would facilitate the work of the Conference of the Parties. Indeed, because of the necessity of organizing networks and platforms of scientists, it is arguable that greater planning is even more vital for the effective functioning of the Subsidiary Body if it is to undertake assessments and develop advice that is accurate and credible. At the very minimum, a longer-term programme of work would facilitate the development of a consensus on scientific input.

Prioritization and discipline with the agenda or range of issues addressed by the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice is also as important for the effective operation of the body as it is for the Conference of the Parties. Consequently, the above comments regarding this aspect of the Conference of the Parties are equally relevant here. For example, the role of the Bureau is critical in focusing the work of meetings. Consequently, consideration should be given to increasing its capacity and role. It should be noted that the role, mandate and terms of office in the proposed modus operandi were developed on the basis of annual meetings of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice and the Conference of the Parties. If the phasing of their meetings is altered, the Conference of the Parties may wish to reconsider the proposed modus operandi accordingly.

Clarity with respect to the functions of the Subsidiary Body and the guidance it receives from the Conference of the Parties is also critical. In order for the Body to properly fulfil its mandate, the Conference of the Parties should pay close attention to the objectives and the proposed outputs of the work plans or programmes currently being developed to address the substantive issues of agricultural, marine and coastal, forests and inland water biodiversity. In turn, it should clearly identify what input is required from the Subsidiary Body.

There is a need to ensure structured scientific input into the Subsidiary Body through arrangements similar to those of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change or through a number of small issue-based panels, which should include members of the academic and business communities. The arrangements for the Workshop on Traditional Knowledge and Biological Diversity, held in Madrid in November 1997, provide a useful model for incorporating these constituencies more fully into the process. Furthermore, greater use of expert panels and liaison groups would promote the scientific character of the operations of the Subsidiary Body, by giving it the capacity to carry out the detailed scientific and technical analysis needed to support decision-making functions of the Conference of the Parties. There is a need for more regional cooperation and networking, and emphasis should be placed on joint work programmes. The open-ended meeting of the Subsidiary Body should serve the function of filtering the outputs of expert panels and liaison groups to ensure that the advice coming from the Body is practical and useful for the Conference of the Parties. It also has an important role with respect to transparency.

With regard to existing practice for preparations for meetings of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice, there has been some difficulty in balancing the need for transparency with efficiency. The use of liaison groups was welcomed. Questions were raised regarding the criteria by which these liaison groups are constituted. Criteria should include geographical and gender considerations, although the need to ensure the best possible expertise should be the most important criteria. Developing criteria in this respect would help with transparency, while not compromising efficiency. The transparency/efficiency balance is different for different types of activities: for instance, assessments and information-gathering do not require as much transparency as decision-making. It is critical that liaison groups be adequately supported, otherwise they easily become dormant. Rosters provide an effective way of engaging expertise. There is a need for mechanisms to assess the quality of the rosters. Reference has been made to the roster of experts under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. Regular reports by the Secretariat on the use of the roster would be useful to ensure that selection criteria are applied in a transparent manner and would draw to the attention of Parties any difficulties arising from their use. Detailed guidance on the use and composition of the roster may not be helpful. The chair of an expert panel might be appointed by the Subsidiary Body, and the panel might report directly to it in order to enhance "ownership" of the products of the panel.

The technical level of the documents prepared by the Secretariat has shown improvement but needs further attention.

2. Meetings

Participation at meetings of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice is a particularly critical issue. Although participation of developing country delegates is largely a budgetary issue, a greater reliance on regional representation might not only be feasible from a political viewpoint, given the scientific nature of the discussion, but would also allow for more adequate participation. A structured agenda would also enhance effective participation. Classifying agenda items into those which require action, and those which constitute reporting or information sharing, would improve efficiency.

There also needs to be discipline in the advice developed by the Subsidiary Body itself and in the preparations of the Secretariat. Recommendations should always contain a clear set of action-orientated options for the Conference of the Parties. In some areas, the Subsidiary Body could be specifically requested to prepare draft decisions for the Conference of the Parties.

3. Cooperation

The Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice has an important role to play in bridging the gap between the scientific community and policy makers. It was acknowledged that the body needs to use the existing scientific knowledge and expertise more effectively. Closer cooperation with other scientific bodies such as the Scientific and Technical Advisory Panel of the Global Environment Facility (STAP), the DIVERSITAS International Programme of Biodiversity Science and the International Council of Scientific Unions (ICSU), through the exploration of more formal arrangements with these organisations, would facilitate their greater inclusion into the process fully and ensure better use of their networks. Building on the Global Biodiversity Assessment would also provide an important opportunity to develop such relationships. Better links between preparatory meetings and satellite meetings, such as the Global Biodiversity Forum, would also promote the involvement of other scientific bodies and civil society. The Chair and the Bureau of the Subsidiary Body have played an important role in developing cooperation with other bodies and this should be continued and supported by the process, in particular, with support from the Trust Fund of the Convention.

C. Other subsidiary bodies and processes

Article 23 (g) of the Convention allows the Conference of the Parties to establish such subsidiary bodies as are deemed necessary to implement the Convention. On the basis of this authority, the Conference of the Parties has anticipated in rule 26 of its rules of procedure, the creation of further types of subsidiary bodies described as "committees" and "working groups". The Conference of the Parties has established a series of inter-sessional ad hoc processes or bodies. For example, it has called for regional preparatory meetings for its meeting. At its second meeting it established an Open-ended Ad Hoc Working Group on Biosafety, which is charged with negotiating a protocol to the Convention. At its third meeting the Conference of the Parties agreed to consider a re-negotiated International Undertaking on Plant Genetic Resources (IUPGR) as a protocol to the Convention. It also established a process to implement Article 8 (j), and instructed the Executive Secretary to arrange a Workshop on Traditional Knowledge and Biological Diversity.

1. Regional Preparatory Meetings

Regional preparatory meetings have provided an important opportunity for Parties to prepare for meetings of the Conference of the Parties. Their contribution and the role they play could however be improved. Past experience indicates that they do have the potential to develop cooperation with regional processes of relevance, broaden the extent that stakeholder participate in the process, facilitate implementation issues and develop an appreciation of capacity needs common to the region. Other conventions use regional initiatives primarily for the implementation of the instrument and decisions of the governing bodies. The Ramsar Convention and the Convention to Combat Desertification in those Countries Experiencing Serious Drought and/or Desertification, particularly in Africa are cases in point. Consideration should be given to holding regional meetings after meetings of the Conference of the Parties in order to provide guidance on a regional perspective in implementing the decisions that were adopted.

The sequential nature of these meetings means that they could be used to develop specific inputs to the Conference of the Parties or even begin the process of drafting decisions. Preliminary identification of priorities could also be carried out during the regional preparatory meetings.

2. The Open-ended Ad Hoc Working Group on Biosafety

The Open-ended Ad Hoc Working Group on Biosafety has been given the responsibility of negotiating the first protocol under the Convention. It is anticipated that, in time, the Convention will be developed through further protocols. As a result an important institutional issue is whether such negotiations should in the future be carried out on an ad hoc basis or whether they should be conducted under the auspices of a standing body of the Convention.

The character of the relationship between protocols and the Convention is another critical issue. It has yet to be decided whether there should be a general policy on protocols and, if so, whether protocols to the Convention should be modelled on processes which produce separate instruments (for example, the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer) or on ones which use protocols to develop the Convention within its own existing institutional structure (for example, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) or the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO)), or on both models. The Working Group has indicated that the development of protocols should be guided by the principal of institutional economy.

Specific matters regarding the character of the relationship include, inter alia: relationships between the Conference of the Parties and the meeting of the parties to a protocol and, in particular what powers, if any, the Conference of the Parties has to review the decisions of the meeting of the parties; budgetary relationship; the timing of meetings; relationship with subsidiary bodies; access to the financial mechanism; and the capacity of the Secretariat to respond to the needs of the meeting of the parties to a protocol.

3. The International Undertaking on Plant Genetic Resources

The Conference of the Parties has not relied solely on the establishment of new bodies to develop the provisions of the Convention, but has also looked to other processes to fulfil this role. An important example of this is the work of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in revising the International Undertaking on Plant Genetic Resources, in order to harmonize its provisions with those of the Convention. At its second meeting, the Conference of the Parties declared its support for this process and, at its third meeting affirmed its willingness to consider a decision by the FAO Conference that the International Undertaking should take the form of a protocol to the Convention once revised in harmony with it.

4. Inter-sessional workshops

At its third meeting, the Conference of the Parties initiated an inter-sessional process to facilitate implementation of the Convention's provisions on indigenous and local communities. As part of this process, the Executive Secretary was requested to arrange a five-day meeting of the Parties and other participants before the fourth meeting of the Conference of the Parties. Accordingly, a Workshop on Traditional Knowledge and Biological Diversity was held in Madrid from 24 to 28 November 1997, which developed a series of proposals for the Conference of the Parties regarding the implementation of these provisions, in particular Article 8 (j).

The Workshop was conducted in a manner designed to allow greater participation of indigenous and local communities and other non-governmental organizations than is possible at other intergovernmental meetings under the Convention. For example, co-chairs of the working groups included representatives from indigenous and local communities. The efforts made to facilitate the participation of local and indigenous communities in the proceedings of the Workshop provide a model for seeking greater participation of two other key groups in the Convention: the scientific community and the private sector. This "experiment" may provide important clues on how to effectively bridge the gap between the Parties and important elements of civil society.

5. Additional inter-sessional bodies and processes

Adequately addressing the demands of the Convention may mean that consideration should be given to expanding the existing inter-sessional institutional capacity. The ad hoc nature of the institutional capacity to consider issues outside the mandate of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical, and Technological Advice (for example, political and legal issues) may not be the most effective or efficient way to address these issues. In this light, it might be worth while considering whether there should be some more formal and permanent mechanism to develop those issues which are not within the remit of Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice. Moreover, establishing such a body might improve the scientific character of Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice by relieving the pressure on it to act as a preparatory meeting for the meeting of the Conference of the Parties. The rapid development of such institutions within the Framework Convention on Climate Change and the ozone treaties, in particular the process under Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer, is seen not only as a precedent for this type of development in the process under the Convention on Biological Diversity, but as the inevitable prerequisite for effective international convention.

