Notification 2014-055

Dear Madam/Sir, In its decision XI/1D, paragraph 1, the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) requested the Executive Secretary, in collaboration with relevant organizations and subject to the availability of financial resources, to continue organizing capacity-building and development activities to support the ratification, early entry into force and implementation of the Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and the Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits Arising from their Utilization. I am pleased to inform you that, with funding support from the Governments of Japan and the Republic of Korea, as well as the European Union, the CBD Secretariat is organizing, in collaboration with the Government of United Arab Emirates, a sub-regional capacity-building workshop on the Nagoya Protocol for West Asia and North Africa to be held in Dubai, United Arab Emirates from 1 to 5 June 2014. The objective of the workshop is to promote further understanding of the core provisions of the Protocol and strengthen the capacity of countries to ratify/accede to the Protocol and prepare for its effective implementation, with a view to contributing to the achievement of Aichi Biodiversity Target 16, i.e. to have the Nagoya Protocol in force and operational, consistent with national legislation, by 2015. The workshop will build on the outcomes of previous ABS workshops organized in the sub-region and will include a one-day training session on the pilot phase of the Access and Benefit-sharing Clearing-House. Accordingly, I have the pleasure to invite your Government to nominate one representative, who is directly involved in national processes for the ratification and implementation of the Nagoya Protocol, to take part in the 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 or a senior government official, along with the attached registration form duly completed. The nomination letter and the registration form should be submitted as soon as possible, but no later than 27 April 2014, either by e-mail to secretariat@cbd.int or by fax to +1 514 288 6588. Subject to the availability of funds, the Secretariat will support the participation of one representative from each eligible Party. This will include an economy ticket to the workshop and daily subsistence allowance (DSA) for the duration of the workshop. Further details regarding the workshop, including the agenda and other documents, will be made available in due course on the workshop website (http://www.cbd.int/doc/?meeting=ABSWS-2014-05). The workshop will be held in English and Arabic. Please accept, Madam/Sir, the assurances of my highest consideration.

Executive Secretary

To: National Focal Points of Afghanistan, Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, Turkey, United Arab Emirates and Yemen