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WGRI 3 Recommendation 3/7

3/7.National reporting: review of experience and proposals for the fifth national report

The Ad Hoc Open-ended Working Group on Review of Implementation of the Convention,

I.GENERAL

Taking note of the review of experiences and lessons learned from the fourth national reporting under the Convention contained in the present note,
Welcoming the capacity-building activities undertaken by the Executive Secretary to facilitate the preparation and submission of the fourth national reports,
Also welcoming the financial support provided by the Global Environment Facility to assist countries in the preparation of their fourth national report,
Emphasizing that timely provision of financial support to eligible countries by the Global Environment Facility and its implementing agencies is essential for timely preparation and submission of national reports,
Noting the need to continue to improve the guidelines for the fifth and future national reports based on the review contained in this note,
Recalling decision VIII/14, paragraph 2, and underlining the need to reduce overall reporting burdens on Parties, taking into account reporting obligations under other Conventions, and other relevant processes,
1.Takes note of the draft guidelines for the fifth national report prepared by the Executive Secretary (UNEP/CBD/WG-RI/3/6/Add.1);
2.Requests the Executive Secretary to further develop the draft guidelines for the fifth national report taking into consideration views expressed at the third meeting of the Working Group on Review of Implementation, as well as further views submitted by Parties and observers before 30 June 2010, and to submit the revised guidelines for consideration and adoption by the Conference of the Parties at its tenth meeting;

II.RECOMMENDATION FOR THE CONSIDERATION OF THE CONFERENCE OF THE PARTIES

3.Recommends that the Conference of the Parties at its tenth meeting adopt a decision along the following lines:
The Conference of the Parties,
Re-emphasizing that national reporting is the obligation for all Parties under Article 26 of the Convention, and that timely submission of national reports by all Parties is essential for reviewing the implementation of the Convention as required in Article 23,
1.Decides that all Parties should submit their fifth national report by 31 March 2014;
2.Encourages all Parties to prioritize the preparation of the fifth national report to enable its submission by the deadline established in paragraph 1 above, irrespective of the status of submission of reports requested at previous meetings of the Conference of the Parties;
3.Requests those Parties that expect difficulty in meeting the deadline in paragraph 1 above to initiate the preparation of the report as early as possible to ensure that the report shall be submitted by the deadline;
4.Decides that the fifth national report should:
(a)Focus on the implementation of the updated Strategic Plan of the Convention (2011 2020), and progress toward the 2020 targets, using indicators where possible and feasible;
(b)Include, as appropriate, information concerning contributions of implementation of the updated Strategic Plan towards the achievement of relevant Millennium Development Goals;
(c)Allow countries to provide updates on the revision, updating and implementation of national biodiversity strategies and action plans and similar strategies, plans and programmes;
(d)Provide a concise update on the national status and trends of and threats to biodiversity, using national biodiversity indicators;
(e)Provide an overall assessment of the national implementation of the Convention, and include suggestions for future priorities at the national and international levels;
5.Requests Parties, in preparing their fifth national report, to elaborate on:
(a)Outcomes and impacts of actions taken to implement the Convention at various levels;
(b)Successful experiences and lessons learned from implementation;
(c)Obstacles encountered in implementation;
6.Also requests Parties to provide:
(a)An updated account of information provided in the last national report, to reflect changes that have occurred since then;
(b)More quantitative analysis and synthesis than description of the status of implementation;
7.Decides that the fifth national report will continue to use a narrative format primarily, combined with use of common formats, including tables, suggested charts and questionnaires for statistical analysis, and that the format for the fifth and sixth national reports be consistent to allow for long-term tracking of progress towards the 2020 targets;
8.Requests the Global Environment Facility to provide adequate and timely financial support for the preparation of the fifth and future national reports, and further requests the Global Environment Facility and its implementing agencies to ensure that procedures are in place to ensure an expeditious disbursement of funds;
9.Invites other donors, Governments and multilateral and bilateral agencies to provide financial and technical support to developing countries, particularly the least developed countries and small island developing States amongst them, and countries with economies in transition, for preparing their national reports;
10.Encourages Parties to continue to involve all relevant stakeholders in the process of national reporting and to use the report as a tool for further planning and communication to the public to mobilize additional support for and participation in activities related to implementation of the Convention;
11.Encourages Parties to increase synergies in national reporting to biodiversity-related conventions to ensure that national reports comprehensively reflect the national situation and status of implementation, and to avoid unnecessary reporting burdens;
12.Welcomes the pilot project supported by the Global Environment Facility, and other relevant projects and initiatives, to facilitate harmonized reporting processes and approaches in the least developed countries and small islands developing countries, which may provide important lessons for enhancing reporting capacities of these countries;
13.Requests the Executive Secretary, in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme, the United Nations Environment Programme and other partners, to continue facilitating the provision of support to countries, especially the developing countries, in particular the least developed countries and small island developing States, as well as countries with economies in transition, for the preparation of their fifth national reports.

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