The Conference of the Parties should consider establishing a subsidiary body on implementation or some additional standing body in order to allow for better preparation and consideration of issues within the process. Such a body should only be considered or established if and when there is a clear understanding that the existing structures do not have the capacity to meet the needs of the process. In this respect, the decision-making process, in particular the drawing up of draft decisions, could be improved to assist in the preparations for meetings of the Conference of the Parties. Views differ as to whether this would require a new institution or could be accommodated with the existing structure. Alternative models to an Subsidiary body on implementation which have been suggested include the establishment of working groups similar to those established by the Meeting of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol and the expansion of the mandate of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical, and Technological Advice . In light of the scientific and technical nature of most of the work under the Convention, extraordinary meetings of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical, and Technological Advice maybe more useful than a subsidiary body on implementation.

D. The Secretariat

Article 24 establishes a Secretariat, the principal functions of which are to prepare for and service meetings of the Conference of the Parties and other subsidiary bodies of the Convention, and to coordinate with other relevant international bodies.

Apart from supporting the specific institutions of the Convention, the Secretariat has also performed an important role in developing cooperation with other relevant processes. Agreements to provide a framework for developing institutional links and cooperation with other bodies have been concluded between the Secretariat and the secretariats of the Convention on Wetlands, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Fauna and Flora (CITES), the Convention on Migratory Species of Wild Animals, the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission, the World Bank, the World Conservation Union - IUCN, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), among others. Despite the advantages to be gained from close cooperation with outside processes, it should be remembered that delegation to outside bodies presents institutional problems and has many hidden costs associated with managing the relationship required, which often are most acute within the Secretariat.

Many of the observations made about other institutions have implications for the mandate and role of the Secretariat, since it is the institution responsible for organizing the work of the Convention process. Issues to be considered include establishing and maintaining rosters, the relationship between the Secretariat and future protocols, the authority of the Secretariat to guide and interpret national reports, and the involvement of the Secretariat in the preparation of the reports.

E. The financial mechanism

The central role of this mechanism with respect to implementing the Convention has been widely acknowledged. Guidance has been a central element of the Convention's work on implementation. It has been one of the dominant issues at each of the meetings of the Conference of the Parties. It is worth recalling that the Memorandum of Understanding between the Conference of the Parties and the GEF Council provides the framework for the relationship between the Convention and its financial mechanism. Amendments to this arrangement are not envisaged for the moment. In fact, because of its importance within the institutional structure of the Convention, the effectiveness of the financial mechanism is also being reviewed at the fourth meeting of the Conference of the Parties. It is expected that this process will develop recommendations addressing the operational aspects of the financial mechanism. The Secretariat has received a wide range of views which raise significant institutional issues in its preparations for this review, such as whether to designate the GEF. These are presented in document UNEP/CBD/COP/4/16.

F. The clearing-house mechanism

Paragraph 3 of Article 18 of the Convention provides for the establishment of a clearing-house mechanism to promote and facilitate technical and scientific cooperation. In its decisions I/3 and II/3, the Conference of the Parties established a pilot phase of the mechanism. The focus of the efforts during this pilot phase is to develop the information-exchange capacity of the mechanism. Modalities for meeting the other roles of the clearing-house mechanism, for example the transfer of technologies, will be considered after completion of the pilot phase in 1998.

A considerable amount remains to be done to make the clearing-house mechanism fully operational and this has been confirmed as a priority. The mechanism will have an important role in national reporting and in the harmonization of reporting requirements for other processes. Sharing of information through the mechanism has been noted as a priority. The pilot phase is not due to finish until 1998, and, consequently, Parties may wish to consider the relationship between the mechanism and the other institutions of the Convention after the results of the pilot phase are known.

G. Cooperation with other processes

Developing effective cooperation with other processes is critical to the effectiveness of the Convention. The Convention's broad scope results in its overlapping with the subject matter of a number of instruments. For this reason, the Convention needs to work closely with those instruments.

Much valuable work has already been carried out an informal level and this should be continued, supplemented, where appropriate, by more formal arrangements such as memoranda of cooperation. Parties will recall documents UNEP/CBD/COP/3/29 and UNEP/CBD/COP/3/35, which outlined modalities of cooperation. These documents were noted by the Conference of the Parties, and the Secretariat was encouraged to investigate such modalities . Accordingly, the necessary administrative and legal authority to undertake cooperation already largely exists. Greater use should be made of informal cooperation mechanisms, in particular, there should be more effective use of the informal satellite meetings associated with many of the Convention's meetings. Cooperation with other processes should be pursued at the governing-body level, as well as at the administrative level.

Potential contributions that the Convention process can make to the work of other instruments and processes are in the areas of policy guidance and financial support. Policy guidance includes the ecosystem approach, an issue which is in need of further elaboration; establishment of measurable goals and targets; and the development of global and national indicators. Securing the positive and meaningful participation of other instruments and processes in the work under the Convention should focus on national-level implementation and joint initiatives.

In light of the limited resources available, prioritization of relationships is needed. Key priorities include: harmonization of reporting, coordination of meetings with other processes and referral of appropriate issues; developing cooperation with other secretariats, particularly those of other relevant conventions; focusing on core relationships which have proven to be productive; developing regional level cooperation; exploring scientific cooperation; and adopting the revised International Undertaking on Plant Genetic Resources.

A detailed rolling longer-term programme of work would promote cooperation with other processes. In particular, it would promote greater scientific input from such processes and thereby facilitate consensus on scientific input. A comprehensive calendar of relevant events around the world maintained by the Secretariat would also promote cooperation and coordination.

Effective cooperation will ultimately require delegation to other processes, although such delegation should involve only programmatic authority, not legal or political authority. As a result, the Conference of the Parties will have to address the need to monitor the contributions that other process can make to the development and implementation of the Convention, if such cooperation is to be effective from the point of view of the Convention.

H. Civil society

Effective implementation of the Convention needs the active involvement of civil society (including non-governmental organizations, local and indigenous communities and the private sector). People prefer to implement their own decisions. Consequently, it is important to foster better linkages between the Convention and civil society. In order to harness the full range of knowledge, skills and other resources available, there is a need to involve civil society in both policy-making and implementation under the Convention. There is also a need to facilitate access to the pool of information available within civil society and to consider increasing its involvement in national-level projects. The active involvement of civil society also grounds the process in reality. Issues regarding the participation at meetings of the Convention, raised above, are crucial to the active and effective involvement of civil society.

I. National Reports

Central to the development of the Convention is its national reporting mechanism. Article 26 of the Convention calls upon Parties to present to the Conference of the Parties reports on measures taken for the implementation of the provisions of the Convention and their effectiveness in meeting its objectives. At its second meeting, the Conference of the Parties decided that the first national reports by Parties would focus, in so far as possible, on the measures taken for the implementation of Article 6 of the Convention ("General measures for conservation and sustainable use"), as well as the information available in national country studies on biological diversity. The first national reports were to be submitted no later than 1 January 1998. At its fourth meeting, the Conference of the Parties will determine the intervals and form of subsequent national reports based on the experience of Parties in preparing their first national reports.

National reports will be the principal means by which the Convention process will be able to demonstrate concrete progress towards its objectives, which in turn will be crucial to retaining its standing as a major international treaty. National reports have in any case an important part to play, given that the responsibility for implementing the Convention largely rests with Parties themselves. The quality of the reports and the information they contain will make a significant contribution to implementing the Convention. How the Convention process supports the preparation of national reports, and how the reports are utilized under the Convention, are critical issues which raise important institutional questions. The model of the CITES Management and Scientific Authorities was cited as providing not only experience in implementing international conventions in developing countries, but also potential support in terms of institutional capacity to implement the Convention. The financial mechanism of the Convention on Biological Diversity has made significant efforts to support the preparation of national reports, through its biodiversity enabling activities. The institutional requirements for effectively using national communications are also being considered by the Open-ended Ad Hoc Working Group on Biosafety.

The priority for the foreseeable future will be to identify mechanisms that can support the development of the capacity of Parties to provide information. In particular, the important role of the clearing-house mechanism and the production of case-studies for guidance should be considered. Divergent views have been expressed about the level of Secretariat involvement. Some suggest a level of involvement commensurate with the support provided by the Secretariat of CITES or WIPO. Others consider this inappropriate for the Secretariat.

The experience of other biodiversity-related instruments demonstrates the critical need for a feedback loop to ensure that the longer-term viability of the reporting system as, without it, the effort required to produce national reports will not be repeated.

The proper utilization of the implementation value of national reports will require a mandate to review reports to be given to the Secretariat, to a committee of Parties (similar, for example, to that of the Implementation Committee of the Montreal Protocol), or to a subsidiary body on implementation.

III. THE LONGER-TERM PROGRAMME OF WORK

1. Introduction

Options regarding phasing and periodicity of meetings of the Conference of the Parties and subsidiary bodies raised include:

Meetings of the Conference of the Parties every year, every 18 months or two years;

Two meetings of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical, and Technological Advice for every meeting of the Conference of the Parties; or

Two meetings of the regional preparatory meetings for every meeting of the Conference of the Parties.

It should be recalled that the United Nations General Assembly has adopted a resolution calling upon other processes refrain from holding meetings whilst the General Assembly is sitting, the period from September to December. Observance of this request would make it difficult to organize meetings of the Conference of the Parties every eighteen months.

At its meetings, the Conference of the Parties should consider only a limited number of topics. Options advanced include:

Five topics - one for each of the objectives of the Convention, one ecosystem and one cross-cutting issue;

Four topics - one for each objective and one ecosystem; or

Three topics - one ecosystem and two cross-cutting issues.

Consideration of an issue should aim to achieve three goals: review of accomplishments to date; adoption of the decisions required; and guidance as to the vision for future work.

