Notification 2012-039

Dear Madam/Sir, In paragraph 7a of decision X/31 on protected areas, the Conference of the Parties (COP) to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) requested the Executive Secretary to continue to hold regional and sub-regional capacity-building workshops, with special attention to element 2 on governance, participation, equity and benefit-sharing of the programme of work on protected areas (PoWPA), and other identified priorities with specific timetables for planning and funding, developing cooperation with regional and sub-regional convention agreements, the IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas, technical networks, and other partners. Accordingly, the Secretariat, with the generous financial assistance of the European Union, is organizing a Sub-Regional Workshop for the Caribbean on Capacity Building for Implementation of the CBD Programme of Work on Protected Areas to be held from 1 to 5 April 2012 in Christ Church, Barbados in collaboration with the Government of Barbados and the PoWPA Friends Consortium. The objective of the workshop is to build capacity to (i) create national action plans for implementation of the PoWPA, (ii) access funding based on these action plans, and (iii) strengthen implementation of the PoWPA on the themes of governance, climate change (including integrating protected areas into the wider land and seascape), and valuation of the costs and benefits of protected areas, with a focus on marine protected areas where applicable. The provisional agenda is attached and other meeting documents will soon be available on the CBD website (http://www.cbd.int/doc/?meeting=WSCBPA-CAR-01). I am pleased to invite CBD primary focal points of Parties of the sub-region to nominate one representative at the earliest convenience, but no later than 20 March 2012, to participate in the workshop. The Secretariat will be in a position to finance the participation of one representative from each eligible Party. Parties are requested to nominate representatives using the following criteria: - The country representative should be involved in the implementation of the PoWPA; and - After the workshop, the representative should be in a position to translate the knowledge gained into concrete actions. In the weeks leading up to the workshop, the participants will be expected to spend approximately 5 hours per week participating in online courses guided by mentors (http://www.cbd.int/protected/e-learning/) on key themes of the PoWPA such as climate change and protected areas. The capacity gained can be shared with staff in country who may also take these modules. Unless the nominee is the current PoWPA Focal Point, nominations must include full contact details and be accompanied by curriculum vitae clearly indicating the areas of expertise of the nominee. CBD primary focal points should provide the name and contact details of their nominee via official signed letter addressed to the Executive Secretary by the deadline (faxed to +1 (514) 288-6588, or scanned and attached to an email addressed to secretariat@cbd.int). Please note that the workshop will be held in English. I look forward to receiving your nominations and I thank you in advance for your cooperation and for your continued support for the work of the Convention. Please accept, Madam/Sir, the assurances of my highest consideration.

Executive Secretary

To: CBD Focal Points with copy to CBD PoWPA focal points in the Caribbean: Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, Haiti, Jamaica, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and Trinidad and Tobago