Notification 2015-104

Dear Madam/Sir, I am writing to update Parties on progress with respect to the Global Partnership for Business and Biodiversity and several upcoming related events. I am pleased to inform Parties that our work in developing the Global Partnership (in response to decisions X/21/3a and XI/7/5a) has been progressing well and that we currently have 21 members with a number of other countries developing initiatives. New members to the Partnership have included National Initiatives from China, Poland, and Australia, as well as the Association of South-East Asian Nations, as a regional initiative. The Partnership is becoming an increasingly important vehicle for Parties to engage with the business community. The twelfth meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP) to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) called for the Partnership to assist with the implementation of certain COP decisions such as those on business reporting (decisions XII/10/1b and 3b), supporting capacity building for businesses in this area (decision XII/10/3c), and creating the business case for the Aichi Biodiversity Targets (decision XII/10/3d). In order to support the ongoing development of the Global Partnership and further the awareness and participation by businesses in the implementation of the objectives of the Convention and the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020, several regional and global level meetings are being co-organized by the CBD Secretariat in the latter part of 2015. These meetings are designed to raise awareness amongst the business community, build networks and capacity amongst key partners and stakeholders, and help to increase the membership and level of activities of the various component initiatives of the Global Partnership: a. CBD Business and Biodiversity Regional Meeting (Latin America): Curitiba, Brazil, 22-24 September 2015 In conjunction with the upcoming VIII Brazilian Congress on Protected Areas to be held on 21-25 September 2015 in Curitiba, Brazil, the CBD Secretariat, in collaboration with the Brazilian Business and Biodiversity Platform and the Boticario Foundation, will be hosting a series of business and biodiversity related meetings. The themes for these meetings include a discussion on natural capital, an investigation of the Aichi Biodiversity Targets and their relation to various business sectors, and finally a discussion amongst the regional initiatives in Latin America of the Global Partnership regarding future directions and ways to enhance collaboration. More information on the Congress can be found at: http://www.fundacaogrupoboticario.org.br/cbuc. b. Pan African Business and Biodiversity Forum: Accra, Ghana, 9-10 October 2015 To help advance a development strategy that values natural capital in Africa, the Pan-African Business and Biodiversity Forum will initiate dialogues in four thematic areas: extractive industries, sustainable agriculture, energy-nature nexus, and natural capital accounting. Furthermore, the Forum will promote intra- and inter-sectoral collaborations among key stakeholders, such as companies, government, civil society, the financial sector, and development institutions. A road map for the establishment of National and Sub-regional Business and Biodiversity Networks will also be launched at the Forum. These Networks will inform frameworks for multi-sectoral collaborations, building on existing partnerships at national, regional and international level. The Forum is being organized by BirdLife International in conjunction with the CBD Secretariat, and a number of other key partners. Additional information can be found at: http://www.panbbf.org/. c. CBD 2015 Business Forum: Helsinki, Finland, 11-12 November 2015 This meeting is a continuation of the series of global meetings held by the CBD since COP 10. More information about these past meetings is available at: https://www.cbd.int/business/meetings-events/bm.shtml. The 2015 CBD Business Forum will feature discussions on natural capital, sector specific seminars on extractives (oil and mining) and production (forestry and agriculture), a session on procurement and supply chains, a panel on finance and biodiversity, and several sessions on the way forward. In addition, there will also be a working session for the members of the Global Partnership for Business and Biodiversity, as well as two technical workshops on commodities and reporting to be held following the conclusion of the Forum. The 2015 edition of the CBD Business Forum is being organized in collaboration with the Finnish Ministry of the Environment and with the FIBS Corporate Responsibility Network. For more information about this meeting, please refer to: https://www.cbd.int/business/bc/2015forum.shtml or http://www.ym.fi/BBDF2015. In this connection, the Secretariat would welcome appropriate participation of experts from your Government at these events in order to include your input into these important discussions and to provide you with an opportunity to learn more about the Global Partnership for Business and Biodiversity and other activities involving the business sector. Any inquiries with regard to these events should be communicated to the Secretariat at secretariat@cbd.int with a copy to david.steuerman@cbd.int. Please accept, Madam/Sir, the assurances of my highest consideration.

Executive Secretary

To: CBD National Focal Points