Decision COP X/45

The Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity

1. Expresses its appreciation to Canada as the host country for its enhanced support to the Secretariat and welcomes its annual contribution to date of US$ 1,082,432 in 2010, to be increased at 2 per cent per year, from the host country Canada and the Province of Quebec to the operation of the Secretariat, of which 83.5 per cent has been allocated per annum to offset contributions from the Parties to the Convention for the biennium 2011-2012;

2. Welcomes the contribution from Japan, the Presidency of the Conference of the Parties, to support the implementation of the post-2010 strategic plan of the Convention on Biological Diversity and other decisions adopted at the tenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties;

3. Endorses the Revised Administrative Arrangements dated 26 October 2010 between the United Nations Environment Programme and the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity set out in Annex I hereto, looks forward to the rapid completion of the service level agreement provided for in those Arrangements, and requests the Executive Secretary to report to the Conference of the Parties through its Bureau on the implementation of the Arrangements;

4. Invites the Executive Director of UNEP to report on the Revised Administrative Arrangements to the Governing Council of the United Nations Environment Programme at its twenty-sixth session, to be held in Nairobi from 21 to 25 February 2011;

5. Decides that the trust funds (BY, BE, BZ and VB) for the Convention should be extended for a period of two years, beginning 1 January 2012 and ending 31 December 2013 and requests the Executive Director of UNEP to seek the approval of the Governing Council of UNEP for their extension;

6. Approves a core (BY) programme budget of $11,769,300 for the year 2011 and of $12,989,700 for the year 2012 for the purposes listed in the tables 1a and 1b below;

7. Adopts the scale of assessments for the apportionment of expenses for 2011 and 2012 as contained in the table 6 below;

8. Reaffirms a working capital reserve at a level of 5 per cent of the core programme budget (BY Trust Fund) expenditure, including programme support costs;

9. Notes with concern that a number of Parties have not paid their contributions to the core budget (BY Trust Fund) for 2009 and prior years;

10. Urges Parties that have still not paid their contributions to the core budget (BY Trust Fund) for 2009 and prior years; to do so without delay and requests the Executive Secretary to publish and regularly update information on the status of contributions to the Conventions’ Trust Funds (BY, BE, BZ and VB);

11. Decides that with regard to contributions due from 1 January 2005 onwards, Parties whose contributions are in arrears for two (2) or more years will not be eligible to become a member of the Bureau of the Conference of the Parties; this will only apply in the case of Parties that are not least developed countries or small island developing States;

12. Authorizes the Executive Secretary to enter into arrangements with any Party whose contributions are in arrears for two or more years to mutually agree on a “schedule of payments” for such a Party, to clear all outstanding arrears, within six years depending on the financial circumstances of the Party in arrears and pay future contributions by the due date, and report on the implementation of any such arrangement to the next meeting of the Bureau and to the Conference of the Parties;

13. Decides that a Party with an agreed arrangement in accordance with paragraph 12 above and that is fully respecting the provisions of that arrangement will not be subject to the provisions of paragraph 11 above;

14. Invites all Parties to the Convention to note that contributions to the core programme budget (BY) are due on 1 January of the year in which these contributions have been budgeted for, and to pay them promptly, and urges Parties in a position to do so, to pay by 1 December of the year 2010 for the calendar year 2011 and by 1 October 2011 for the calendar year 2012, the contributions set out in table 6 (scale of assessment) below and in this regard requests Parties be notified of the amount of their contributions as early as possible in the year preceding the year in which the contributions are due;

15. Authorizes the Executive Secretary to transfer resources among the programmes between each of the main appropriation lines set out in programme table 1a below, up to an aggregate of 15 per cent of the total programme budget, provided that a further limitation of up to a maximum of 25 per cent of each such appropriation line shall apply;

16. Agrees to share the costs for Secretariat services between those that are common to the Convention on Biological Diversity and the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety on an 85:15 ratio for the biennium 2011-2012;

17. Authorizes the Executive Secretary to enter into commitments up to the level of the approved budget, drawing on available cash resources, including unspent balances, contributions from previous financial periods and miscellaneous income;

18. Takes note of the funding estimates for the:

19. Urges all Parties and States not Parties to the Convention, as well as governmental, intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations and other sources, to contribute to the appropriate trust funds of the Convention;

20. Reaffirms the importance of full and active participation of the developing country Parties, in particular the least developed countries and small island developing States, as well as Parties with economies in transition, in the activities of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention and requests the Secretariat to remind Parties of the need to contribute to the Special Voluntary Trust Fund (BZ) at least six months prior to the ordinary meetings of the Conference of the Parties, reflecting on the financial need, and urges Parties in the position to do so to ensure that the contributions are paid at least three months before the Conference of the Parties meets;

21. Approves a Secretariat staffing table for the programme budget contained in tables 2a and 2b below;

22. Invites Parties, Governments and organizations to offer highly qualified human resources and other support to the Secretariat in order to support the existing work programmes and approved activities;

23. Notes that in the preparation for the entry into force and the implementation of the ABS Protocol the current staffing component servicing the Protocol will need to be  reviewed in the budget for the biennium 2013-2014 with the purpose to strengthen this component;

24. Requests the Executive Secretary to prepare and submit a budget for the programme of work for the biennium 2013-2014 for the consideration of the Conference of the Parties at its eleventh meeting, and to provide three alternatives for the core programme budget based on:

25. Takes note of the report of the Executive Secretary (UNEP/CBD/COP/10/INF/16) on the advantages and disadvantages of using the currency of the host country of the Secretariat or the US$ as the currency of the accounts and budget of the Trust Funds of the Convention on Biological Diversity;

26. Requests the Executive Secretary, notwithstanding the continued need for a programme budget, to liaise with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) with a view to exploring the feasibility for applying, the results-based management concept, and particularly results-based budgeting where appropriate, of the work of the Convention, taking into account the practice of UNEP and other organizations and to report thereon to the Conference of the Parties at its eleventh meeting;

27. Requests the Executive Secretary to use the measurable indicators of achievement and performance set out in Annex II to the present decision as a management tool for the Secretariat and to report thereon to the Conference of the Parties at its next meeting;