As from 1994 and the first meeting of the Conference of the Parties, the work of the Convention has been organised on the basis of the medium-term programme of work adopted in decision I/9 and reviewed at the second and third meetings of the Conference of the Parties (see decisions II/18 and III/22). The programme has proven to be a useful tool for organizing and coordinating the work of the Convention. A further programme of work to guide the work of the Convention is desirable. Consideration should be given to having a rolling 10-year longer-term programme of work. Such a programme should be more than simply an agenda for future meetings of the Conference of the Parties and other subsidiary bodies. Comparisons have been made with the strategic plan for the period 1997 to 2002 under the Ramsar Convention. Features of this longer-term programme of work might include:

The establishment of measurable goals and targets;

The development of global and national level indicators;

Identification of selected priorities for attention at particular meetings of the Conference of the Parties and preparations for these meetings;

Geographic, temporal and political implications of its elements; and

An indication of the types of products and tentative time frames for their production.

The programme should take into account work done in other forums, in particular the Commission on Sustainable Development, as well as the priorities and needs of individual Parties as identified in national reports.

The longer-term programme of work needs to be linked to the available resources, in particular the budget of the Trust Fund.

The broad scope of the Convention, and the urgency of dealing with the widespread problems associated with the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity, have meant that the agenda of the process has rapidly expanded. The challenge for the process as it moves into its implementation phase is to develop an approach that will find a balance between pursuing an integrated approach demanded by the Convention and, at the same time, being focused enough to allow the development of its provisions. As is evident from the synthesis presented above, there are a wide range of views as to the institutional framework required to achieve this balance. A number of guiding principles have been consistently emphasized by Parties. One is that the institutional framework of the Convention should be developed incrementally: radical or even significant change is not feasible at the moment. Another is that the development of the Convention's institutions should be guided by the principle of institutional economy. Finally, there is a need for a programme of work that clearly sets out the proposed course of action for the process as a whole. Such a programme is seen as an important tool to assist Parties to implement the Convention, to allow for an effective prioritization in the use of scarce resources and to facilitate the effective involvement of the diverse range of institutions, bodies and individuals which are vital to achieving the aims of the Convention.

In light of the importance of a longer-term programme of work, the Bureau of the third meeting of the Conference of the Parties recommended that the Executive Secretary present to the fourth meeting a proposed 10-year rolling programme of work, which builds upon the recommendations received from Parties and relevant institutions.

A summary of the selected ecosystem or thematic focus of a particular year and cross-cutting issues to be considered over the next 10 years is tabulated in annex I below.

Future agendas of the Conference of the Parties, prepared on the basis of these priorities, are presented in annex II below to give an indication of the dimensions of the work resulting from this longer-term programme of work. As noted in previous decisions on the medium-term plan of work, the agenda of any meeting of the Conference of the Parties will consist of standing items and selected issues. The proposed structure of the agenda reflects comments made by several Parties that items be organized into those requiring decisions and those on which activities are reported for noting by the Conference of the Parties.

The implications of these priorities for the work of the Convention's institutions as a whole are given in annex III below, while provisional agendas for future meetings of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical, and Technological Advice are set out in annex IV.

B. Assumptions

By emphasizing particular thematic areas, the practice of having priority themes for meetings of the Conference of the Parties the medium-term plan of work has laid the foundation for the ecosystem approach, and allowed for prioritisation in the work of the bodies of the Convention. The proposals in the present note have been developed on the assumption that this approach is to follow a continuous cycle. The number of ecosystems being actively considered by the process provides the basis for the cycle of the work of the institutions of the Convention and the process as a whole. For example, a decision by the Conference of the Parties to consider five ecosystems and to meet annually, would logically lead to five-year cycles for the work of the Conference of the Parties Convention bodies. Alternatively, if there are five ecosystems and the Conference of the Parties meets every two years, the length of each cycle would be 10 years.

Parties have indicated that the longer-term programme of work needs to be linked to the available resources, in particular the budget of the Trust Fund. Consequently, the proposed programme of work has limited the selected priorities to be considered in any one year to one ecosystem or biological theme, two cross-cutting issues and a limited number of important institutional issues. Issues have been determined on the basis of those that have been identified as priorities in the national reports received by the Secretariat, along with the proposed products of the programmes of work before the fourth meeting of the Conference of the Parties, those aspects of the Convention that have yet to be considered and the work programmes of other related processes, in particular the Commission on Sustainable Development.

The priorities for any one year are not the only items to be considered by the Conference of the Parties or other bodies under the Convention. Other matters will require attention at meetings of the Conference of the Parties during the year. For example, standing items such as the budget, administration of the Convention, financial issues, national reports and cooperation with other processes will require consideration at each and every meeting of the Conference of the Parties. The issues that have been identified as a priority in any one year indicate the thematic focus of the Convention's work for that year; they are meant to indicate the year in which the Conference of the Parties, on the basis of advice from the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice, other processes and Parties in their national reports, will take strategic decisions on the topic.

The annexes have been prepared on the assumption that the institutional structure of the Convention will be along the following lines:

Annual meetings of the Conference of the Parties, which could meet after the Commission on Sustainable Development;

Annual meetings of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical, and Technological Advice , which could meet in the last week of August or the first week of September (although, as a result of budget adopted by the Conference of the Parties in its decision III/23, the fourth meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical, and Technological Advice may take place in the early part of 1999);

Regional meetings, which could meet shortly after the Conference of the Parties and focus on implementation of the decisions of the Conference of the Parties at the regional level;

Three active ad hoc technical panel/liaison groups to consider the relevant thematic areas, cross-cutting issues and indicators for the relevant thematic areas;

One ad hoc working group to develop relevant protocols and other specific negotiated instruments along the lines of the biosafety working group. Such a group may, for example, be needed to consider the possible adoption of the revised International Undertaking on Plant Genetic Resources as a protocol to the Convention in line with decision III/11; and

Meetings of the governing body of the biosafety protocol will be held in conjunction with meetings of the Conference of the Parties.

These assumptions have been made in order to present a programme of work that is clear and provides a useful basis for the Conference of the Parties to consider a longer-term programme of work. The assumptions contained in this longer-term programme of work are not intended to prejudice the consideration by the Conference of the Parties of the need to adjust the existing institutions under the Convention or, indeed, the need for new bodies within the Convention process.

C. Process for the consideration of selected issues:

programme cycle for the Convention

As the programme of work is more than simply an agenda for future meetings of the Conference of the Parties, the table in annex I below goes beyond simply identifying the issues which the Conference of the Parties may consider that year. The selection of an issue for consideration in a given year indicates when a strategic review of progress is undertaken by the Conference of the Parties. Parties have indicated that, with respect to selected issues, the Conference of the Parties should endeavour to achieve three goals: review of accomplishments to date; adoption of decisions regarding the products of work completed to date and the establishment of a vision for future work. For the immediate future the focus of the efforts for these issues will most likely be the review of accomplishments and the establishment of a vision, which should be initially focused on the establishment of measurable goals and targets and the development of global and national level indicators. To that end, there will be a need for a detailed preparatory process involving the various subsidiary bodies of the Conference of the Parties.

The execution of the medium-term plan of action for 1995-1997 has seen the evolution of a process for the promulgation of the decisions of the Conference of the Parties and the application of the general principles of the Convention to specific thematic areas. Building on this experience and bearing in mind the views outlined above, it is proposed that the general approach to preparations for the consideration of the selected issues should follow the steps described below.

This emerging programme cycle provides an indication of the institutional requirements to support the effective consideration of an issue by the Conference of the Parties and, in turn the efficient development of the Convention. In particular, it points to the need for a focused and well developed programme of work, which allows for adequate planning and preparation and acknowledges the vital role of rosters, liaison groups and ad hoc technical panels. It also highlights the role of networks and the phasing of meetings of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical, and Technological Advice in relation to those of the Conference of the Parties.

1. Identification

The programme of work identifies when a particular thematic area is to be considered in detail. In effect, the programme sets a timetable for activities under the Convention. Consideration of particular issues has either been focused on thematic areas, such as marine and coastal or agricultural biological diversity, or separate articles of the Convention.

The Conference of the Parties has already decided to consider some issues within the framework of other items, namely: data management for identification and monitoring (Article 7 (d)) within the clearing-house mechanism; incentives (Article 11) within the relevant ecosystem; and cooperation in technological issues (Article 16) within the relevant ecosystem.

2. Submissions and compilation of information

Progress on issues requires the collection of accurate and reliable information from Parties. Articles 23 and 25 of the Convention, which outline the role of the Conference of the Parties and the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical, and Technological Advice respectively, along with the programmes already initiated, provide an indication of the types of information required with respect to the development of substantive issues. This includes:

The definition of the ecosystem approach for the relevant thematic area, i.e., the scoping exercise;

Preliminary rapid assessments of biological, technical and institutional factors on the basis of existing information and current activities;

The development of indicators and criteria to identify critical elements of the thematic area in order to prioritise the activities of Parties and make assessments of the effectiveness of measures adopted;

The identification of human impacts on the ecosystem; and

The identification and assessment of the ways and means to minimize negative influences, in particular the identification of relevant low-cost technologies.

This information should, in the first instance, be provided by Parties and other relevant institutions. In order to enhance the utility of this information Parties need to be invited to submit their views within a common framework. This framework, as with the suggested guidelines for national reporting on the implementation of Article 6, should outline a suggested structure and form for the views, briefly describing the features of the executive summary, introduction, background, goals and objectives, strategy, partners, action, schedule, budget and monitoring and evaluation. Suggestions as to length and time frames would also be useful. Suggested guidelines should be adopted by the Conference of the Parties on the basis of recommendations from the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical, and Technological Advice , the Secretariat and other relevant Convention bodies.

The experience gained to date clearly demonstrates the need for the active support from international organizations in the production of this information, in order to supplement the limited resources and capacities of many Parties. As far as the Convention itself is concerned, this points to the important role performed by the financial mechanism, through its enabling activities, and the clearing-house mechanism, through its training component.

3. Preparation of the synthesis of views

The Secretariat then prepares a preliminary draft of the synthesis of views for the consideration of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice. Where appropriate the Secretariat may use a liaison group or ad hoc technical panel to assist in that work may also identify relevant networks of experts and institutions and coordinate their involvement in the preparation of the synthesis.

4. Scientific, technical and technological advice

The Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical, and Technological Advice, on the basis of the work of the Secretariat, ad hoc technical panels, liaison groups, the Global Biodiversity Forum and satellite meetings, makes an assessment of the biodiversity of an ecosystem, the factors which have an impact on this biodiversity and, where possible, identifies technologies to promote the sustainable use and conservation of the biological diversity. On this basis, the Subsidiary Body develops a series of recommendations for the Conference of the Parties. The various modalities by which the Subsidiary Body considers an issue are outlined in the modus operandi of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical, and Technological Advice.

