Notification 2011-217

Dear Madam/Sir, In adopting the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity (2011-2010), the tenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties in its decision X/2 requested countries to revise/update their National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs) in line the framework of the Strategic Plan. To facilitate this, the Secretariat organized, in 2011 and with the generous support of the Government of Japan, a series of regional and sub-regional workshops for revising and updating NBSAPs. Further information on these workshops can be found at: http://www.cbd.int/nbsap/workshops2.shtml In further support of this process and to facilitate the identification of national targets and their integration into revised/updated national biodiversity strategies and action plans, I am pleased to inform you that, thanks to the continuing financial support provided by Japan and other donors, a follow-up regional workshop for Africa will be held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, from 27 - 29 February 2012. The workshop is organized by the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity (SCBD), in collaboration with the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA). The purpose of the workshop is to address various issues that countries in the region may have encountered or will encounter while updating their NBSAPs, with a focus on target setting, stakeholder engagement and the development of country-specific plans for mobilizing financial resources for the implementation of NBSAPs. Further information is available at: http://www.cbd.int/nbsap/workshops2.shtml Please note that the workshop will be held in English and French (with simultaneous interpretation). In light of the above, I am pleased to invite you to nominate a representative of your Government to participate in this workshop. The nomination should be in the form of an official letter addressed to the CBD Executive Secretary signed by the CBD National Focal Point (NFP), or a senior government official, and should contain the nominee’s name and full contact information, including email addresses. This letter can either be scanned and emailed to secretariat@cbd.int or faxed to the Secretariat at +1 514 288 6588, no later than 31 December 2011. Parties are requested to use the following criteria while submitting their nomination: The country representatives should be involved in the development, implementation and updating of the NBSAP; and after the workshop, the representatives should be in a position to translate the knowledge and capacities gained into concrete actions for updating and implementation of the NBSAP. Upon receipt of nominations, further information on travel and hotel arrangements will be duly communicated. We look forward to receiving your early nominations. Please accept, Madam/Sir, the assurances of my highest consideration.

Executive Secretary

To: CBD National Focal Points of the following countries: Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Côte d'Ivoire, Comoros, Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Seychelles, Somalia, South Africa, Sierra Leone, Sao Tome and Principe, Sudan, Swaziland, Togo, The Uganda, United Republic of Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Relevant organizations.