Notification 2020-075

Dear Madam/Sir, The procedures and mechanisms on compliance under the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety (BS I/7, Annex (https://www.cbd.int/decision/mop/?id=8289)) and the Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and the Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits Arising from their Utilization (NP-I/4, Annex (https://www.cbd.int/decision/np-mop/?id=13404)) provide that members of the Compliance Committee established under the respective Protocols are elected by the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the respective Protocol (COP-MOP) to serve for a term of four years. The rules of procedure for the respective Committees determine that a term commences on 1 January of the calendar year following a member’s election and ends on 31 December four years later (BS-II/1, Annex (https://www.cbd.int/decision/mop/?id=10779); NP-2/3, Annex (https://www.cbd.int/doc/decisions/np-mop-02/np-mop-02-dec-03-en.pdf)). Terms are staggered to avoid that the terms of all members of the respective Committees expire at the same time. The terms of ten members of the Compliance Committee under the Cartagena Protocol and five members of the Compliance Committee under the Nagoya Protocol end on 31 December 2020. Due to the ongoing global pandemic, the meetings of the COP-MOP to the Cartagena Protocol and to the Nagoya Protocol have been postponed and will not be held in 2020 as originally foreseen. Consequently, no election of members of the respective Compliance Committees will take place before the expiry of their terms. In this light, and following consultation with the COP Bureau, the terms of those members listed in the attached annex will be extended until 31 December 2021 in order to enable the Compliance Committees to continue their functions. Please accept, Madam/Sir, the assurances of my highest consideration.

Executive Secretary

To: CBD National Focal Points, Cartagena Protocol Focal Points, Nagoya Protocol Focal Points, indigenous peoples and local communities, relevant organizations and members of the Compliance Committees under the Cartagena and Nagoya Protocols