Notification 2011-106

Dear Madam/Sir, The Secretariats of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and the International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO) are pleased to inform their respective constituencies on the advances in the implementation of CBD COP Decision X/36 and International Tropical Timber Council (ITTC) Decision 6/XLVI, welcoming and supporting the Memorandum of Understanding established between the Secretariats of CBD and ITTO on 2 March 2010, and launching a joint initiative to enhance conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity in tropical forests with reference to the implementation of the CBD programme of work on forest biodiversity in the ITTO producer member countries. Through this notification, I would like to invite CBD Parties and other governments; Indigenous and Local Community Organizations; Members of the Collaborative Partnership on Forests; and other Relevant Organizations to provide comments on the draft programme document. The document is available online at www.itto.int and at www.cbd.int/forest. Comments, questions and expressions of donor interest in the programme should be sent to Mr. Eduardo Mansur, ITTO Assistant Director, Reforestation and Forest Management Division (Mansur@itto.int) and to Mr. Tim Christophersen, CBD Programme Officer for Forest Biodiversity (Tim.Christophersen@cbd.int), before 31 August 2011. I would also like to take this opportunity to inform you about the successful completion of the request made to the Executive Secretary in decision X/36, para 12: a forest biodiversity module of the TEMATEA tool has been developed, and was launched on 22 May 2011, the International Day for Biological Diversity. I would like to thank the governments of Norway and Belgium for their generous financial support, and I encourage you to make use of the new TEMATEA module at www.tematea.org. Please accept, Madam/Sir, the assurances of my highest consideration.

Executive Secretary

To: CBD National Focal Points, cc: Indigenous and Local Community Organizations; Members of the Collaborative Partnership on Forests; other Relevant Organizations; SBSTTA Focal Points; POWPA Focal Points