Information

COP 11 Decision XI/6

XI/6.Cooperation with other conventions, international organizations, and initiatives

The Conference of the Parties

A.Cooperation with biodiversity-related and Rio conventions, organizations and processes

1.Reiterates the importance of cooperation among the biodiversity-related conventions, the Rio conventions and other relevant instruments for achieving full implementation of the Convention on Biological Diversity and the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020;
2.Recognizes the importance of enhancing synergies among the biodiversity-related conventions, in particular at the subnational, national and regional levels, without prejudice to their specific objectives and recognizing their respective mandates, and stresses the need to strengthen synergistic processes among the biodiversity-related conventions, building on the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020 as the central pillar, in close collaboration with the United Nations Environment Programme, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, aiming for further development of tools and procedures enabling harmonized implementation of the conventions, learning from other relevant processes, including the process within the chemicals and waste cluster;
3.Welcomes the outcome of the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20), which reiterates commitment to achieving the three objectives of the Convention on Biological Diversity and affirms the importance of implementing the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020 and achieving the Aichi Biodiversity Targets, and encourages Parties to promote policy coherence at all relevant levels, improve efficiency, reduce unnecessary overlap and duplication, and enhance coordination and cooperation among multilateral environmental agreements, including the three Rio conventions, as well as with the United Nations system in the field; welcomes, in this context, the efforts made to enhance synergies among the biodiversity-related conventions; and urges Parties and invites other Governments and international organizations, in particular the United Nations Environment Programme, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, to pursue these efforts, including in the context of the post-2015 development framework, with a view to strengthening Parties" ownership of the process;
4.Stresses the need to support the arrangements necessary to ensure that the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020 and its Aichi Biodiversity Targets are embraced beyond the Convention on Biological Diversity by all relevant institutions, organizations and processes;
5.Highlights the contribution of the Environment Management Group, and in particular its Issues Management Group on biodiversity, to mainstreaming the Aichi Biodiversity Targets throughout the United Nations system, welcomes its report (UNEP/CBD/COP/11/INF/5) on the contribution of the United Nations system to the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020, invites it to continue facilitating cooperation among its members in support of the implementation of the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020 and to provide a progress report for consideration by the Conference of the Parties at its twelfth meeting;
6.Welcomes the progress made under the Convention on Migratory Species, the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, the World Heritage Convention, the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands and the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora to reflect the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020 and the Aichi Biodiversity Targets in their work;
7.Welcomes the fifth joint work plan (2011-2020) between the Convention on Biological Diversity and the Ramsar Convention 7 and the joint work plan 2012-2014 between the Convention on Biological Diversity and the Convention on Migratory Species; 8
8.Welcomes also the work carried out under the Convention on Migratory Species and the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora to support Parties in incorporating the objectives of these Conventions into the revision of their national biodiversity strategies and action plans;
9.Welcomes the modus operandi adopted by the Biodiversity Liaison Group and supplementary information on its working arrangements, and the preparation of a modus operandi and terms of reference for the Joint Liaison Group of the Rio Conventions (as referred to in document UNEP/CBD/WG-RI/4/INF/18);
10.Encourages Parties to further strengthen cooperation and synergy among convention focal points and focal points for other relevant sectoral processes and partners at the national level so as to enhance capacity to implement the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020 and achieve the Aichi Biodiversity Targets, avoid duplication of activities and further enhance the effective use of resources, recognizing that national biodiversity strategies and action plans provide a useful tool for such collaboration, and requests the Executive Secretary to facilitate this cooperation, subject to the availability of resources;
11.Stresses the role of national biodiversity strategies and action plans in developing a coherent approach at the national level, and encourages Parties to incorporate the objectives of the biodiversity related-conventions and the other Rio conventions into their revised national biodiversity strategies and action plans, as appropriate, and to support this through all appropriate means;
12.Takes note of relevant projects and initiatives to increase synergies in reporting under the biodiversity-related conventions and the other Rio conventions, such as the pilot project supported by the Global Environment Facility and the project developed by the Australian Government in collaboration with the South Pacific Regional Environment Programme and the Convention on Migratory Species Family Online Reporting System, which aim to facilitate integrated reporting processes and approaches in the least developed countries and small island developing States;
13.Welcomes the cooperation of convention secretariats in areas of joint information management through the United Nations Environment Programme Multilateral Environment Agreements Information and Knowledge Management initiative (InforMEA);
14.Welcomes the Rio Conventions Pavilion as a mechanism to enhance collaboration, invites Parties that are in a position to do so to provide support to this initiative so as to increase the visibility of synergies among the multilateral environment agreements, including the Rio conventions, and improve the effectiveness of the Pavilion and achievement of its objectives;
15.Invites international organizations and donors to increase funding to support national efforts that encourage synergies in policy development and the fulfilment of obligations under the biodiversity-related conventions and the Rio conventions;
16.Requests the Global Environment Facility and invites other financial mechanisms to continue to support projects and activities to improve synergies among relevant multilateral environment agreements;
17.Requests the Executive Secretary, subject to the availability of resources, to:
(a)Provide a report on the implementation of the modus operandi adopted by the Biodiversity Liaison Group and the Joint Liaison Group, evaluating their impact in enhancing coordination, coherence and national-level synergies among the biodiversity-related conventions;
(b)Propose, in consultation with Parties and other members of the Biodiversity Liaison Group and the Joint Liaison Group of the Rio Conventions, options for the form and content of a process to enhance coordination, coherence and national-level synergies among the biodiversity-related conventions and the Rio conventions, so as to increase the involvement of Parties in the work of the Biodiversity Liaison Group and the Joint Liaison Group;
(c)In consultation with other convention secretariats, draft suggestions for the Conference of the Parties on improving efficiency and reducing unnecessary overlap and duplication at all relevant levels among the biodiversity-related conventions and the Rio conventions, including through workshops held jointly with other conventions, with a view to identifying and reinforcing synergies;
(d)Liaise with the other biodiversity-related conventions and relevant organizations, through the Biodiversity Liaison Group and other forums, in order to seek ways of collaborating on the mid-term review of progress towards reaching the Aichi Biodiversity Targets;
(e)Make available, through the clearing-house mechanism, lessons learned with regard to cooperation and synergy at national level, including from the implementation of the Global Environment Facility pilot project on facilitating national reporting to the Rio conventions;
(f)Continue contributing to the activities of the Environment Management Group and its Issues Management Group on Biodiversity, including by compiling, reviewing and updating the various recommendations for synergistic activities and to cross-map the existing and potential contributions of multilateral environment agreements and other relevant instruments with the Aichi Biodiversity Targets;
(g)Collaborate with the executive heads of the other multilateral environment agreements, including the Rio conventions, to further enhance the effectiveness of the Rio Conventions Pavilion;

