Notification 2006-045

Dear Madam/Sir, In decision VIII/4 A, paragraph 6, the Conference of the Parties requested the Ad Hoc Open-ended Working Group on Access and Benefit-sharing to continue the elaboration and negotiation of the international regime and to complete its work at the earliest possible time before the tenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties. In paragraph 3 of this decision, Parties, Governments, international organizations, indigenous and local communities and all relevant stakeholders are invited “to provide information regarding the inputs on an analysis of existing legal and other instruments at national, regional and international levels relating to access and benefit-sharing to the Secretariat of the Convention four months prior to the fifth meeting of the Working Group on Access and Benefit-sharing” and the Secretariat, in paragraph 4, is requested to prepare a compilation of the information provided and to make it available to the Working Group. In paragraph 8, Parties, Governments, international organizations, indigenous and local communities and all relevant stakeholders are invited “to submit to the Secretariat further information relevant to the gap analysis” and, in paragraph 9, the Executive Secretary is requested “to prepare, for the fifth meeting of the Working Group on Access and Benefit-sharing, the final version of the gap analysis referred to in decision VII/19D, annex, paragraph (a) (i)…”. In paragraph 10, Parties are invited “to submit to the Executive Secretary information on the legal status of genetic resources in their national law, including their property law where applicable”, and the Executive Secretary is requested “to submit a report to the fifth meeting of the Working Group”. To: CBD National Focal Points and ABS National Focal Points Parties are invited to submit to the Secretariat by 31 December 2006: • further information relevant to the gap analysis; • information on the legal status of genetic resources in their national law, including their property law where applicable They are also invited to submit to the Secretariat as soon as possible and no later than 1 February 2007: • information regarding the inputs on an analysis of existing legal and other instruments at national, regional and international levels relating to access and benefit-sharing. Please note that in order to facilitate preparatory work all submissions should be provided in Word format. Please accept, Madam/Sir, the assurances of my highest consideration.

Executive Secretary

To: CBD National Focal Points and ABS National Focal Points