Notification 2011-112

Dear Madam/Sir, I have the honour to inform you that the fifteenth meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice (SBSTTA-15) will be held from 7 to 11 November 2011 at the Headquarters of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), in Montréal, Canada. It will be preceded by the seventh meeting of the Ad Hoc Open-ended Working Group on Article 8(j) and Related Provisions (WG8J-7) which will take place from 31 October to 4 November 2011. I am pleased to attach herewith the provisional agenda proposed by the SBSTTA-15 Bureau. The pre-session and other relevant documentation for the meeting, as well as the Information Note for Participants, will be made available as soon as possible and, in any case, no later than three months in advance of the meeting at: http://www.cbd.int/doc/?meeting=SBSTTA-15. In accordance with rule 18 of the Rules of Procedure for meetings of the Conference of the Parties, the designation of representatives to attend the SBSTTA-15 meeting should be submitted through an official letter to be addressed to the CBD Executive Secretary, and sent to the Secretariat by fax at +1 514-288-6588 or as a scanned email attachment to secretariat@cbd.int as soon as possible, but no later than 30 September 2011. Please note that subject to the availability of contributions to the Special Voluntary Trust Fund (BZ), the Secretariat will be in a position to finance the participation of only one representative from each of the developing countries Parties to the Convention, including the least developed countries, small island developing States, other developing countries, and countries with economies in transition, for both meetings, i.e. the WG8J-7 meeting and the SBSTTA-15 meeting. Eligible Parties to the Convention wishing to solicit such assistance are kindly requested to advise the Secretariat at their earliest convenience, but no later than 9 September 2011, of the name and coordinates of the Government’s officially designated representative to benefit from such financial support. It will not be possible for the Secretariat to respond positively to request for funding received after the deadline. In view of the increased security procedures for travellers and budget constraints, and in order to allow the maximum number of countries to participate in the meetings, the Secretariat will be using special airfare tickets for sponsored delegates that impose restrictions with regard to changing the passenger’s name, travel date and itinerary. In this respect, it will not be possible for the Secretariat to accommodate name changes if they are received after 9 September 2011. Please accept, Madam/Sir, the assurances of my highest consideration. PROVISIONAL AGENDA SBSTTA-15 Meeting, Montréal, Canada 7 to 11 November 2011 1. Opening of the meeting. 2. Election of officers, adoption of the agenda and organization of work. 3. Scientific and technical issues of relevance to the implementation of, reporting on, and follow-up to, the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011 - 2020: 3.1 Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011 – 2020: Updated technical rationale, suggested milestones and indicators; 3.2 Ways and means to support ecosystem restoration; 3.3 Capacity-building strategy for the Global Taxonomy Initiative. 4. Matters arising from other decisions adopted at the tenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties: 4.1 Invasive alien species: proposals on ways and means to address gaps in international standards regarding invasive alien species introduced as pets, aquarium and terrarium species, as live bait and live food; 4.2 Inland water biodiversity: Implications of changes in the water cycle, and freshwater resources in the implementation of the programmes of work; 4.3 Sustainable use of biodiversity; 4.4 Arctic biodiversity. 5. Ways and means to improve the effectiveness of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice. 6. Draft provisional agenda, and dates and venue for the sixteenth meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice. 7. Adoption of the report and closure of the meeting.

Executive Secretary

To: CBD National Focal Points, SBSTTA Focal Points