5. Supplementary preparations for the Conference of the Parties

The advice of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical, and Technological Advice is then supplemented by the work of the Secretariat in the period between the meeting of the Subsidiary Body and that of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice and the Conference of the Parties. These preparations mainly focus on those aspects of the programme which are not within the mandate of the Subsidiary Body, such as the costing of the proposals, preliminary work with the clearing-house mechanism and the financial mechanism, the identification of other processes that will implement the decision of the Conference of the Parties, capacity-building needs of the proposals, and legal and political issues.

6. Programmes

The Conference of the Parties considers the recommendations of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical, and Technological Advice and the other aspects of the issues outlined in the pre-session document and, where appropriate, establishes a process to consider and develop the issue further. Any programme initiated by the Conference of the Parties should, where possible, establish a vision for future work and identify: the types of products towards which the programme should be working; a timetable for those products; and the means to achieve these goals. The types of products, given the nature of the Convention process, include:

Manuals of best practice;

Guidelines;

Codes of conduct;

Guidance for the institutions under the Convention;

Criteria;

Indicators;

Standards/labelling; and

Protocols.

The programme seeks further advice from the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical, and Technological Advice and other subsidiary bodies as and when required and eventually seeks the endorsement of the Conference of the Parties to implement the products of the programmes. It is clear from the experience gained to date that an essential part of an effective programme is adequate resources within the Secretariat to properly support the programme.

7. Implementation

Implementation of the Convention and the products of any programmes will largely be the responsibility of Parties. Article 26 of the Convention calls upon Parties to present to the Conference of the Parties reports on measures taken for the implementation of the provisions of the Convention and their effectiveness in meeting the objectives of the Convention. National reports will be the principal means by which the Convention will be able to demonstrate concrete progress towards its objectives, which in turn will be crucial to retaining its standing as a major international treaty. At the fourth meeting, the Conference of the Parties is meant to determine the intervals and form of subsequent national reports based on the experience of Parties in preparing their first national reports. As noted above, the way in which the Convention process supports the preparation of national reports, and how the reports are utilized by the Convention, are critical issues that raise important institutional questions. The priority for the foreseeable future will be to identify mechanisms that can support the development of the capacity of Parties to provide information. In particular, there is a need to build on the important role of the financial mechanism and the clearing-house mechanism needs. These efforts should therefore form a central element of all the issues considered within the Convention process.

Implementation of the substantive elements of decisions of the Conference of the Parties, although largely the duty of Parties, needs to be supported be a variety of processes. The regional meetings have a key role to play. Regional-level meetings can provide a filter to adapt decisions of the Conference of the Parties to suit the particular needs of the region. Subsidiarity is a well recognized principle of effective governance, and regional-level implementation has proved to be effective in other biodiversity-related conventions. Consequently, consideration deserves to be given to the merits of organizing regional meetings shortly after meetings of the Conference of the Parties in order to consider the relevance of its decisions to the region and the most effective means to implement them. Another vital implementing institution of the Convention is the financial mechanism. In its guidance, the Conference of the Parties has emphasized the need for the financial mechanism to support capacity-building. Just as the production of information on particular issues needs to be supported by the financial mechanism, so does the implementation of decisions of the Conference of the Parties. For example, the importance of the financial mechanism in implementing the proposed protocol on biosafety has already been recognized by the Open-ended Ad Hoc Working Group and will feature prominently in the work to implement the protocol in the future. Bilateral activities of donor Parties as outlined in the note by the Executive Secretary on public education and awareness-building and the implementation of Article 13 (UNEP/CBD/COP/4/19) also demonstrate the important role that other institutions have in this development of capacities. The effectiveness of the financial mechanism is periodically reviewed by the Conference of the Parties and will be reviewed at the fourth meeting. The existing review by the Conference of the Parties has identified a lack of an interactive mechanism to provide clarification on the guidance from the Conference of the Parties, and this has hindered the ability of the financial mechanism to provide the necessary support for Parties. Consequently, the Conference of the Parties may wish to consider establishing some mechanism, for example, its Bureau, to allow for clarification of guidance when needed. There have been numerous calls for the exchange of experiences through case-studies, which points to the need for the clearing-house mechanism not only to disseminate such studies but also to provide assistance in their production. Finally, the role of cooperation is crucial. As indicated in the note by the Executive Secretary on cooperation with other agreements, institutions and processes relevant to in situ conservation (UNEP/CBD/COP/4/13), the proper utilization of the capacities of other processes requires a clear designation of authority, the application of sufficient resources and ultimately the development of some review procedure. All these aspects must also form important elements to the work of developing the Convention.

D. Development of the longer-term programme of work

The present proposal is only meant to provide the starting point for the consideration by the Conference of the Parties of a longer-term programme of work that sets out measurable goals and targets, indicators, geographical, temporal and political implications of the programme and timetables for the development of products. Indeed, as a rolling programme, this issue is to be revisited and reviewed at every meeting of the Conference of the Parties. Nevertheless, it is evident that, if the programme is to contain the level of detail envisaged above, there is a need for more detail and certainty in the processes that have been initiated to further consider the four selected thematic areas.

The Conference of the Parties may therefore wish to consider requesting its Bureau to address this matter during the preparations for its fifth meeting and to guide the Executive Secretary in the preparation of a longer-term programme of work that contains the elements described in paragraphs 80 and 104 of the present note.

IV. RECOMMENDATIONS

In light of the above assessment, the Conference of the Parties is invited to adopt:

The rolling longer-term programme of work outlined in annexes I, II, III, and IV below;

The modus operandi of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific,	Technical and Technological Advice, as contained in annex V below.

Annex I

PROGRAMME AREAS TO BE INITIATED AND REVIEWED BY EACH

MEETING OF THE CONFERENCE OF THE PARTIES

Year Thematic areas Cross-cutting issues Protocols 1998

COP-4 biological diversity and inland waters indigenous and local communities

equitable sharing of benefits 1999

COP-5 biological diversity and forests environmental impact assessment adoption of biosafety protocol 2000

COP-6 biological diversity and mountains tourism

access to genetic resources and intellectual property rights consideration of protocol on genetic resources for food and agriculture 2001

COP-7 agricultural biological diversity private sector and the sustainable use of biological diversity

2002

COP-8 biological diversity and inland waters in situ conservation

2003

COP-9 biological diversity and forests identification and monitoring of biological diversity

2004

COP-10 biological diversity and mountains benefit-sharing

2005

COP-11 marine and coastal biological diversity Article 8 (j), on traditional knowledge

2006

COP-12 agricultural biological diversity ex situ conservation 2007

COP-13 biological diversity and inland waters tourism

2008

COP-14 biological diversity and forests identification and monitoring of biological diversity

Annex II

FUTURE AGENDAS FOR THE MEETINGS OF THE CONFERENCE OF THE PARTIES

FIFTH MEETING OF THE CONFERENCE OF THE PARTIES

In 1999, the fifth meeting of the Conference of the Parties may consider, inter alia, the following items:

I.	ORGANIZATIONAL MATTERS

1.	Opening of the meeting.

2.	Organizational matters.

II.	REPORTS

3.	Reports of the regional meetings.

4.	Review of the implementation of the Convention: synthesis of information contained in national reports.

5.	Report from, instructions to and consideration of recommendations from the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice (SBSTTA).

6.	Operations of the clearing-house mechanism.

7.	Pending issues arising from the work of the fourth meeting of the Conference of the Parties.

8.	Progress reports on programmes of work on thematic areas:

8.1	Agricultural biological diversity;

8.2	Marine and coastal biological diversity;

8.3	Biological diversity and forests;

8.4	Biological diversity and inland waters.

9.	Implementation of Article 8(j) and related provisions.

10.	Cooperation with other international agreements, institutions and processes.

11.	Matters relating to the financial mechanism and resources.

11.1	Activities of the Global Environment Facility;

11.2	Matters relating to additional financial resources;

11.3	Further guidance to the financial mechanism.

III.	PRIORITY ISSUES

12.	Consideration of options for conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity and forests.

13.	Impact assessment and minimizing adverse effects: consideration of measures for the implementation of Article 14.

14.	Consideration of the final report of the ad hoc working group on biosafety.

IV.	FINAL MATTERS

15.	Report from the Executive Secretary on the administration of the Convention and budget for the Trust Fund of the Convention:

15.1	Administration of the Convention:

15.1.1 Review of the rolling longer-term programme of work and operations of the Convention;

15.2	Budget of the Trust Fund for the Convention on Biological Diversity.

16.	Report on the credentials of representatives to the fifth meeting of the Conference of the Parties.

17.	Venue and date of the sixth meeting of the Conference of the Parties.

18.	Other matters.

19.	Adoption of the report.

20.	Closure of the meeting.

SIXTH MEETING OF THE CONFERENCE OF THE PARTIES

In 2000, the sixth meeting of the Conference of the Parties may consider, inter alia, the following items:

I.	ORGANIZATIONAL MATTERS

1.	Opening of the meeting.

2.	Organizational matters.

II.	REPORTS

3.	Reports of the regional meetings.

4.	Review of the implementation of the Convention: synthesis of	information contained in national reports.

5.	Report from, instructions to and consideration of recommendations from the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice (SBSTTA).

6.	Operations of the clearing-house mechanism.

7.	Pending issues arising from the work of the fifth meeting of the Conference of the Parties.

8.	Progress reports on programmes of work on thematic areas:

8.1	Marine and coastal biological diversity;

8.2	Agricultural biological diversity;

8.3	Biological diversity and forests;

8.4	Biological diversity and inland waters.

9.	Report of the intergovernmental committee on the biosafety protocol.

10.	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:

10.1	Consideration of the revised International Undertaking on Plant Genetic Resources

11.	Matters relating to the financial mechanism, including a report from the institutional structure entrusted with its operation:

11.1	Activities of the Global Environment Facility;

11.2	Matters relating to additional financial resources;

11.3	Further guidance to the financial mechanism.

12.	Consideration of the possible options for developing national legislative, administrative or policy measures, as appropriate to implement Article 15 and the impact of intellectual property rights on the implementation of the Convention in light of the review of the Agreement on Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights.

