Notification 2009-165

Dear Madam/Sir, In decision IX/12 on Access and Benefit-sharing, paragraph 17, the Conference of the Parties (COP) emphasized the importance of consultations to advance the negotiations of the International Regime on Access and Benefit-sharing and requested the Co-Chairs of the Ad Hoc Open-ended Working Group on Access and Benefit-sharing (WG-ABS) to be instrumental in organizing and facilitating such consultations during the intersessional period. It also encouraged Parties and stakeholders to carry out bilateral, regional and interregional meetings and consultations and called upon donors and relevant organizations to provide financial resources necessary for such meetings and consultations. In addition, in paragraph 22 of the same decision, the COP invited the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), governments and other international organizations to support regional and interregional consultations in close collaboration with the Secretariat. In accordance with the above, and further to notification 2009-010 of 24 August 2009 announcing the tentative calendar of the regional consultations, I am pleased to confirm that the regional consultation for Latin America and Caribbean Countries will be held in Panama City, Panama, on 15-16 January 2010, with the active support of UNEP, through its Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean (ROLAC). This consultation is made possible by the financial support of UNEP. It is being organized in close collaboration between UNEP, through ROLAC, and the CBD Secretariat, and in consultation with the Co-Chairs of WG-ABS. The regional consultation will provide an opportunity for the negotiators from the region to consult and exchange views on the components of the International Regime during the intersessional period with a view to finalizing the negotiations of the International Regime at the ninth meeting of the Ad Hoc Open-ended Working Group on Access and Benefit-sharing. It will also contribute to implement Decision XII of the XVI Meeting of the Forum of Ministers of Environment of Latin America and the Caribbean (Page 29 of document UNEP/LAC-IG.XVI/8: http://www.pnuma.org/forumofministers/16-dominicanrep/rde08tri_FinalReportExpertsMeeting_30Jan2008.pdf ) . Parties from the Latin American and Caribbean region are invited to communicate to the Secretariat the name(s) and coordinates of their government’s officially designated representative(s) to the meeting no later than Wednesday, 16 December 2009. Designation of representatives to attend the meeting should be submitted through an official letter addressed to the Executive Secretary by fax to +1 514 288 6588, or by email as a scanned attachment to secretariat@cbd.int, and copied to Mr. Alex Pires, Focal Point for Multilateral Environmental Agreements – Biodiversity and Ecosystems, UNEP ROLAC, Panama at alex.pires@unep.org. Please note that one representative per country will be financially supported for all eligible countries. However, each country may designate a second representative to attend the meeting. Further details regarding the program and logistical aspects of the meeting will be provided to designated participants in due course and will be made available on the Secretariat website. Please accept, Madam/Sir, the assurances of my highest consideration.

Executive Secretary

To: CBD National Focal Points, ABS National Focal Points from Latin America and Caribbean countries