Notification 2009-181

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 the Pacific region will be held in Auckland, New Zealand, on 15-16 February 2010. This consultation is made possible by the generous financial support of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). It is being organized in close collaboration between the South Pacific Region Environment Programme (SPREP), UNEP 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. Parties from the Pacific 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 Friday, 15th January 2010. 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 the following address: Mr. Clark Peteru, Environmental Legal Advisor, SPREP, at clarkp@sprep.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. The tentative agenda of the meeting is attached. 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 and ABS National Focal Points from the Pacific Region