III.	PRIORITY ISSUES

13.	Consideration of options for conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity and mountains.

14.	Consideration of the protocol on genetic resources: the International Undertaking on Plant Genetic Resources.

15.	Consideration of ways and means that tourism can assist Parties to achieve the objects of the Convention.

IV.	FINAL MATTERS

16.	Report from the Executive Secretary on the administration of the Convention and budget for the Trust Fund of the Convention:

16.1	Administration of the Convention:

16.1.1 Review of the rolling longer-term programme of work and operations of the Convention;

16.2	Budget of the Trust Fund for the Convention on Biological Diversity.

17.	Report on the credentials of representatives to the sixth meeting of the Conference of the Parties.

18.	Venue and date of the seventh meeting of the Conference of the Parties.

19.	Other matters.

20.	Adoption of the report.

21.	Closure of the meeting.

SEVENTH MEETING OF THE CONFERENCE OF THE PARTIES

In 2001, the seventh meeting of the Conference of the Parties may consider, inter alia, the following items:

I.	ORGANIZATIONAL MATTERS

1.	Opening of the meeting.

2.	Organizational matters.

II.	REPORTS

3.	Reports of the regional meetings.

4.	Review of the implementation of the Convention: synthesis of information	contained in national reports.

5.	Report from, instructions to and consideration of recommendations from the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice (SBSTTA).

6.	Operations of the clearing-house mechanism.

7.	Pending issues arising from the work of the sixth meeting of the Conference of the Parties.

8.	Progress reports on programmes of work on thematic areas:

8.1	Biological diversity and inland waters;

8.2	Biological diversity and forests;

8.3	Marine and coastal biological diversity;

8.4	Biological diversity and mountains;

8.5	Agricultural biological diversity.

9.	Report of the intergovernmental committee on the biosafety protocol.

10.	Consideration of the report of the ad hoc working group on the International Undertaking on Plant Genetic Resources.

11	Consideration of the report of the subsidiary body on the implementation of the Convention's provisions on indigenous and local communities.

12.	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.	Matters relating to the financial mechanism, including a report from the institutional structure entrusted with its operation:

13.1	Activities of the Global Environment Facility;

13.2	Review of the effectiveness of the financial mechanism and an assessment of the needs of Parties;

13.3	Matters relating to additional financial resources;

13.4	Further guidance to the financial mechanism.

III.	PRIORITY ISSUES

14.	Consideration of options for conservation and sustainable use of agricultural biological diversity and review of programme of work on agricultural biological diversity.

15.	Role of the private sector in the sustainable use of biological diversity in accordance with Article 10.

IV.	FINAL MATTERS

16.	Report from the Executive Secretary on the administration of the Convention and budget for the Trust Fund of the Convention:

16.1	Administration of the Convention:

16.1.1 Review of the rolling longer-term programme of work and operations of the Convention;

16.2	Budget of the Trust Fund for the Convention on Biological Diversity.

17.	Report on the credentials of representatives to the seventh meeting of the Conference of the Parties.

18.	Venue and date of the eighth meeting of the Conference of the Parties.

19.	Other matters.

20.	Adoption of the report.

21.	Closure of the meeting.

EIGHTH MEETING OF THE CONFERENCE OF THE PARTIES

In 2002, the eighth meeting of the Conference of the Parties may consider, inter alia, the following items:

I.	ORGANIZATIONAL MATTERS

1.	Opening of the meeting.

2.	Organizational matters.

II.	REPORTS

3.	Reports of the regional meetings.

4.	Review of the implementation of the Convention: synthesis of	information contained in national reports.

5.	Report from, instructions to and consideration of recommendations from the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice (SBSTTA).

6.	Operations of the clearing-house mechanism.

7.	Pending issues arising from the work of the seventh meeting of the Conference of the Parties.

8.	Progress reports on programmes of work on thematic areas:

8.1	Biological diversity and forests;

8.2	Agricultural biological diversity;

8.3	Biological diversity and mountains;

8.4	Biological diversity and inland waters;

8.5	Marine and coastal biological diversity.

9.	Report of the intergovernmental committee on the biosafety protocol.

10.	Consideration of the report of the ad hoc working group on the International Undertaking on Plant Genetic Resources.

11.	Consideration of the report of the subsidiary body on the implementation of the Convention's provisions on indigenous and local communities.

12.	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:

12.1	Consideration of the results of the International Biodiversity Observation Year;

12.2	The special session of the General Assembly for the purpose of an overall review and appraisal of the implementation of Agenda 21:

12.2.1 Preparation of a report from the perspective of the Convention's three objectives.

13.	Matters relating to the financial mechanism, including a report from the institutional structure entrusted with its operation:

13.1	Activities of the Global Environment Facility;

13.2	Matters relating to additional financial resources;

13.3	Further guidance to the financial mechanism.

III.	PRIORITY ISSUES

14.	Consideration of options for conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity and inland waters and review of programme of work on biological diversity and inland waters.

15.	In situ conservation of biological diversity: consideration of measures to implement Article 8:

15.1	Consideration of the Global Plan of Action on Alien/Invasive Species;

15.2	Consideration of the role of protected areas and the results of the fifth World Congress on Protected Areas and National Parks;

15.3	Consideration of measures to restore natural habitats and threatened components of biological diversity.

IV.	FINAL MATTERS

16.	Report from the Executive Secretary on the administration of the Convention and budget for the Trust Fund of the Convention:

16.1	Administration of the Convention:

16.1.1 Review of the rolling longer-term programme of work and operations of the Convention;

16.2	Budget of the Trust Fund for the Convention on Biological Diversity.

17.	Report on the credentials of representatives to the eighth meeting of the Conference of the Parties.

18.	Venue and date of the ninth meeting of the Conference of the Parties.

19.	Other matters.

20.	Adoption of the report.

21.	Closure of the meeting.

NINTH MEETING OF THE CONFERENCE OF THE PARTIES

In 2003, the ninth meeting of the Conference of the Parties may consider, inter alia, the following items:

I.	ORGANIZATIONAL MATTERS

1.	Opening of the meeting.

2.	Organizational matters.

II.	REPORTS

3.	Reports of the regional meetings.

4.	Review of the implementation of the Convention: synthesis of	information contained in national reports

5.	Report from, instructions to and consideration of recommendations from the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice (SBSTTA).

6.	Operations of the clearing-house mechanism.

7.	Pending issues arising from the work of the eighth meeting of the Conference of the Parties.

8.	Progress reports on programmes of work on thematic areas:

8.1	Biological diversity and mountains;

8.2	Agricultural biological diversity;

8.3	Biological diversity and forests;

8.4	Marine and coastal biological diversity;

8.5	Biological diversity and inland waters.

9.	Report of the intergovernmental committee on the biosafety protocol.

10.	Consideration of the report of the subsidiary body on the implementation of the Convention's provisions on indigenous and local communities.

11.	Consideration of the Global Plan of Action on Alien/Invasive Species.

12.	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.	Matters relating to the financial mechanism, including a report from the institutional structure entrusted with its operation:

13.1	Activities of the Global Environment Facility;

13.2	Matters relating to additional financial resources;

13.3	Further guidance to the financial mechanism.

III.	PRIORITY ISSUES

14.	Consideration of options for conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity and forests and review of programme of work on biological diversity and forests.

15.	Identification and monitoring of components of biological diversity important for its conservation and sustainable use: consideration of measures for the implementation of Article 7.

IV.	FINAL MATTERS

16.	Report from the Executive Secretary on the administration of the Convention and budget for the Trust Fund of the Convention:

16.1	Administration of the Convention:

16.1.1 Review of the rolling longer-term programme of work and operations of the Convention;

16.2	Budget of the Trust Fund for the Convention on Biological Diversity.

17.	Report on the credentials of representatives to the ninth meeting of the Conference of the Parties.

18.	Venue and date of the tenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties.

19.	Other matters.

20.	Adoption of the report.

21.	Closure of the meeting.

TENTH MEETING OF THE CONFERENCE OF THE PARTIES

In 2004, the tenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties may consider, inter alia, the following items:

I.	ORGANIZATIONAL MATTERS

1.	Opening of the meeting.

2.	Organizational matters.

II.	REPORTS

3.	Reports of the regional meetings.

4.	Review of the implementation of the Convention: synthesis of	information contained in national reports.

5.	Report from, instructions to and consideration of recommendations from the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice (SBSTTA).

6.	Operations of the clearing-house mechanism.

7.	Pending issues arising from the work of the ninth meeting of the Conference of the Parties.

8.	Progress reports on programmes of work on thematic areas

8.1	Agricultural biological diversity;

8.2	Marine and coastal biological diversity;

8.3	Biological diversity and mountains;

8.4	Biological diversity and inland waters;

8.5	Biological diversity and forests.

9.	Report of the intergovernmental committee on the biosafety protocol.

10.	Consideration of the report of the subsidiary body on the implementation of the Convention's provisions on indigenous and local communities.

11.	Consideration of the Global Plan of Action on Alien/Invasive Species.

12.	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.	Matters relating to the financial mechanism, including a report from the institutional structure entrusted with its operation:

13.1	Activities of the Global Environment Facility;

13.2	Matters relating to additional financial resources;

13.3	Further guidance to the financial mechanism.

III.	PRIORITY ISSUES

14.	Consideration of options for conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity and mountains and review of programme of work on biological diversity and mountains.

15.	Benefit-sharing.

IV.	FINAL MATTERS

16.	Report from the Executive Secretary on the administration of the Convention and budget for the Trust Fund of the Convention:

16.1	Administration of the Convention:

16.1.1 Review of the rolling longer-term programme of work and operations of the Convention;

16.2	Budget of the Trust Fund for the Convention on Biological Diversity.

17.	Report on the credentials of representatives to the tenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties.

18.	Venue and date of the eleventh meeting of the Conference of the Parties.

19.	Other matters.

20.	Adoption of the report.

21.	Closure of the meeting.

ELEVENTH MEETING OF THE CONFERENCE OF THE PARTIES

In 2005, the eleventh meeting of the Conference of the Parties may consider, inter alia, the following items:

I.	ORGANIZATIONAL MATTERS

1.	Opening of the meeting.

2.	Organizational matters.

II.	REPORTS

3.	Reports of the regional meetings.

4.	Review of the implementation of the Convention: synthesis of	information contained in national reports.

5.	Report from, instructions to and consideration of recommendations from the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice (SBSTTA).

