LifeWeb

Background

L to R: Mr. Axel Benemann, Mr Jochen Flasbarth, Mr. Sigmar Gabriel, Mr. Ahmed Djoghlaf.
Photo by IISD\Markus Staas

The Coordination Office of the CBD LifeWeb Initiative was established during the German Presidency of the Conference of the Parties to the CBD with generous support of the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety. Germany has funded the operations of the Coordination Office from 2009 to 2011 within the framework of the International Climate Initiative and is considering continued support in future years to be complimented by other partners

The Government of Japan has provided support for complimentary activities of the LifeWeb Coordination Office beginning in 2011, in the context of the Japan Fund

CBD Secretariat Coordination

In June 2009, a Coordination Office was established at the Secretariat to:

Manage a web-based information clearing-house to profile protected area needs articulated by Contracting Parties to the CBD as well as indigenous and local communities.

Strengthen the LifeWeb donor base to support these needs.

Facilitate funding partnerships among donors and recipients.

Improve understanding of the contributions of protected areas to (i) livelihoods, (ii) solutions to the climate crisis, (iii) enable their integration into sustainable development planning, climate mitigation and adaptation strategies.

This office was established with the support of the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety, within the framework of the International Climate Initiative.

For more information:

The Executive Secretary invites parties to participate in the LifeWeb initiative

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The ninth meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP 9) was held at the Maritim Hotel in Bonn, Germany, from 19 to 30 May 2008.

COP 9 included a high-level ministerial segment organized by the host country in consultation with the Secretariat and the Bureau. The high‑level segment took place from 28 to 30 May 2008 at the World Conference Center Bonn.

COP 9 also coincided with the International Biodiversity Day, on 22 May 2008. The Conference of the Parties held a special plenary session celebrating this event.

Mandate

COP 10 Decisions

10th MEETING OF THE CONFERENCE OF THE PARTIES TO THE CONVENTION ON BIOLOGICAL DIVERISTY (18-29 October 2010)

Agenda item 5.4: Protected Areas

A.11. Encourages developing country Parties, in particular the least developed countries, and small island developing States among them, as well as countries with economies in transition, to express their protected area system-wide and project-funding needs based on their national biodiversity strategies and action plans and action plans for the programme of work on protected areas, including through the LifeWeb Initiative and urges donors and countries in a position to do so to support funding needs, taking into account the Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness;

A.12. Encourages donors, Parties and countries in a position to do so, subject to available funding, to hold sub-regional and national donor roundtable meetings to support mobilization of funding for implementing the programme of work on protected areas involving relevant funding institutions in collaboration with the LifeWeb Initiative if desired;

Agenda item 5.5: Sustainable Use of Biodiversity

3. Invites Parties, other Governments, and relevant international and other organizations to: (a) Make use of the LifeWeb Initiative as a clearing-house for financing protected areas, as appropriate;

Agenda item 5.5: Integration of Biodiversity into Poverty Eradication and Development

12. Encourages synergies between ongoing initiatives linking biodiversity, development and poverty eradication, such as the Equator Initiative, the ABS Capacity Development Initiative for Africa, the LifeWeb Initiative, the UNCTAD BioTrade Initiative, the Poverty-Environment Initiative, the Biodiversity Technology Initiative, and the Multi-Year Plan of Action for South-South Cooperation;

Agenda item 5.6: Biodiversity and Climate Change

4. Recognizes that by improving the provision of financial support for biodiversity conservation and sustainable use including through new and additional financial resources, in accordance with Article 20 of the Convention, as part of a portfolio of climate-change adaptation and mitigation measures, applied both within and beyond protected areas in developing countries, in particular the least developed and small island developing States, as well as countries with economies in transition, including through the LifeWeb initiative, amongst others, some of the challenges caused by climate change and its effects on biodiversity can also be addressed;

COP 9 Decisions

9th MEETING OF THE CONFERENCE OF THE PARTIES TO THE CONVENTION ON BIOLOGICAL DIVERISTY (19-30 May 2008)

Preamble: Welcoming the efforts of the LifeWeb Initiative promoted by the Government of Germany and other countries, and noting the opportunities Parties and other organizations have to participate in this initiative,

EUROPEAN UNION COUNCIL CONCLUSIONS

3002nd ENVIRONMENT Council meeting (15 March 2010)

11. STRESSES the need to promote all necessary measures to protect biodiversity in third countries, including the establishment and sound management of protected areas in response to their national needs, for instance through the "LifeWeb" initiative, while ensuring effective participation of all stakeholders, in particular indigenous and local communities;

2988th ENVIRONMENT Council meeting (22 December 2009)

7. ENCOURAGES Member States to implement the CBD Strategy for Mobilization of Resources, to take an active part in ongoing processes to enhance innovative financing, such as the Life Web Initiative, and engage in a global discussion on the need and possible modalities for innovative systems for payments of ecosystem services, mobilising private financing, through an appropriate mechanism, and to contribute to the achievement of the EU ODA/GNI target by 2010 as set out in the European Council conclusions of June 2005;

2856th ENVIRONMENT Council meeting (3 March 2008)

4. WELCOMES the LifeWeb Initiative aimed at matching voluntary commitments by Parties for the designation and management of protected areas with voluntary commitments from donors for dedicated (co-)financing;

ENCOURAGES Member States and the Commission to participate in this initiative;