Notification 2017-066

Dear Madam/Sir, Pursuant to paragraph 35 of decision X/31, the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity encouraged Parties to share and update relevant information on their protected areas system with the World Database on Protected Areas, which includes the United Nations List of Protected Areas. In paragraph 19 (a) of the same decision and in paragraph 5 (c) of decision XIII/2, the Conference of the Parties encouraged Parties to expand, institutionalize, and undertake more systematic assessments of management effectiveness within their protected areas system, as well as to update and share the relevant information on management effectiveness in the Global Database on Protected Areas Management Effectiveness (GD-PAME). Protected areas’ management effectiveness information and assessment results compiled in the GD-PAME by the UN Environment –World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC) are used for reporting to the Convention on Biological Diversity and the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services. This information will be used, among others, to publish the first Supplement to the United Nations List of Protected Areas focused on Management Effectiveness in 2018. The Supplement to the United Nations List of Protected Areas focused on Management Effectiveness, being currently prepared in collaboration between the International Union for Conservation of Nature, UN Environment, the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity and UNEP-WCMC, will be a key source document that will track progress of how well managed protected areas are over time, in order to ensure that protected areas are protecting the values of biodiversity and ecosystem services, and achieving the goals and objectives they have been established for. The publication of this first Supplement to the United Nations List of Protected Areas will be launched at the fourteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention to be held, in Egypt, in 2018. To further facilitate the preparation of the report, Parties and other governments are invited to review the information that will be provided directly to them by UNEP-WCMC, which represents the current data holdings for each country. Parties are then asked to submit an official and up-to-date version of their records for integration in the GD-PAME. UNEP-WCMC will endeavour to provide support for the submissions subject to the availability of resources. The updated information should be submitted directly to UNEP-WCMC, via e-mail at: protectedareas@unep-wcmc.org, with a copy to the Convention on Biological Diversity at: secretariat@cbd.int, at the latest by 15 October 2017. The information provided will not only be used to update the GD-PAME and to publish the Supplement of the United Nations List of Protected Areas, but also the Protected Planet Report 2018. I thank you for your cooperation and continued support to the Convention, as well as your contributions towards the achievement of as many elements of Target 11 by 2020. Please accept, Madam/Sir, the assurances of my highest consideration.

Executive Secretary

To: CBD National Focal Points, PoWPA Focal Points