6.	Operations of the clearing-house mechanism.

7.	Pending issues arising from the work of the tenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties.

8.	Progress reports on programmes of work on thematic areas:

8.1	Marine and coastal biological diversity;

8.2	Agricultural biological diversity;

8.3	Biological diversity and forests;

8.4	Biological diversity and inland waters;

8.5	Biological diversity and mountains.

9.	Report of the intergovernmental committee on the biosafety protocol.

10.	Consideration of the Global Plan of Action on Alien/Invasive Species.

11.	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.

12.	Matters relating to the financial mechanism, including a report from the institutional structure entrusted with its operation:

12.1	Activities of the Global Environment Facility;

12.2	Review of the effectiveness of the financial mechanism and an assessment of the needs of Parties;

12.3	Matters relating to additional financial resources;

12.4	Further guidance to the financial mechanism.

III.	PRIORITY ISSUES

13.	Consideration of options for conservation and sustainable use of marine and coastal biological diversity and review of programme of work on marine and coastal biological diversity.

14.	Implementation of Article 8(j) and related provisions on traditional knowledge.

IV.	FINAL MATTERS

15.	Report from the Executive Secretary on the administration of the Convention and budget for the Trust Fund of the Convention:

15.1	Administration of the Convention:

15.1.1 Review of the rolling longer-term programme of work and operations of the Convention;

15.2	Budget of the Trust Fund for the Convention on Biological Diversity

16.	Report on the credentials of representatives to the eleventh meeting of the Conference of the Parties.

17.	Venue and date of the twelfth meeting of the Conference of the Parties.

18.	Other matters.

19.	Adoption of the report.

20.	Closure of the meeting.

TWELFTH MEETING OF THE CONFERENCE OF THE PARTIES

In 2006, the twelfth meeting of the Conference of the Parties may consider, inter alia, the following items:

I.	ORGANIZATIONAL MATTERS

1.	Opening of the meeting.

2.	Organizational matters.

II.	REPORTS

3.	Reports of the regional meetings.

4.	Review of the implementation of the Convention: synthesis of	information contained in national reports.

5.	Report from, instructions to and consideration of recommendations from the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice (SBSTTA).

6.	Operations of the clearing-house mechanism.

7.	Pending issues arising from the work of the eleventh meeting of the Conference of the Parties.

8.	Progress reports on programmes of work on thematic areas:

8.1	Biological diversity and inland waters;

8.2	Biological diversity and mountains;

8.3	Biological diversity and forests;

8.4	Marine and coastal biological diversity;

8.5	Agricultural biological diversity.

9.	Report of the intergovernmental committee on the biosafety protocol.

10.	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.

11.	Matters relating to the financial mechanism, including a report from the institutional structure entrusted with its operation:

11.1	Activities of the Global Environment Facility;

11.2	Matters relating to additional financial resources;

11.3	Further guidance to the financial mechanism.

III.	PRIORITY ISSUES

12.	Consideration of options for conservation and sustainable use of agricultural biological diversity and review of programme of work on agricultural biological diversity.

13.	Ex situ conservation of biological diversity: consideration of measures to implement Article 9.

IV.	FINAL MATTERS

14.	Report from the Executive Secretary on the administration of the Convention and budget for the Trust Fund of the Convention:

14.1	Administration of the Convention:

14.1.1 Review of the rolling longer-term programme of work and operations of the Convention;

14.2	Budget of the Trust Fund for the Convention on Biological Diversity.

15.	Report on the credentials of representatives to the twelfth meeting of the Conference of the Parties.

16.	Venue and date of the thirteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties.

17.	Other matters.

18.	Adoption of the report.

19.	Closure of the meeting.

THIRTEENTH MEETING OF THE CONFERENCE OF THE PARTIES

In 2007, the thirteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties may consider, inter alia, the following items:

I.	ORGANIZATIONAL MATTERS

1.	Opening of the meeting.

2.	Organizational matters.

II.	REPORTS

3.	Reports of the regional meetings.

4.	Review of the implementation of the Convention: synthesis of	information contained in national reports.

5.	Report from, instructions to and consideration of recommendations from the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice (SBSTTA).

6.	Operations of the clearing-house mechanism.

7.	Pending issues arising from the work of the twelfth meeting of the Conference of the Parties.

8.	Progress reports on programmes of work on thematic areas:

8.1	Biological diversity and forests;

8.2	Agricultural biological diversity;

8.3	Biological diversity and mountains;

8.4	Biological diversity and inland waters;

8.5	Marine and coastal biological diversity.

9.	Report of the intergovernmental committee on the biosafety protocol.

10.	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.

11.	Matters relating to the financial mechanism, including a report from the institutional structure entrusted with its operation:

11.1	Activities of the Global Environment Facility;

11.2	Matters relating to additional financial resources;

11.3	Further guidance to the financial mechanism.

III.	PRIORITY ISSUES

12.	Consideration of options for conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity and inland waters and review of programme of work on biological diversity and inland waters.

13.	Consideration of the ways and means that tourism can assist Parties to achieve the objects of the Convention.

IV.	FINAL MATTERS

14.	Report from the Executive Secretary on the administration of the Convention and budget for the Trust Fund of the Convention:

14.1	Administration of the Convention;

14.1.1 Review of the rolling longer-term programme of work and operations of the Convention;

14.2	Budget of the Trust Fund for the Convention on Biological Diversity.

15.	Report on the credentials of representatives to the thirteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties.

16.	Venue and date of the fourteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties.

17.	Other matters.

18.	Adoption of the report.

19.	Closure of the meeting.

FOURTEENTH MEETING OF THE CONFERENCE OF THE PARTIES

In 2008, the twelfth meeting of the Conference of the Parties may consider, inter alia, the following items:

I.	ORGANIZATIONAL MATTERS

1.	Opening of the meeting.

2.	Organizational matters.

II.	REPORTS

3.	Reports of the regional meetings.

4.	Review of the implementation of the Convention: synthesis of	information contained in national reports.

5.	Report from, instructions to and consideration of recommendations from the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice (SBSTTA).

6.	Operations of the clearing-house mechanism.

7.	Pending issues arising from the work of the thirteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties.

8.	Progress reports on programmes of work on thematic areas:

8.1	Biological diversity and mountains;

8.2	Marine and coastal biological diversity;

8.3	Biological diversity and forests;

8.4	Agricultural biological diversity;

8.5	Biological diversity and inland waters.

9.	Report of the intergovernmental committee on the biosafety protocol.

10.	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.

11.	Matters relating to the financial mechanism, including a report from the institutional structure entrusted with its operation:

11.1	Activities of the Global Environment Facility;

11.2	Matters relating to additional financial resources;

11.3	Further guidance to the financial mechanism.

III.	PRIORITY ISSUES

12.	Consideration of options for conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity and forests and review of programme of work on biological diversity and forests.

13.	Identification and monitoring of components of biological diversity important for its conservation and sustainable use: consideration of measures for the implementation of Article 7.

IV.	FINAL MATTERS

14.	Report from the Executive Secretary on the administration of the Convention and budget for the Trust Fund of the Convention:

14.1	Administration of the Convention:

14.1.1 Review of the rolling longer-term programme of work and operations of the Convention;

14.2	Budget of the Trust Fund for the Convention on Biological Diversity.

15.	Report on the credentials of representatives to the fourteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties.

16.	Venue and date of the fifteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties.

17.	Other matters.

18.	Adoption of the report.

19.	Closure of the meeting.

Annex III

PROGRAMME OF WORK AND PRIORITIES OF THE SUBSIDIARY BODY ON SCIENTIFIC, TECHNICAL AND TECHNOLOGICAL ADVICE

Year Thematic Areas

Scientific and Technical Guidelines Group 1

Group 2

Group 3

1999

(SBSTTA-4)

biological diversity and mountains

tourism

access to genetic resources and intellectual property rights

the ecosystem approach (including identification, monitoring and indicators of biological diversity)

agricultural biological diversity

biological diversity and inland waters 2000

(SBSTTA-5) agricultural biological diversity

ditto biological diversity and forests biological diversity and inland waters

2001

(SBSTTA-6) biological diversity and inland waters

in situ conservation

ditto biological diversity and forests biological diversity and mountains

2002

(SBSTTA-7) biological diversity and forests

identification and monitoring of biological diversity ditto marine and coastal biological diversity biological diversity and mountains

2003

(SBSTTA-8)

biological diversity and mountains benefit-sharing ditto marine and coastal biological diversity agricultural biological diversity

2004

(SBSTTA-9) marine and coastal biological diversity Article 8 (j) on traditional knowledge

ditto biological diversity and inland waters agricultural biological diversity 2005

(SBSTTA-10)

agricultural biological diversity ex situ conservation ditto biological diversity and inland waters biological diversity and forests 2006

(SBSTTA-11)

biological diversity and inland waters tourism

ditto biological diversity and mountains biological diversity and forests 2007

(SBSTTA-12)

biological diversity and forests identification and monitoring of biological diversity ditto biological diversity and mountains marine and coastal biological diversity 2008

(SBSTTA-13)

biological diversity and mountains ditto agricultural biological diversity marine and coastal biological diversity

Annex IV

FUTURE AGENDAS OF THE SUBSIDIARY BODY ON SCIENTIFIC,

TECHNICAL, AND TECHNOLOGICAL ADVICE

I. THE FOURTH MEETING OF THE SUBSIDIARY BODY ON SCIENTIFIC, TECHNICAL,

AND TECHNOLOGICAL ADVICE (AS PROPOSED BY THE

SUBSIDIARY BODY AT ITS THIRD MEETING

In 1999, the fourth meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical, and Technological Advice may consider, inter alia, the following items:

1.	Opening of the meeting.

2.	Organizational matters:

(a)	Election of officers;

(b)	Adoption of the agenda;

(c)	Organization of work.