B.Collaboration on biological and cultural diversity

18.Takes note of the first meeting of the Informal Liaison Group on Biological and Cultural Diversity (UNEP/CBD/COP/11/INF/11);
19.Invites Parties and other relevant stakeholders to contribute to and support this work;
20.Welcomes further steps, subject to the availability of resources, to explore, document and raise awareness of the value added by incorporating links between biological and cultural diversity into the implementation of the Convention on Biological Diversity, consistent and in harmony with the Convention and relevant international obligations;

C.Collaboration on biodiversity and agriculture, forest biodiversity, and biodiversity and health

21.Takes note of the progress report of the Executive Secretary on collaborative work on biodiversity and agriculture, forests and biodiversity and biodiversity and health (UNEP/CBD/SBSTTA/16/16);
22.Stresses the importance of further strengthening collaboration between the Convention on Biological Diversity and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations in meeting relevant Aichi Biodiversity Targets, particularly in the context of achieving food security and in respect of the Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and the Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits Arising from their Utilization, and welcomes the revised joint work plan between the secretariats of the Convention on Biological Diversity and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and its Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (UNEP/CBD/SBSTTA/16/INF/33, annex) and recognizes, among other things, the contribution of indigenous and local communities with regard to agricultural and forest biological diversity;
23.Welcomes the expanding collaboration between the Convention on Biological Diversity and the International Tropical Timber Organization, including the implementation of three projects covering 15 Parties in the Amazon, Congo Basin and Greater Mekong Subregions under the framework of the Collaborative Initiative for Tropical Forest Biodiversity developed as part of a memorandum of understanding between the Secretariats of the International Tropical Timber Organization and the Convention on Biological Diversity aiming to strengthen implementation of the Convention"s expanded programme of work on Forest Biodiversity, and reiterates its invitation to Parties, other Governments and relevant organizations to support this initiative further;
24.Welcomes the collaboration between the Convention on Biological Diversity and the United Nations Forum on Forests in the context of the memorandum of understanding between their secretariats, noting that forests are home to a significant part of global biodiversity, and reiterates the value of the ongoing work of the Executive Secretary as a full partner in the collaborative partnership on forests and noting that insufficient funds were available for the implementation of requested targeted joint activities between the two secretariats, in particular for capacity-building, reiterates its invitation in decision X/36 to countries in a position to do so to provide funding;
25.Invites the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations to examine how the indicative list of indicators for the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020, as contained in decision XI/3 of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity, can be taken into account when carrying out future global forest resources assessments, noting the benefits to biodiversity information and reporting from more harmonized forest-related data production through the Collaborative Forest Resources Questionnaire associated with the upcoming 2015 Global Forest Resources Assessment, and requests the Executive Secretary to collaborate with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations so that the Global Forest Resources Assessment continues to provide useful data and analysis for the purpose of assessing progress towards the achievement of the Aichi Biodiversity Targets;
26.Invites international organizations and donors to strengthen and enhance synergies among the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, the Convention on Biological Diversity and other biodiversity-related conventions by using biodiversity to achieve resilient and low carbon cities, including through appropriate urban forest management, in order to both adapt to and mitigate climate change;
27.Invites Parties, other Governments and relevant organizations to raise awareness of the links between biodiversity and health issues so as to achieve mutual benefits and contribute to meeting relevant Aichi Biodiversity Targets, and to report thereon to the Conference of the Parties at its twelfth meeting;
28.Notes that the indicative list of indicators, as contained in decision XI/3 of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity, contains a number of indicators that may be relevant to the links between biodiversity and health, including trends in benefits that humans derive from selected ecosystem services, trends in health and well-being of communities that depend directly on local ecosystem goods and services, and trends in the nutritional contribution of biodiversity and food composition, requests the Executive Secretary, in collaboration with relevant organizations and based on the views of Parties, to develop these indicators further, in line with decision XI/3 of the Conference of the Parties, and encourages Parties, other Governments and relevant stakeholders, to make use of them;
29.Welcomes the strengthening of collaboration between the Convention on Biological Diversity and the World Health Organization, and with other relevant organizations and initiatives, and requests the Executive Secretary to establish a joint work programme with the World Health Organization, and, as appropriate, with other relevant organizations and initiatives, to support the contribution that the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020 can make to achieving human health objectives;

