Notification 2021-005

Dear Madam/Sir, Further to notification 2020-065 (https://www.cbd.int/doc/notifications/2020/ntf-2020-065-sbstta-sbi-en.pdf) issued on 24 August 2020, I am pleased to update you on the arrangements for the twenty-fourth meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice (SBSTTA 24) and the third meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Implementation (SBI 3). This notification supersedes the notification issued on 4 January which is withdrawn. It is envisaged that the formal meetings of these bodies, originally scheduled for May 2020 but postponed due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, will be held later this year. Further information in this regard will be provided in due course, following further consultations through the respective Bureaus. However, in order to maintain momentum in the preparation for the fifteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP 15) and related meetings, including important work related to the development of the post-2020 global biodiversity framework, informal sessions of SBSTTA and SBI will be convened virtually, as follows: • Informal session in preparation for SBSTTA 24: 17-19 February and 24-26 February; • Informal session in preparation for SBI 3: 8-12 March and 14 March. The informal sessions will be held for three hours each day, from 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m., Montreal time, and interpretation will be provided in all UN languages. Please note that the schedule of the informal sessions has been determined taking into account that the fifth session of the UN Environment Assembly will take place virtually on 22-23 February 2021, and the nineteenth session of the Committee for the Review of the Implementation of the Convention to the UNCCD will be held also virtually on 15 19 March 2021. The informal sessions will provide opportunities for statements by Parties and observers on the issues on the agenda of the respective meetings, thereby facilitating the subsequent formal meetings of the two bodies. However, no decisions or formal recommendations will be made at the informal sessions. The provisional agendas and documents for SBSTTA 24 and SBI 3 are available on the respective meeting webpages at: https://www.cbd.int/doc/?meeting=SBSTTA-24 and https://www.cbd.int/doc/?meeting=SBI-03. Further information, including the programme, will be available on the webpage for the informal sessions, which will be accessible via the above links. The Secretariat will be updating this webpage as new information becomes available, including the platform and connection details for the sessions, and other background documentation. As per the practice for formal meetings of the subsidiary bodies, the designation of representatives to participate in the above informal sessions should be addressed to the CBD Executive Secretary through an official letter of nomination, to be sent by e-mail to secretariat@cbd.int or by fax at +1 514-288-6588, as soon as possible but no later than 1 February 2021. Early registration is encouraged. In order to ensure the security of the meetings and proper identification of those speaking on behalf of delegations, delegations need to designate their speaker(s) well in advance of the start of each session. Taking into account the technical limitations of the platform, the number of participants designated as speakers for each of the informal sessions of SBSTTA and SBI will be limited, as follows: • Parties and other Governments - will be assigned four (4) microphones each (Parties should contact the Secretariat if the need for additional speakers is foreseen); • UN organizations and IGOs - will be assigned two (2) microphones each; • All other delegations - will be assigned one (1) microphone each. Accordingly, when preparing the nomination letter to participate in the informal sessions, delegations should specify their designated speakers. The designated speakers will receive a unique link before the scheduled event. Kindly, therefore, ensure to provide a unique e-mail address for each designated speaker. I look forward to the active participation of all Parties and observers in these important sessions. Please accept, Madam/Sir, the assurances of my highest consideration.

Executive Secretary

To: CBD National Focal Points, SBSTTA Focal Points, indigenous peoples and local communities and relevant organizations, Cartagena Protocol Focal Points, ABS Focal Points