3.	Assessment of the status and trends of terrestrial biological diversity: scientific, technical and technological advice on matters relating to dryland and mountain biological diversity and options for conservation and sustainable use.

4.	Review of ongoing activities under the Convention on Biological Diversity:

(a)	Implementation of the pilot phase of the clearing-house mechanism;

(b)	Implementation of the three-year work plan on the conservation and sustainable use of marine and coastal biological diversity;

(c)	Implementation of Article 8 (j);

(d)	Implementation of the work plan for the conservation and sustainable use of forest biological diversity;

(e)	Inland waters.

5.	Advice on activities, instruments, issues and priorities relating to agricultural biological diversity: consideration of the draft multi-year programme of work.

6.	Impact assessment: scientific analysis of the ways in which human activities influence biological diversity and identification of ways to minimize or mitigate negative impacts.

7.	Consideration of matters related to benefit-sharing:

(a)	Benefit-sharing with regard to promoting and facilitating access to and transfer and development of technology, including the knowledge and practices of local and indigenous communities;

(b)	Measures to promote and advance the distribution of benefits from biotechnology, in accordance with Article 19.

8.	Identification of alternative models and mechanisms for linkages between in situ and ex situ conservation techniques.

9.	Review of existing conventions and other international agreements relevant to the various paragraphs of Article 8.

10.	Review of the operations of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice, in the light of the review by the Conference of the Parties of its operations and those of subsidiary organs.

11.	Draft provisional agenda for the fifth meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice.

12.	Date and venue of the fifth meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice.

13.	Other matters.

14.	Adoption of the report.

15.	Closure of the meeting.

II.	THE FIFTH MEETING OF THE SUBSIDIARY BODY ON SCIENTIFIC, TECHNICAL, AND TECHNOLOGICAL ADVICE

In 2000, the fifth meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice may consider, inter alia, the following items:

1.	Opening of the meeting.

2.	Organizational matters:

(a)	Election of officers;

(b)	Adoption of the agenda;

(c)	Organization of work.

3.	Assessment of the status and trends of terrestrial biological diversity: scientific, technical and technological advice on matters relating to agricultural biological diversity and options for conservation and sustainable use.

4.	Review of ongoing activities under the Convention on Biological Diversity:

4.1	Implementation of the work plan for the conservation and	sustainable use of biological diversity and inland waters;

4.2	Implementation of the work plan for the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity and forests;

4.3	Implementation of the work plan on the conservation and sustainable use of marine and coastal biological diversity;

4.4	Implementation of the work plan for the conservation and sustainable use of agricultural biological diversity;

4.5	Consideration of the ecosystem approach.

5.	Advice on activities, instruments, issues and priorities relating to agricultural biological diversity: consideration of the draft multi-year programme of work.

6.	Advice on the implementation of the clearing-house mechanism.

7.	Consideration of the role of the private sector in sustainable use of biological diversity in accordance with Article 10.

8.	Consideration of the FAO Global Forest Resources Assessment.

9.	Draft provisional agenda for the sixth meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice.

10.	Date and venue of the sixth meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice.

11.	Other matters.

12.	Adoption of the report.

13.	Closure of the meeting.

III.	THE SIXTH MEETING OF THE SUBSIDIARY BODY ON SCIENTIFIC, TECHNICAL, AND TECHNOLOGICAL ADVICE

In 2001, the sixth meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice may consider, inter alia, the following items:

1.	Opening of the meeting.

2.	Organizational matters:

(a)	Election of officers;

(b)	Adoption of the agenda;

(c)	Organization of work.

3.	Assessment of the status and trends of terrestrial biological diversity: scientific, technical and technological advice on matters relating to biological diversity and inland waters and options for conservation and sustainable use.

4.	Review of ongoing activities under the Convention on Biological Diversity:

4.1	Implementation of the work plan on the conservation and sustainable use of forest biological diversity and forests;

4.2	Implementation of the work plan for the conservation and	sustainable use of biological diversity and mountains;

4.3	Implementation of the work plan for the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity and inland waters;

4.4	Implementation of the work plan for the conservation and sustainable use of agricultural biological diversity;

4.5	Implementation of the work plan for the conservation and sustainable use of marine and coastal biological diversity;

4.6	Consideration of the ecosystem approach.

5.	Advice on activities, instruments, issues and priorities relating to agricultural biological diversity: consideration of the draft multi-year programme of work.

6.	Advice on the implementation of the clearing-house mechanism.

7	Advice and suggested guidelines on measures to implement Article 8.

8.	Consideration of the International Biodiversity Observation Year.

9.	Draft provisional agenda for the seventh meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice.

10.	Date and venue of the seventh meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice.

11.	Other matters.

12.	Adoption of the report.

13.	Closure of the meeting.

IV.	THE SEVENTH MEETING OF THE SUBSIDIARY BODY ON SCIENTIFIC, TECHNICAL, AND TECHNOLOGICAL ADVICE

In 2002, the seventh meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice may consider, inter alia, the following items:

1.	Opening of the meeting.

2.	Organizational matters:

(a)	Election of officers;

(b)	Adoption of the agenda;

(c)	Organization of work.

3.	Assessment of the status and trends of terrestrial biological diversity: scientific, technical and technological advice on matters relating to biological diversity and forests and options for conservation and sustainable use.

4.	Review of ongoing activities under the Convention on Biological Diversity:

4.1	Implementation of the work plan on the conservation and	sustainable use of biological diversity and forests;

4.2	Implementation of the work plan for the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity and mountains;

4.3	Implementation of the work plan for the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity and inland waters;

4.4	Implementation of the work plan for the conservation and sustainable use of agricultural biological diversity;

4.5	Implementation of the work plan for the conservation and sustainable use of marine and coastal biological diversity;

4.6	Consideration of the ecosystem approach;

5.	Advice on the implementation of the clearing-house mechanism.

6.	Advice and suggested guidelines on identification and monitoring of	biological diversity.

7.	Draft provisional agenda for the eighth meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice.

8.	Date and venue of the eighth meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice.

9.	Other matters.

10.	Adoption of the report.

11.	Closure of the meeting.

V.	THE EIGHT MEETING OF THE SUBSIDIARY BODY ON SCIENTIFIC, TECHNICAL, AND TECHNOLOGICAL ADVICE

In 2003, the eighth meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical, and Technological Advice may consider, inter alia, the following items:

1.	Opening of the meeting.

2.	Organizational matters:

(a)	Election of officers;

(b)	Adoption of the agenda;

(c)	Organization of work.

3.	Assessment of the status and trends of terrestrial biological diversity: scientific, technical and technological advice on matters relating to biological diversity and mountains and options for conservation and sustainable use.

4.	Review of ongoing activities under the Convention on Biological Diversity:

4.1	Implementation of the work plan on the conservation and	sustainable use of biological diversity and forests;

4.2	Implementation of the work plan for the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity and mountains;

4.3	Implementation of the work plan for the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity and inland waters;

4.4	Implementation of the work plan for the conservation and sustainable use of agricultural biological diversity;

4.5	Implementation of the work plan for the conservation and sustainable use of marine and coastal biological diversity;

4.6	Consideration of the ecosystem approach.

5.	Advice on the implementation of the clearing-house mechanism.

6.	Advice and suggested guidelines on benefit-sharing.

7.	Draft provisional agenda for the ninth meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice.

8.	Date and venue of the ninth meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice.

9.	Other matters.

10.	Adoption of the report.

11.	Closure of the meeting.

VI.	THE NINTH MEETING OF THE SUBSIDIARY BODY ON SCIENTIFIC, TECHNICAL, AND TECHNOLOGICAL ADVICE

In 2004, the ninth meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical, and Technological Advice may consider, inter alia, the following items:

1.	Opening of the meeting.

2.	Organizational matters:

(a)	Election of officers;

(b)	Adoption of the agenda;

(c)	Organization of work.

3.	Assessment of the status and trends of marine and coastal biological diversity: scientific, technical and technological advice on matters relating to marine and coastal biological diversity and options for conservation and sustainable use.

4.	Review of ongoing activities under the Convention on Biological Diversity:

4.1	Implementation of the work plan on the conservation and	sustainable use of biological diversity and forests;

4.2	Implementation of the work plan for the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity and mountains;

4.3	Implementation of the work plan for the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity and inland waters;

4.4	Implementation of the work plan for the conservation and sustainable use of agricultural biological diversity;

4.5	Implementation of the work plan for the conservation and sustainable use of marine and coastal biological diversity;

4.6	Consideration of the ecosystem approach.

5.	Advice on the implementation of the clearing-house mechanism.

6.	Advice and suggested guidelines on traditional knowledge.

7.	Draft provisional agenda for the tenth meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice.

8.	Date and venue of the tenth meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice.

9.	Other matters.

10.	Adoption of the report.

11.	Closure of the meeting.

VII.	THE TENTH MEETING OF THE SUBSIDIARY BODY ON SCIENTIFIC, TECHNICAL, AND TECHNOLOGICAL ADVICE

In 2005, the tenth meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical, and Technological Advice may consider, inter alia, the following items:

1.	Opening of the meeting.

2.	Organizational matters:

(a)	Election of officers;

(b)	Adoption of the agenda;

(c)	Organization of work.

3.	Assessment of the status and trends of terrestrial biological diversity: scientific, technical and technological advice on matters relating to agricultural biological diversity and options for conservation and sustainable use.

4.	Review of ongoing activities under the Convention on Biological Diversity:

4.1	Implementation of the work plan on the conservation and	sustainable use of biological diversity and forests;

4.2	Implementation of the work plan for the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity and mountains;

4.3	Implementation of the work plan for the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity and inland waters;

4.4	Implementation of the work plan for the conservation and sustainable use of agricultural biological diversity;

4.5	Implementation of the work plan for the conservation and sustainable use of marine and coastal biological diversity;

4.6	Consideration of the ecosystem approach.

5.	Advice on the implementation of the clearing-house mechanism.

6.	Advice and suggested guidelines on measures to implement Article 9.

7.	Draft provisional agenda for the eleventh meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice.

8.	Date and venue of the eleventh meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice.

9.	Other matters.

10.	Adoption of the report.

11.	Closure of the meeting.

VIII.	THE ELEVENTH MEETING OF THE SUBSIDIARY BODY ON SCIENTIFIC, TECHNICAL, AND TECHNOLOGICAL ADVICE

In 2006, the eleventh meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical, and Technological Advice may consider, inter alia, the following items:

1.	Opening of the meeting.

2.	Organizational matters:

(a)	Election of officers;

(b)	Adoption of the agenda;

(c)	Organization of work.