D.Collaboration on Arctic biodiversity

30.Recalling the Resolution of Cooperation between the Convention on Biological Diversity and the Conservation of Arctic Flora and Fauna Working Group of the Arctic Council, encourages continued collaboration between the Convention on Biological Diversity and the Working Group, including with regard to monitoring and assessing status and trends, and to stressors on biodiversity;
31.Welcomes the report on Arctic biodiversity prepared by the Conservation of Arctic Flora and Fauna Working Group of the Arctic Council for the fifteenth meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice (UNEP/CBD/SBSTTA/15/14) and notes in particular its key findings that:
(a)The Arctic plays host to a vast array of biodiversity, including many globally significant populations of fauna and flora;
(b)A significant proportion of Arctic species are migratory; such populations are thus shared by numerous non-Arctic Parties and other Governments whose cooperation is needed for their conservation;
(c)Arctic ecosystems provide essential services, including for the livelihoods of indigenous and local communities;
(d)Climate change is emerging as the most far-reaching and significant stressor on Arctic biodiversity;
(e)Changes in Arctic biodiversity have global repercussions, since Arctic ecosystem processes play a key role in the physical, chemical and biological balance of the planet; and
(f)The conservation and sustainable use of Arctic biodiversity contributes to the implementation of the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020;
32.Invites relevant non-Arctic Parties, other Governments, international organizations and relevant multilateral environmental agreements and processes, that either host migratory Arctic species for part of their life-cycle and/or collate information about the status of such species, to collaborate with the Conservation of Arctic Flora and Fauna Working Group of the Arctic Council by, inter alia, contributing to the Circumpolar Biodiversity Monitoring Programme, within its available capacity, and also with relevant multilateral environmental agreements concerned with the conservation of migratory Arctic species, and to share their data on monitoring and/or assessing such species;
33.Welcomes progress in implementing the Conservation of Arctic Flora and Fauna Working Group of the Arctic Council"s Circumpolar Biodiversity Monitoring Programme, including in terms of the more rapid detection and communication of significant biodiversity-related trends and pressures affecting the Arctic environment;
34.Encourages the development of further Arctic ecosystem resilience assessments and reports;
35.Welcomes the work carried out by the working groups of the Arctic Council on the identification of ecologically and biologically significant areas in the Arctic, and encourages them to continue this work in cooperation with adjacent regional conventions and commissions including the OSPAR Convention and the North East Atlantic Fisheries Commission;
36.Encourages the working groups of the Arctic Council to advance the work of identifying Arctic areas of high ecological and cultural significance;
37.Urges Parties and invites other Governments and relevant organizations, as appropriate, to promote the implementation of the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020 and relevant programmes of work under the Convention in relation to the Arctic environment;
38.Invites Parties and other Governments to make available, through their national clearing-house mechanisms, as appropriate, data and information generated by research and monitoring activities in the Arctic, including those that contribute to the Circumpolar Biodiversity Monitoring Programme, the Arctic Biodiversity Assessment and other relevant Arctic Council assessments, and to make full use of them in their reports under the Convention on Biological Diversity and other conventions, where relevant;
39.Requests the Executive Secretary to make available to Parties the biodiversity-related information and reports generated by the Arctic Council, including from the Circumpolar Biodiversity Monitoring Programme, the Arctic Biodiversity Assessment and other relevant Arctic Council assessments and to make use, as appropriate, of data and information generated by the Arctic Council, inter alia in the preparation of the Global Biodiversity Outlook; and
40.Appreciating the Arctic Council"s collaboration with indigenous peoples of the Arctic, encourages Parties and invites other Governments and relevant organizations to ensure the full and effective participation of indigenous and local communities in research projects and programmes on Arctic biodiversity;

