Notification 2023-044

Dear Madam/Sir, In decision 15/27, the Conference of the Parties (COP) to the Convention on Biological Diversity requested the Executive Secretary to organize a peer-review process on annexes I to VI to this decision, which contains draft guidance, advice, and a compilation of information on various matters related to invasive alien species. Pursuant to this request, the Secretariat issued notification 2023-017. In the same decision (paragraph 2), the COP also requested the Secretariat to convene a moderated Open-ended Online Forum on the results of the peer-review process and to make the outcomes available for consideration by the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice, with a view to making recommendations to the COP at its sixteenth meeting. In response to this request, the Secretariat is convening an Open-Ended Online Forum from 12 to 19 May 2023 to facilitate the exchange of views on the annexes, revised based on the results of the peer-review process. The Online Forum would also provide opportunities for discussion on the alignment and relevance of the annexes towards the implementation of target 6 of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. With the above background, I would like to invite Parties, other Governments, indigenous peoples and local communities, and relevant organizations to nominate experts to participate in this Open-Ended Online Forum. Nominations of experts should be sent through an official letter signed by the National Focal Points of the Convention on Biological Diversity, or Heads of organizations, as appropriate, via e-mail to secretariat@cbd.int, clearly indicating the names and the contact details of each nominee and a brief description of their relevant expertise and experience in the field of invasive alien species. Nominations of experts to the Open-ended Online Forum must be received no later than 10 May 2023. The selected participants will be subsequently contacted by the Secretariat to facilitate their participation in the Open-ended Online Forum. The Online Forum will be accessible through the following link https://www.cbd.int/invasive/community/forum-2023/ in due course. Please accept, Madam/Sir, the assurances of my highest consideration.

Acting Executive Secretary

To: CBD Focal Points, SBSTTA Focal Points, indigenous peoples and local communities and relevant organizations