Notification 2014-092

Dear Madam/Sir, I have the pleasure to announce that the Secretariat is organizing, in collaboration with United Nations Environment Programme- World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC), an Inter-regional capacity-building workshop on REDD+ and Aichi Biodiversity Targets to be held from 29 to 31 August in San José, Costa Rica. The workshop will provide simultaneous English/Spanish/French interpretation. Meeting documents will be posted on the Convention on Biological Diversity’s (CBD) website at http://www.cbd.int/doc/?meeting=FBWS-2014-01 in due course. The workshop will be based on increasing awareness of the potential overlaps between REDD+ actions and actions needed to plan for and achieve the Aichi Biodiversity Targets (including goals outlined in National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs)) in order to support more coherent planning, action and reporting. The aims of the workshop are to support Parties in: (a) Increasing coordination between REDD+ and CBD focal points through a sharing of experiences and knowledge through case study presentations, practical exercises and break-out discussions; (b) Integrating recognition of REDD+ actions into updated NBSAPs and mainstreaming into broader national policies, plans and programmes; and © Demonstrating the appropriate data gathering processes (such as spatial information), assessments, policies, and other planning tools for implementing a coherent approach to REDD+ and NBSAP actions. These capacity-building activities respond to requests from the Conference of the Parties (COP) to the Executive Secretary, namely, paragraph 16 (a) of decision XI/19. This workshop is being undertaken with the generous support of the Government of Japan. I am pleased to invite your Government to nominate two country-designated experts (each having either national experience in implementing the CBD or REDD+) to participate in the workshop, as soon as possible but not later than 30 July 2014. The nomination should be in the form of an official letter addressed to the Executive Secretary and signed by the national focal point, sent by fax to +1 (514) 288-6588 or e-mail to secretariat@cbd.int, and should include the two nominees’ full contact details, as well as a curriculum vitae clearly indicating their areas of expertise. Parties are requested to use the following criteria when submitting their nominations: (a) The CBD representative should be familiar with and capable of reporting on the current status of NBSAPs in-country, as well as achieving the area-based Aichi Biodiversity Targets (5, 11 and 15), providing an assessment of needs, and liaising with key partners to facilitate support for follow up actions; and (b) The REDD+ representative should be familiar with the development of the REDD+ process in-country, and have been involved in the preparation and design of the country’s REDD+ strategy and any associated implementation actions (e.g. safeguard development). © Both the CBD and REDD+ representatives must be in a position to translate the knowledge gained into concrete actions; and (d) Representatives with experience in land-use/spatial planning would be desirable. Please note that participation is subject to the availability of funds for a limited number of participants. In the weeks leading up to the workshop, the two representatives will be provided with pre-work questions and asked to submit information and a case study on the status of restoration and conservation activities in their countries in the context of the Aichi Biodiversity Targets and REDD+. I look forward to receiving your nominations and I thank you for your cooperation and continued support for the work of the Convention. Please accept, Madam/Sir, the assurances of my highest consideration.

Executive Secretary

To: CBD and UNFCCC National Focal Points: Bhutan, Cameroon, Colombia, Costa Rica, Côte d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ecuador, Ghana, Indonesia, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Republic of Congo, Tanzania, Uganda, Viet Nam