3.	Assessment of the status and trends of terrestrial biological diversity: scientific, technical and technological advice on matters relating to biological diversity and inland waters and options for conservation and sustainable use.

4.	Review of ongoing activities under the Convention on Biological Diversity:

4.1	Implementation of the work plan on the conservation and	sustainable use of biological diversity and forests;

4.2	Implementation of the work plan for the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity and mountains;

4.3	Implementation of the work plan for the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity and inland waters;

4.4	Implementation of the work plan for the conservation and sustainable use of agricultural biological diversity;

4.5	Implementation of the work plan for the conservation and sustainable use of marine and coastal biological diversity;

4.6	Consideration of the ecosystem approach.

5.	Advice on the implementation of the clearing-house mechanism.

6.	Advice and suggested guidelines for submissions on tourism.

7.	Draft provisional agenda for the twelfth meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice.

8.	Date and venue of the twelfth meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice.

9.	Other matters.

10.	Adoption of the report.

11.	Closure of the meeting.

IX.	THE TWELFTH MEETING OF THE SUBSIDIARY BODY ON SCIENTIFIC, TECHNICAL, AND TECHNOLOGICAL ADVICE

In 2007, the twelfth meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical, and Technological Advice may consider, inter alia, the following items:

1.	Opening of the meeting.

2.	Organizational matters:

(a)	Election of officers;

(b)	Adoption of the agenda;

(c)	Organization of work.

3.	Assessment of the status and trends of terrestrial biological diversity: scientific, technical and technological advice on matters relating to biological diversity and forests and options for conservation and sustainable use.

4.	Review of ongoing activities under the Convention on Biological Diversity:

4.1	Implementation of the work plan on the conservation and	sustainable use of biological diversity and forests;

4.2	Implementation of the work plan for the conservation and	sustainable use of biological diversity and mountains;

4.3	Implementation of the work plan for the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity and inland waters;

4.4	Implementation of the work plan for the conservation and sustainable use of agricultural biological diversity;

4.5	Implementation of the work plan for the conservation and sustainable use of marine and coastal biological diversity;

4.6	Consideration of the ecosystem approach.

5.	Advice on the implementation of the clearing-house mechanism.

6.	Advice and suggested guidelines on identification and monitoring of	biological diversity.

7.	Draft provisional agenda for the thirteenth meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice.

8.	Date and venue of the thirteenth meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice.

9.	Other matters.

10.	Adoption of the report.

11.	Closure of the meeting.

X.	THE THIRTEENTH MEETING OF THE SUBSIDIARY BODY ON SCIENTIFIC, TECHNICAL, AND TECHNOLOGICAL ADVICE

In 2008, the thirteenth meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical, and Technological Advice may consider, inter alia, the following items:

1.	Opening of the meeting.

2.	Organizational matters:

(a)	Election of officers;

(b)	Adoption of the agenda;

(c)	Organization of work.

3.	Assessment of the status and trends of terrestrial biological diversity: scientific, technical and technological advice on matters relating to biological diversity and mountains and options for conservation and sustainable use.

4.	Review of ongoing activities under the Convention on Biological Diversity:

4.1	Implementation of the work plan on the conservation and	sustainable use of biological diversity and forests;

4.2	Implementation of the work plan for the conservation and	sustainable use of biological diversity and mountains;

4.3	Implementation of the work plan for the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity and inland waters;

4.4	Implementation of the work plan for the conservation and sustainable use of agricultural biological diversity;

4.5	Implementation of the work plan for the conservation and sustainable use of marine and coastal biological diversity;

4.6	Consideration of the ecosystem approach.

5.	Advice on the implementation of the clearing-house mechanism.

6.	Draft provisional agenda for the fourteenth meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice.

7.	Date and venue of the fourteenth meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice.

8.	Other matters.

9.	Adoption of the report.

10.	Closure of the meeting.

Annex V

Annex I of recommendation II/11

MODUS OPERANDI OF THE SUBSIDIARY BODY ON SCIENTIFIC,

TECHNICAL AND TECHNOLOGICAL ADVICE

I.	Functions

1.	The functions of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice are those contained in Article 25 of the Convention. Accordingly, the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice will fulfil its mandate under the authority of, and in accordance with, guidance laid down by the Conference of the Parties, and upon its request.

2.	Pursuant to Article 25, paragraph 3, the functions, terms of reference, organization and operation of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice may be further elaborated, for approval by the Conference of the Parties.

II.	Rules of procedure

3.	The rules of procedure for meetings of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity shall apply, in accordance with rule 26, paragraph 5, mutatis mutandis to the proceedings of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice. Therefore, rule 18 on credentials will not apply.

4.	In accordance with rule 52, the official and working languages of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice will be those of the United Nations Organization. The proceedings of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice will be carried out in the working languages of the Conference of the Parties.

5.	In order to facilitate continuity in the work of Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice and taking into account the technical and scientific character of the input of Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice, the terms of office of members of the Bureau of Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice will be two years. At each meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice one of the two regional representatives shall be elected in order to achieve staggered terms of office. The members of the Bureau of Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice will take office at the end of the meeting at which they are elected.

6.	The Chairman of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice, elected at an ordinary meeting of the Conference of the Parties, shall take office from the beginning of the next ordinary meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice and remain in office until the beginning of the following meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice.

III.	Frequency and timing of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice

7.	The Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice shall meet annually and sufficiently in advance of each regular meeting of the Conference of the Parties, for a duration to be determined by the Conference of the Parties which should not normally exceed five days. The number and length of the meetings and activities of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice and its organs should be reflected in the budget adopted by the Conference of the Parties or other sources of extra-budgetary funding.

IV.	Documentation

8.	The documentation prepared for meetings will be distributed six weeks before the meeting in the working languages of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice, will be concrete, focused draft technical reports and will include proposed conclusions and recommendations for consideration of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice.

9.	To facilitate the preparation of documentation, and in order to avoid duplication of efforts and ensure the use of available scientific, technical and technological competence available within international and regional organizations, including non-governmental organizations and scientific unions and societies, qualified in fields relating to conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity, the Executive Secretary may establish, in consultation with the Chairman and the other members of the Bureau of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice, liaison groups, as appropriate. Such liaison groups will depend on the resources available.

V.	Organization of work during the meetings

10.	Each meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice will propose to the Conference of the Parties, in light of the programme of work for the Conference of the Parties and the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice, a particular theme as the focus of work for the following meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice.

11.	Two open-ended sessional working groups of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice could be established and operate simultaneously during meetings of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice. They shall be established on the basis of well-defined terms of reference, and will be open to all Parties and observers. The financial implications of these arrangements should be reflected in the budget of the Convention.

VI.	Ad hoc technical expert group meetings

12.	A limited number of ad hoc technical expert groups on specific priority issues on the programme of work of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice may be established, as required, for a limited duration. The establishment of such ad hoc technical expert groups would be guided by the following elements:

(a)	The ad hoc technical expert groups should draw on the existing knowledge and competence available within, and liaise with, international, regional and national organizations, including non-governmental organizations and the scientific community in fields relevant to this Convention;

(b)	The ad hoc technical expert groups shall be composed of no more than fifteen experts competent in the relevant field of expertise, with due regard to geographical representation and to the special conditions of least-developed countries and small island developing States;

(c)	The Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice will recommend the exact duration and specific terms of reference, when establishing such expert groups for the approval of the Conference of the Parties;

(d)	Expert groups will be encouraged to use innovative means of communication and to minimize the need for face-to-face meetings;

(e)	The ad hoc technical expert groups may also convene meetings parallel to the proceedings of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice;

(f)	All efforts will be made to provide adequate voluntary financial assistance for the participation of experts in the expert groups from developing countries and countries with economies in transition Parties; and

(g)	The number of ad hoc technical expert groups active each year will be limited to a maximum of three and will depend on the amount of resources designated to the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice by the Conference of the Parties in its budget or on the availability of extra-budgetary resources.

VII.	Contribution of non-governmental organizations

13.	The scientific and technical contribution of non-governmental organizations to the fulfilment of the mandate of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice will be strongly encouraged in accordance with the relevant provisions of the Convention and the rules of procedure for meetings of the Conference of the Parties.

VIII.	Cooperation with other relevant bodies

14.	The Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice shall cooperate with other relevant international, regional and national organizations, under the guidance of the Convention of the Parties, thus building upon the vast experience and knowledge available.

15.	In this context, the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice emphasizes the importance of research to further increase available knowledge and reduce uncertainties, and recommends that the Conference of the Parties consider this issue in relation to the financial resources required for the effective implementation of the Convention.

IX.	Regional and subregional preparatory meetings

16.	Regional and subregional meetings for the preparation of regular meetings of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice may be organized as appropriate for specific items. The possibility of combining such meetings with other scientific regional meetings, in order to make maximum use of available resources, should be considered. The convening of such regional and subregional meetings will be subject to the availability of voluntary financial contributions.

17.	The Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice should, in the fulfilment of its mandate, draw upon the contributions of the existing regional and subregional intergovernmental organizations or initiatives.

X.	Focal points

18.	A list of focal points and focal persons to the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice shall be established and regularly updated by the Secretariat, on the basis of information provided by Parties and other relevant regional, subregional and intergovernmental organizations.

XI.	Roster of experts

19.	A roster of experts, in the relevant fields of the Convention, will be compiled by the Secretariat on the basis of input from all Parties and, as appropriate, from other countries and relevant bodies. The roster of experts will be regularly updated and will be made accessible through the clearing house mechanism.

20.	The ad hoc technical expert groups and liaison groups referred to above as well as the Secretariat should make full use of such a roster of experts, inter alia, through scientific peer review processes.

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