Notification 2020-025

Dear Madam/Sir, I have the honour to inform you that, at the invitation of the Government of the People’s Republic of China, the fifteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP 15), the tenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety (COP-MOP 10), and the fourth meeting of the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefit-sharing (COP-MOP 4), will be held concurrently from 15 to 28 October 2020 in Kunming, China. These meetings collectively will be known informally as the “UN Biodiversity Conference 2020”. The provisional agendas of the meetings and its annotations will be made available six months prior to the meetings. Other pre-session documentation will be made available as soon as practicable and, in any case, no later than six weeks prior to the meetings. The pre-session documents and information for participants will be accessible at the respective meetings webpages. Additional information on the organization of the meetings, including its high-level segment, will be made available in due course. Registration (Governments) In accordance with rule 18 of the Rules of Procedure for meetings of the Conference of the Parties, Governments could submit the designation of their representatives to attend COP 15, COP-MOP 10 and/or COP-MOP 4 meetings through an official letter of nomination addressed to the CBD Executive Secretary, providing the names and contact details of their delegation, as well as the title of the meeting or meetings they wish to attend. The letter should be submitted to the Secretariat by e-mail to: secretariat@cbd.int or by fax at +1 514-288-6588, as soon as possible and preferably by 15 September 2020. Information regarding online registration for the meetings will be provided in due course. Early registration is encouraged. Subject to the availability of contributions to the Special Voluntary Trust Fund for Facilitating Participation of Parties in Convention process established by Decision III/24, and in accordance with the interim policy adopted by the Bureau in this regard, the Secretariat expects to be in a position to finance the participation of one representative for the three meetings from each eligible country Party, i.e. developing countries Parties to the Convention, in particular the least developed countries and small island developing States, as well as Parties with economies in transition. Subject to the availability of additional funds, the Secretariat may be in a position to finance the participation of a second delegate. Eligible Parties to the Convention wishing to solicit such assistance are kindly requested to inform the Secretariat through an official letter of the name(s) and contact information of the designated representative(s) to receive financial support as soon as possible but no later than 15 August 2020. Please note that the Secretariat will be unable to respond positively to requests for financial support after this deadline. Due to the increased security procedures for travellers and budget constraints, and with a view to enable the participation of a maximum number of countries in the meetings, the Secretariat will be using special airfare tickets for sponsored delegates that impose restrictions with respect to the changing of passenger’s name, travel dates and itinerary. Please note, therefore, that it will not be possible for the Secretariat to accommodate name changes after ticket has been issued. Credentials (Governments) I wish to remind Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity, the Cartagena Protocol and the Nagoya Protocol that, in accordance with rule 18 of the Rules of Procedure for meetings of the Conference of the Parties, credentials of representatives and the names of alternate representatives and advisers must be submitted to the Secretariat no later than 24 hours after the opening of the meetings to confirm that the delegates have been duly appointed, authorized and empowered to represent their country at the meetings. The credentials must be signed by the Head of State or Government or by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, except in the case of regional economic integration organization, in which case it should be signed by the competent authority of that organization. You will find attached herewith, for your convenience, a sample format of appropriate credentials. Registration (Organizations) In accordance with rules 6 and 7 of the Rules of Procedure for meetings of the Conference of the Parties, the COP 15, COP-MOP 10 and COP-MOP 4 meetings are open to organizations and agencies, whether governmental or non-governmental, qualified in fields relating to the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity, which have informed the Secretariat of their wish to be represented at the meetings. Registration of representatives from these organizations is subject to the receipt of an official letter addressed to the CBD Executive Secretary, providing the names and contact details of their delegation, as well as the title of the meeting or meetings they wish to attend. The letter should be submitted to the Secretariat by e-mail to: secretariat@cbd.int or by fax at +1 514-288-6588, as soon as possible and preferably by 15 September 2020. Information regarding online registration for the meetings will be provided in due course. Early registration is encouraged. Please accept, Madam/Sir, the assurances of my highest consideration.

Acting Executive Secretary

To: CBD National Focal Points, Cartagena Protocol Focal Points, Nagoya Protocol Focal Points, UN Organizations and Specialized Agencies, IGOs, NGOs, and indigenous people and local communities, and other stakeholders