Decision COP X/6

The Conference of the Parties,

Recognizing the urgent need to improve capacity for mainstreaming the three objectives of the Convention into poverty eradication strategies and plans (e.g., Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers, national development plans) and development processes as a means to enhance the implementation of Convention and the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020 and enhance their contribution to sustainable development and human well-being,

Aware of the large number of existing processes, mechanisms and institutions addressing poverty eradication and the need to mainstream relevant biodiversity and ecosystem services considerations within existing platforms and initiatives,

Noting the “Message from Paris” from the Conference on Biodiversity in European Development Cooperation in September 2006,which emphasizes the need for enhanced incorporation of biodiversity considerations into development cooperation,

Recalling the outcomes of the expert meeting on mainstreaming biodiversity in development cooperation held in Montreal from 13 to 15 May 2009 and hosted by the Executive Secretary,

Noting the Policy Statement on Integrating Biodiversity and Associated Ecosystem Services into Development Co-operation endorsed by the Development Assistance Committee of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development,

Welcoming the high-level meeting of the United Nations General Assembly on 22 September 2010 as a contribution to the International Year of Biodiversity,

1. Calls for enhanced efforts to promote capacity-building for mainstreaming biodiversity and ecosystem services into broader poverty eradication and development processes as a means to contribute to the implementation of the Convention and its Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020, including the Millennium Development Goals, especially for developing countries, in particular the least developed countries and small island developing States, as well as countries with economies in transition;

2. Calls for active involvement and commitment of development cooperation agencies and implementing agencies in supporting the mainstreaming of biodiversity and ecosystem services into poverty eradication and development processes, as appropriate;

3.Calls upon all the partners and stakeholders involved in biodiversity and development processes and programmes to strengthen coordination in order to avoid duplication and to facilitate coherence, synergies and complementary strategies and working approaches aimed at sustainable development and poverty eradication;

4. Notes that it is essential to share experiences between countries on how to mainstream and build capacity and to strengthen the scaling up of good practices on sustainable development and poverty eradication;

5. Welcomes the increased efforts and attention to mainstreaming biodiversity and ecosystem services into poverty eradication and development;

6. Notes, in efforts to integrate biodiversity into poverty eradication and development processes, the importance of:

7. Notes the potential usefulness of a long-term global effort utilizing regional and national development organizations as nodes for South-South and North-South cooperation to assist country driven processes for an effective mainstreaming of biodiversity and ecosystem services in development processes through capacity-building to enhance environmental governance, biodiversity finance mechanisms and the generation, transfer, and adaptation of biodiversity related technologies and innovations through the promotion of win-win solutions to development needs;

8. Invites Parties, other Governments, relevant international organizations such as bilateral development cooperation agencies, multilateral development banks, United Nations agencies and non governmental organizations involved in development cooperation, civil society, the business sector and other relevant stakeholders to contribute to an efficient and coordinated effort;

9. In accordance with Articles 12 and 18 of the Convention, invites Parties to intensify their cooperation to strengthen national and regional capabilities to mainstream biodiversity, by means of human resources development and institution building, taking into account the special needs of developing countries, in particular the least developed countries and small island developing States, as well as countries with economies in transition;

10. In accordance with Article 20 of the Convention, invites developed country Parties, other Governments and donors, and the financial mechanism to provide financial and technical support to developing countries, in particular the least developed countries and small island developing States, as well as countries with economies in transition, to further develop approaches on the integration of biodiversity into poverty eradication and development processes;

11. Welcomes the initiative of developing countries to prepare and adopt a multi-year plan of action on South-South cooperation on biodiversity for development, the Bali Strategic Plan for Technology Support and Capacity Building, as they are relevant processes for the implementation of the framework on capacity-building;

12. Encourages synergies between ongoing initiatives linking biodiversity, development and poverty eradication, such as the Equator Initiative, the ABS Capacity Development Initiative for Africa, the LifeWeb Initiative, the UNCTAD BioTrade Initiative, the Poverty-Environment Initiative, the Biodiversity Technology Initiative, and the Multi-Year Plan of Action for South-South Cooperation;

13. Notes the draft provisional framework for capacity-building on mainstreaming biodiversity and ecosystem services for sustainable development and poverty eradication annexed to recommendation 3/3 of the Working Group on Review of Implementation of the Convention;

14. Decides to establish an Expert Group on Biodiversity for Poverty Eradication and Development with the terms of reference outlined in the annex to this decision;

15. Requests the Executive Secretary, subject to the availability of resources, to: