Information

Recalling decision II/18 of the Conference of the Parties in which the Conference of the Parties adopted its medium-term work programme for the biennium 1996-1997,

Recalling also that decision II/18 provides for the review of the medium-term programme of work for the biennium 1996-1997, particularly the review of the operations of the Conference of the Parties and its subsidiary organs as well as the overall review and consideration of a long-term programme of work,

1. Recognizes that it may be necessary for the Executive Secretary, with the guidance of the Bureau of the Conference of the Parties, to adjust further the servicing of the programme of work in the light of the resources available to the Secretariat;

2. Invites Parties, participants and other relevant institutions to submit by 31 March 1997 their views to the Executive Secretary on:

(a) The operations of the Conference of the Parties;

(b) The overall review of the medium-term programme of work for 1995-1997;

(c) A longer-term programme of work;

3. Requests the Executive Secretary to submit a synthesis of these views to the Conference of the Parties for consideration at its fourth meeting;

4. Welcomes offers to contribute to efforts to facilitate the review process;

5. Takes note of the provisional agenda for the fourth meeting of the Conference of the Parties, contained in Annex I of document UNEP/CBD/COP/3/31;

6. Takes note of the draft provisional agenda of the third meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice, contained in recommendation II/12 of the second meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice, in document UNEP/CBD/COP/3/3;

7. Requests the bureau of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice to focus the agenda of the third meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice, in line with the comments given at the third meeting of the Conference of the Parties on the work of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice, and to submit it to the Parties sufficiently in advance of the third meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice.

1. The medium-term programme of work will be constructed on the basis of standing and rolling issues.

2. Standing items will include, inter alia:

2.1 Matters relating to the financial mechanism, including a report from the interim institutional structure entrusted with its operation;

2.2 Report from the Secretariat on the administration of the Convention and budget for the Secretariat;

2.3 Report from, instructions to and consideration of recommendations from the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice;

2.4 Reports by Parties on the implementation of the Convention;

2.5 Report on the assessment and review of the operation of the clearing-house mechanism;

2.6 Relationship of the Convention on Biological Diversity with the Commission on Sustainable Development and biodiversity-related conventions, other international agreements, institutions and processes of relevance.

3. The other issues and derived activities necessary to implement the Convention should be dealt with on a year-by-year agenda, on the understanding that these relevant rotating issues will be developed and continually dealt with in accordance with the decisions of the Conference of the Parties by the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice and any eventual working groups appointed by the Conference of the Parties. The year-by-year agenda has to be flexible.

4. Treatment of the items on the programme of work should also reflect the importance of capacity-building as one of the elements of successful Convention implementation. The programme of work should always reflect a balance among the Convention's objectives, as set forth in Article 1.

5. In 1996, the third meeting of the Conference of the Parties may continue to consider pending issues of the 1995 programme of work.

6. The third meeting of the Conference of the Parties may consider, inter alia, the following items in 1996:

6.1 General measures for conservation and sustainable use:

6.1.1 Implementation of Articles 6 and 8.

6.2 Identification, monitoring and assessment:

6.2.1 To consider options for implementing Article 7;

6.2.2 Appraisal of the SBSTTA review of assessment of biological diversity for the implementation of Article 25 (2) (a) and advice on methodologies for future assessments.

6.3 Conservation and sustainable use of agricultural biological diversity:

6.3.1 To consider agricultural biological diversity within the context of the Convention's three objectives and its provisions;
6.3.2 To consider a report on progress under the FAO Global System for the Conservation and Utilization of Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture.

6.4 Consideration of the future programme of work for terrestrial biological diversity in the light of the outcome of deliberations of the third session of the Commission on Sustainable Development in 1995.

6.5 Knowledge, innovations and practices of indigenous and local communities:

6.5.1 Implementation of Article 8 (j).

6.6 Access to genetic resources:
6.6.1 To consider the compilation of views of Parties on possible options for developing national legislative, administrative or policy measures, as appropriate, to implement Article 15.

6.7 Issues related to technology:

6.7.1 To consider ways to promote and facilitate access to and transfer and development of technology, as envisaged by Articles 16 and 18 of the Convention.

6.8 Incentive measures:

6.8.1 To consider the compilation of information and experiences shared on the implementation of Article 11.

6.9 Special session of the General Assembly to review implementation of Agenda 21:

6.9.1 To provide a report from the perspective of the Convention's three objectives.

6.10 Issues related to biosafety:

6.10.1 To consider the first report of the ad hoc working group on biosafety.

7. In 1997, the fourth meeting of the Conference of the Parties may consider, inter alia, the following items:

7.1 Review of the medium-term programme of work (1995-1997):

7.1.1 To review the operations of the Conference of the Parties and subsidiary organs;
7.1.2 To undertake an overall review and consider a longer-term programme of work.

7.2 Models and mechanisms for linkages between in situ and ex situ conservation:

7.2.1 To generate options of models and linkage.

7.3 Measures for implementing the Convention:

7.3.1 To provide information and share experiences on the implementation of Article 13;

7.3.2 To provide information and share experiences on the implementation of Article 14;

7.3.3 Consideration of biodiversity under threat.

7.4 Consideration of matters related to benefit-sharing:

7.4.1 To consider measures to promote and advance the distribution of benefits from biotechnology in accordance with Article 19;
7.4.2 To be considered in the light of the outcome of item 6.7.1 above.

7.5 Technical and scientific cooperation.

7.6 Terrestrial biological diversity:

7.6.1 To assess the status and trends of the biodiversity of inland water ecosystems and identify options for conservation and sustainable use.