Notification 2017-097

Dear Madam/Sir, I am pleased to inform you that the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity is organizing a series of Regional Bio-Bridge Initiative Round Tables with the generous funding from the Republic of Korea, as part of its overall support for the Bio-Bridge Initiative. The objective of the round tables is to raise awareness of the Bio-Bridge Initiative and facilitate interaction and matchmaking between Parties requiring technical assistance and Parties and/or organizations that could provide such assistance. The round tables will also allow participants to identify opportunities for upscaling Bio-Bridge Initiative projects by leveraging additional support from relevant initiatives and mechanisms. As you may recall, the Bio-Bridge Initiative was established by the Government of the Republic of Korea at the twelfth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention in 2014 to enhance technical and scientific cooperation and technology transfer for the effective implementation of the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020 and the achievement of the Aichi Biodiversity Targets. The regional round tables are to be held as follows: a. Regional Bio-Bridge Initiative Round Table for Asia and the Pacific, 16-19 October 2017, Incheon, Republic of Korea (http://www.cbd.int/doc/?meeting=tscws-2017-01); b. Regional Bio-Bridge Initiative Round Table for Africa, 7-9 November 2017 in Kampala, Uganda; c. Regional Bio-Bridge Initiative Round Table for Latin America and the Caribbean, 27 29 November 2017, Bogota, Colombia; and d. Regional Bio-Bridge Initiative Round Table for Central and Eastern Europe, 5-7 December 2017 in Minsk, Belarus. Accordingly, I am pleased to invite relevant organizations to participate in the round tables and to share information about their activities, experiences and lessons learned with respect to biodiversity-related technical and scientific cooperation and technology transfer, as well as information regarding potential technical support that can be offer to countries requiring assistance. Nominations of representatives to any of the above round tables should be submitted to the Secretariat via e-mail at secretariat@cbd.int or faxed to + 1 514 288 6588 as soon as possible but no later than 20 October 2017. Please accept, Madam/Sir, the assurances of my highest consideration.

Executive Secretary

To: Relevant organizations