Notification 2016-035

Dear Madam/Sir, I am pleased to inform you that, with the generous support of the Government of Japan and of the program Equitable and sustainable promotion of the economic potential of biodiversity to implement the Nagoya Protocol in Central America – Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS/CCAD-GIZ) implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), in collaboration with the Government of Panama, the Indigenous Women Biodiversity Network of Latin America and the Caribbean (IWBN-LAC) and Sotzil Association, is organizing a regional training workshop for the Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) region, which will be held in Panama City, Panama, from 23 to 27 May 2016. The aim of the training workshop is to train trainers from indigenous peoples and local ccommunity (IPLC) organizations and Parties from the LAC countries in: (i) Development of community protocols on traditional knowledge (TK) including traditional knowledge associated with genetic resources under the Nagoya Protocol; (ii) Operationalising indicators on TK and customary sustainable use (CSU) including through Community-Based Monitoring and Information Systems (CBMIS); and (iii) Implementation of the global Plan of Action on Customary Sustainable Use. The training programme and workshop will assist in familiarizing trainers with training materials and in organizing their own national or local capacity-building workshops on these thematic issues, in line with the implementation of the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020, particularly Targets 16 and 18. The training workshop will be conducted in Spanish and is dedicated only to Spanish speaking countries in the LAC region. I am therefore pleased to invite interested Parties, in particular Parties that have nominated national focal points for traditional knowledge, and IPLCs of the LAC region to nominate representatives based on the following criteria: (i) Their expertise on traditional knowledge and related issues; and (ii) Their ability to conduct further trainings at the regional, national, subnational or local levels on community-based monitoring and indicators on traditional knowledge and customary sustainable use, and on community protocols on TK, including TK associated with genetic resources under the Nagoya Protocol. Nominations should take the form of an official letter addressed to the Executive Secretary, by e mail at: secretariat@cbd.int, or by fax at: +1 (514) 288-6588, and must contain full contact details of the nominee, along with a curriculum vitae clearly indicating the relevant areas of expertise and the attached form duly completed. Nominations should be submitted no later than 3 April 2016. Subject to the availability of funds, the Secretariat will select the participants on the basis of regional balance, gender equity, relevant expertise, and ability to offer trainings to build the capacity of indigenous and local communities at national, sub-national and/or local levels and to develop local training materials in the above-mentioned topics. The list of selected participants will be posted on the CBD website (http://www.cbd.int/meetings/) once the selection is completed. Selected participants will be contacted directly by the Secretariat. Please accept, Madam/Sir, the assurances of my highest consideration.

Executive Secretary

To: CBD, NP and TK Focal Points, indigenous peoples and local community organizations and relevant LAC international organizations