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WGRI 3 Recommendations

WGRI 3 Recommendation 3/6

3/6.The multi-year programme of work of the Convention for the period 2011-2020 and periodicity of meetings and organization of work of the Conference of the Parties

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

The Ad Hoc Open-ended Working Group on Review of Implementation of the Convention recommends the Conference of the Parties at its tenth meeting adopt a decision along the following lines:
The Conference of the Parties,
Taking into account the priorities defined in the Strategic Plan of the Convention for the period 2012-2020, adopts the following multi-year programme of work for the Conference of the Parties:
(a)The eleventh meeting of the Conference of the Parties will take place in 2012 and address, inter alia, the following issues:
(i)A review of progress by Parties in the implementation of the Strategic Plan of the Convention for the period 2011-2020 and its corresponding goals and targets, including experience in setting or adapting national targets and the corresponding updating of national biodiversity strategies and action plans;
(ii)A review of progress in providing support to assist Parties, especially developing countries, in particular the least developed countries and the small island developing States, as well as countries with economies in transition, in implementing the Convention and the Strategic Plan of the Convention for the period 2011-2020, including, inter alia, resource mobilization, capacity building, stakeholder engagement, communication, education and public awareness and strengthening of the clearing house mechanism;
(iii)The further development of tools and guidance for monitoring implementation of the Strategic Plan of the Convention for the period 2011-2020, including the use of indicators at national, regional and global levels;
(iv)A review of the implementation of the strategy for resource mobilization in support of the achievement of the three objectives of the Convention (decision IX/11 B, annex), focusing on goals 2, 5, 6, 7 and 8;
(v)Cooperation among international biodiversity-related organizations taking into account, inter alia, proposals for: a United Nations Decade on Biodiversity; possible options for cooperation among the Rio conventions[, including the preparation of a possible joint work programme; and the convening of a joint high-level segment or joint extraordinary Conference of the Parties of the three Rio conventions];
(vi)The need for and possible development of additional mechanisms, ways and means, to enhance existing mechanisms such as the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice and the Ad Hoc Open-ended Working Group on the Review of Implementation of the Convention, to strengthen the ability of Parties to meet their commitments under the Convention;
(vii)[The implications of the possible establishment of an international platform on biodiversity and ecosystem services on the work of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice;] 32
(viii)The in-depth review of the programme of work on island biodiversity;
(ix)The identification of ways and means to support ecosystem restoration, including the possible development of practical guidance on ecosystem restoration and related issues;
(x)Other matters arising from the recommendations of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice and the open-ended working groups, 32 including technical issues arising from the implementation of the programmes of work and cross-cutting issues;
(xi)A message from the Conference of the Parties to the 2012 United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development.
(b)The twelfth meeting of the Conference of the Parties could address, inter alia, the following issues:
(i)A review of the updated national biodiversity strategies and action plans;
(ii)A mid-term review of the implementation of the Strategic Plan of the Convention for the period 2011-2020, including the programmes of work, and progress towards the 2020 targets and specific elements of the programmes of work, as well as contributions to the achievement of relevant 2015 targets of the Millennium Development Goals based, inter alia, on the fifth national reports, and the fourth Global Biodiversity Outlook;
(iii)A review of progress in providing support to assist Parties in particular in respect of Article 20, paragraph 2, of the Convention in implementing the Convention and its Strategic Plan for the period 2011-2020, including capacity building and strengthening of the clearing house mechanism;
(iv)A comprehensive review of implementation of its strategy for resource mobilization, including its targets and indicators (decision IX/11 B, annex);
(v)A review of progress in providing support to developing countries, in particular the least developed countries and the small island developing States, as well as countries with economies in transition pursuant to Article 20, paragraph 2 of the Convention, in implementing the objectives of the Convention;
(vi)The further development of tools and guidance to assist implementation of the Convention and the Strategic Plan of the Convention for the period 2011-2020;
(vii)Further consideration of how the implementation of the Convention has supported and has contributed to, and will continue to contribute to, the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals;
(viii)Liability and redress (decision IX/23, paragraph 4);
(ix)Other matters arising from the recommendations of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice and the open-ended working groups, 33 including technical issues arising from the implementation of the programmes of work and cross-cutting issues;
(x)Update of this multi-year programme of work to 2020;
(c)The Conference of the Parties will keep under review the periodicity of its meetings beyond 2014 and will decide the timing of its meetings until 2020 at its [eleventh][twelfth] meeting, taking into account:
(i)The Strategic Plan of the Convention and the multi-year programme of work for the period 2011-2020, and other relevant meetings and processes;
(ii)The relationship between the periodicity of the meetings of the Conference of the Parties, and the operations of its subsidiary and other inter-sessional-bodies, including the ad hoc open ended working groups;
(iii)That the periodicity of the meetings of the Conference of the Parties also has implications for the meetings of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Cartagena Protocol and its decision making;
(iv)That financial considerations, while relevant, should not be the predominant factor driving decisions related to the multi-year programme of work and periodicity of meetings of the Conference of the Parties and its subsidiary bodies;
(v)The fifth national reports;
(d)At a meeting in 2020, the Conference of the Parties will conduct a review of the implementation of the Convention and its Strategic Plan for the period 2011-2020, including the programmes of work of the Convention as identified by the Conference of the Parties, and make an assessment of progress in the achievement of the 2020 targets, based, inter alia, on the sixth national reports;
(e)The meetings of the Conference of the Parties will continue to address standing items consistent with earlier decisions. In addition, some flexibility in the multi-year programme of work is retained in order to accommodate urgent emerging issues.

II.REQUEST TO THE EXECUTIVE SECRETARY

The Ad Hoc Open-ended Working Group on Review of Implementation of the Convention requests the Executive Secretary:
(a)To provide a comprehensive review of options for the future periodicity of meetings and organization of work of the Conference of the Parties, building upon the note by the Executive Secretary on periodicity of meetings and organization of work of the Conference of the Parties (UNEP/CBD/WG-RI/3/11) and taking into account the factors mentioned in paragraph (c) above;
(b)To prepare a document noting all activities expected that Parties are requested to carry out, including an update of their national biodiversity strategies and action plans and preparation of national reports, to assist Parties in planning their work and in seeking assistance for them.

32 This will be considered at the tenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties in light of the outcomes of the third intergovernmental and multi-stakeholder meeting on a intergovernmental science-policy platform on biodiversity and ecosystem services (IPBES) to be held from 7 to 10 June 2010 in the Republic of Korea.
33 The Working Group on the Review of Implementation, the Working Group on Article 8(j) and Related Provisions, and the Working Group on Access and Benefit-sharing (or another body that might be established at the tenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties in light of the negotiations on an international regime on access and benefit sharing).