E.Collaboration on biodiversity and tourism development

Recalling its decision X/20, which requested the Executive Secretary to continue collaborating with the World Tourism Organization, including on a review of the application of the Guidelines on Biodiversity and Tourism Development adopted by the Conference of the Parties at its seventh meeting (decision VII/14),
Recognizing that tourism has been consistently considered in decisions of the Conference of the Parties inter alia in relation to business and biodiversity, invasive alien species, island biodiversity, protected areas, resource mobilization, biodiversity for development and poverty eradication,
41.Welcomes the outcomes of the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20), 9 which acknowledge the concept of sustainable tourism and underlines, among other incentives, the importance of establishing, where necessary, appropriate guidelines and regulations in accordance with national priorities and legislation for promoting and supporting sustainable tourism;
42.Emphasizes that tourism is essential as a livelihood option, particularly for indigenous and local communities that are stewards of rich and biodiverse areas, and that long-term assistance and support for the sustainable development of tourism are needed, including capacity development in public agencies responsible for tourism planning and management in implementing the Guidelines on Biodiversity and Tourism Development, in close cooperation with tourism stakeholders at destination level, including the private sector, non-governmental organizations and traditional leaders, and stresses that special management and governance of tourism are critical at natural destinations and in ecosystems that harbour high biodiversity levels, and that partnerships and cooperative frameworks between appropriate public and private organizations are pivotal to protect biodiversity in those areas;
43.Notes the report of the Ad Hoc Open-Ended Working Group on Review of Implementation of the Convention on the work of its fourth meeting (UNEP/CBD/COP/11/4), which underlines the importance of the Guidelines on Biodiversity and Tourism Development for the tourism business sector, and the note by the Executive Secretary reviewing the progress made by Parties and partners in implementing these guidelines (UNEP/CBD/COP/11/INF/52/Rev.1) and that the Guidelines on Biodiversity and Tourism Development provide a tangible and comprehensive set of tools for the practical implementation of the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020 in the area of tourism development and serve as a basis for the development of sustainable tourism criteria, as carried out by the Global Partnership on Sustainable Tourism and applied through voluntary certification systems by parts of the tourism business sector;
44.Recognizes the progress made by Parties and organizations, such as the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) and its Consulting Unit on Biodiversity, in implementing the Guidelines on Biodiversity and Tourism Development;
45.Invites Parties and relevant stakeholders to strengthen efforts to further document and raise awareness of biodiversity and sustainable tourism development through the dissemination of best practices, enhanced application of the Guidelines on Biodiversity and Tourism Development and other effective voluntary tools;
46.Calls on Parties and stakeholders, such as intergovernmental, governmental and non-governmental entities, including the private sector, to promote dialogue, enhanced cooperation and partnerships on sustainable tourism management for the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity, for added economic value, job creation and poverty reduction, and for the benefit of sustainable regional development;
47.Invites the World Tourism Organization and other relevant organizations to cooperate with the Convention on Biological Diversity on the identification of critical tourism and conservation hot spots to support the integration of biodiversity aspects into sustainable tourism development; and,
48.Decides to review the application of the Guidelines on Biodiversity and Tourism Development at its twelfth meeting, in order to improve, inter alia, the provision of updated and innovative tools and instruments on sustainable tourism management to Parties and interested stakeholders and enhance their contribution to the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020.

7 Available as document 20 of the eleventh meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Ramsar Convention: http://www.ramsar.org/doc/cop11/doc/cop11-doc20-e-cbd.doc
8 Cooperation with other conventions: supplementary information on working arrangements (UNEP/CBD/WG-RI/4/INF/18).
9 "The Future We Want": outcome document adopted by the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20), General Assembly resolution 66/288, annex, paras 130 and 131.
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