Status of preparation of GBO-3

Key activities were carried out since COP-9:

• June 2008 - A meeting of the 2010 Biodiversity Indicators Partnership was held on June 25 and 26, 2008 in Montreal, Canada. Participants discussed the progress on the indicators to be used in the third edition of the Global Biodiversity Outlook, coordinated work plans and discussed issues related to communication.
  
• July 2008- The SCBD created an email account devoted to the production of GBO-3. The email account, GBO3@cbd.int, is being used to both solicit input and case studies for possible use in GBO-3 and to facilitate public enquiries regarding the project.
  
• August 2008 - Two interns were recruited to assist with the production of GBO-3. Specifically they gathered relevant case studies for possible inclusion in GBO3 or its ancillary products.
  
• September 2008 - A grant application to cover a portion of the costs associated with the production of GBO-3 was prepared in cooperation with the World Conservation Monitoring Centre of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP-WCMC) and submitted to the European Commission. The application was successful and as a result a major part of the costs associated with the preparation of Global Biodiversity Outlook is now covered.
  
• December 2008 -The CBD Secretariat developed and advertised terms of reference for a scoping study on future biodiversity change that would inform the outlook section of the third edition of Global Biodiversity Outlook. As of January 5th 2009, the SCBD had received 7 expressions of interest, of which the proposal prepared by DIVERSITAS International, working in collaboration with UNEP-WCMC has been selected.
  
• January 2009- The SCBD is examining the possibility of entering into an agreement with professional science writers who would be contracted to ensure that the text of GBO-3 is widely accessible in all six languages. Equally, competent support in the preparation of effective graphics and selection of photos is being sought.
  

Additional details on activities carried out by the CBD Secretariat are found in the Quarterly Reports.

Current status:

Based on published scientific literature, a review of projects and case studies, and information from third national reports drafts of chapters 1, 2, 3 and 4 have been prepared and are being internally reviewed. A study to information chapter 5 on the outlook for biodiversity has been commissioned. In the coming months, information from fourth national reports and updates from the 2010 Biodiversity Indicators Partnership will be incorporated into the text. Moreover, the Secretariat will commission a science writer to assist with the presentation of the material for the preparation of the first draft, which will be submitted for peer review in August 2009.

Status of financing:

To date financial contributions for the preparation of GBO-3 have been received from the European Commission, Germany, Japan and the United Kingdom. These donations are in line with decision IX/10 in which the COP requested the Global Environment Facility and invited other Parties, Governments and donors to make financial contributions to the production of the Outlook. In this decision it was also noted that funds should be made available as soon as possible in order to ensure that the publication can be finalized in time for the next meeting of the Conference of the Parties in 2010. While sufficient funds have been made available to cover most of the costs associated with the production of the main GBO-3 publication funds for its dissemination and for the implementing the GBO-3 communication strategy have yet to be identified. Likewise funds for the publication of the language versions have yet to be secured.