Notification 2020-047

Dear Madam/Sir, Through this notification, I wish to update Parties on the High-level Political Forum (HLPF) scheduled to take place virtually from 7 to 17 July 2020. This year’s theme - “Accelerated action and transformative pathways: realizing the decade of action and delivery for sustainable development” - presents an important opportunity to highlight, among other issues, developments on the post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework, focusing on the role of biodiversity and healthy ecosystems in the context of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. In the light of the global COVID-19 pandemic, the Forum also offers a timely opportunity to demonstrate how biodiversity is at the core of the “building back better” vision, with attention to needed structural changes in our current consumption and production patterns so as to reset humanity’s relationship with nature. This year’s programme is based on the Political Declaration adopted at the SDG Summit in September 2019 (A/RES/74/4 (https://undocs.org/A/RES/74/4)), the theme of the HLPF (GA decision A/DEC/74/508 (https://digitallibrary.un.org/record/3836084?ln=en)), and inspired by the Global Sustainable Development Report, also launched in September 2019. The set of Goals to be reviewed in 2020 are SDGs most closely associated with the following six official thematic sessions: Protecting and advancing human wellbeing and ending poverty; Ending hunger and achieving food security; Responding to the economic shocks, relaunching growth, sharing economic benefits and addressing developing countries’ financing challenges; Protecting the planet and building resilience; Sustaining efforts to ensure access to sustainable energy; and Bolstering local action to control the pandemic and accelerate implementation. These sessions will examine synergies and trade-offs across SDGs. The Secretariat is co-convening with UNDESA, UNEP and UNDRR, the session on “Protecting the planet and building resilience”, scheduled for 8 July, from 2-3 pm. Further details are available in Annex 1. A number of countries will also be presenting their Voluntary National Reviews (VNRs) this year. A full list is provided in Annex 2. I invite your Government to use the opportunity of the official thematic sessions and, where appropriate their VNRs, to highlight the specific role of biodiversity and ecosystems in sustainable development in your country, especially any national strategy or action plan that has been created to ensure the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity, and its contribution to the 2030 Agenda and SDG implementation. To assist Parties to the Convention in reflecting biodiversity in their VNRs, you may recall that the Secretariat has prepared biodiversity-specific guidance for VNRs, as a supplement to the UN Secretary General’s updated Common Voluntary Reporting Guidelines for VNRs. The Biodiversity Guidance for Voluntary National Reviews (https://www.cbd.int/doc/c/23a5/bb2d/356e3d8e6df1c1a993b406b3/cop-14-inf-26-en.pdf) was presented as an information note during COP 14. Further to paragraph 14 and paragraph 103 of decision XIII/3, the Secretariat is also organizing a suite of webinars and side events, in collaboration with partner organizations, including a pre-HLPF webinar with UNDESA and other UN agencies on 6 July, from 12-2 pm EST, on SDG targets with end date in 2020, and an official side event on 14 July, from 1-2 pm EST, on urgent action on biodiversity for sustainable development, focusing on the Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework, specifically on how biodiversity contributes to planetary and human health. You are welcome to register and join these events. The list of events with direct engagement of the Secretariat, which Parties may be interested to follow, is presented in Annex 1. For some events, registration is noted in the annex, in other cases we encourage you to follow the event via https://www.un.org/webcast/schedule/latest.html. I continue to count on the active engagement of your country in these processes to ensure positive outcomes for the Convention through the HLPF. Please accept, Madam/Sir, the assurances of my highest consideration.

Executive Secretary

To: CBD National Focal Points, Cartagena Protocol Focal Points, and ABS Focal Points