In recommendation XX/9 the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical, and Technological Advice welcomed the Summary for Policymakers of the thematic assessment on pollinators, pollination and food production approved by the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) at its fourth session, in Kuala Lumpur, on 26 February 2016, as well as the full assessment report that was accepted by the Plenary. In the same recommendation the Subsidiary Body requested the Executive Secretary, in cooperation with IPBES and the Food and Agriculture (FAO) Organization of the United Nations to prepare a regional report for Africa on pollinators and pollination, drawing upon the thematic assessment and relevant work under the International Pollinators Initiative, and to make the findings available for peer review prior to the thirteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties.

In response to the request above the Secretariat, in collaboration with IPBES and FAO, has made a draft of the Regional Report for Africa on Pollinators and Pollination and Food Production available for peer review. The report's references are available as a separate document. Review comments should be sent to the Secretariat, using the review template, by e-mail (secretariat@cbd.int) by 13 November 2016 in order for the document to be finalized and made available for consideration during the thirteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity.

Under agenda item 12, COP-13 will consider the short-term action plan (2017-2020) to enhance and support capacity-building for the implementation of the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020 and its Aichi Biodiversity Targets. In its Recommendation 1/5, the Subsidiary Body on Implementation (SBI) took note of a draft prepared by the Secretariat and requested the Executive Secretary, in collaboration with Parties, other Governments and relevant organizations, to further streamline and focus it, and submit a revised draft for consideration by COP-13.

Parties, Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities and relevant organizations are invited to provide comments on the revised short-term action plan as soon as possible, but no later than 3 October 2016 with a view to further prioritize and streamline the proposed activities in order to make the action plan realistic and achievable.

To provide comments, please use the template for comments or download the revised action plan (available in English, Español, and Français) and insert your comments in track changes and return it to the Secretariat at secretariat@cbd.int or by fax at +1 (514) 288-6588

The Subsidiary Body on Implementation of the Convention on Biological Diversity, at its first meeting, requested the Executive Secretary “to refine, consolidate and streamline the outcomes of the workshop, including synergies that may be relevant between two or more of the biodiversity-related conventions as well as the Protocols to the Convention, including: (a) Options for actions by Parties which may include voluntary guidelines for synergies at the national level; (b) Options for action at the international level that includes a road map for the period 2017 2020 that prioritizes and sequences actions and identifies actors and potential mechanisms involved”.

• Consultation draft on enhancing synergies among the biodiversity-related conventions at the national and international levels - Word version or PDF version

Parties are invited to provide views and comments on the consultation draft as soon as possible and no later than 30 September 2016.

Comments may be provided within the Word document, in the template for comments, or in the body of an e-mail, and should be sent to the Secretariat at secretariat@cbd.int or by fax at +1 514 288 6588.

Pursuant to the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice recommendation XX/3, which requested the Executive Secretary to develop: (i) options regarding procedures within the Convention to modify the description of areas, both within and beyond national jurisdiction, decided by the Conference of the Parties for inclusion in the repository, based on new information that has become available since the previous regional workshops on ecologically or biologically significant marine areas, and (ii) options to facilitate the process of description of new areas against the criteria for ecologically or biologically significant marine areas, a draft report on options as noted above has been developed by the Executive Secretary.

Parties are invited to review this draft report and provide comments and suggestions for further refinement.

• Draft-options-EBSA-6Sept.docx

To provide comments, please use the template for comments and return it to the Secretariat at secretariat@cbd.int or by fax at +1 514 288 6588.

Deadline for peer review comments: 26 September 2016.

In response to decision XII/1 of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity, the Forest Peoples Programme, together with members of the International Indigenous Forum on Biodiversity, and in collaboration with the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity, has prepared the report Outlooks on Biodiversity: Indigenous Peoples’ and Local Communities’ Contributions to the Implementation of the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020. The report is being made available as a draft for peer review. An earlier version of this document was made available for consideration by the first meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Implementation. To provide comments, please use the template for comments and return it to the Forest Peoples Programme (biodiversity@forestpeoples.org) no later than 11 September 2016.

Under agenda item 14, COP-13 will consider a revised glossary of relevant key terms and concepts to be used in the context of Article 8(j) and related provisions. In order to facilitate this process, the Executive Secretary is making available an advance, unedited draft of the document for peer review:

• A Glossary of Relevant Key Terms and Concepts to be Used Within the Context of Article 8(j) and Related Provisions

To provide comments, please use the template for comments and return it to the Secretariat at secretariat@cbd.int or by fax at +1 514 288 6588.

Deadline for peer review comments: 6 September 2016.