Decision COP XI/11

The Conference of the Parties

1.Takes note of the proposals for new and emerging issues relating to the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity as contained in the note by the Executive Secretary on new and emerging issues relating to the conservation of biodiversity prepared for the sixteenth meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice (UNEP/CBD/SBSTTA/16/13);

2.Noting the effects of tropospheric ozone as a greenhouse gas and the potential contribution of reducing it to mitigating climate change; noting also its impacts on human health and on biodiversity; and noting further relevant work on this issue undertaken under the auspices of regional processes, decides to include consideration of the impacts of tropospheric ozone in the programme of work on the links between biodiversity and climate change, and requests the Executive Secretary, subject to availability of resources, to report on progress to a future meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice at which biodiversity and climate change is on the agenda;

4.Recognizing the development of technologies associated with synthetic life, cells or genomes, and the scientific uncertainties of their potential impact on the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity, urges Parties and invites other Governments to take a precautionary approach, in accordance with the preamble of the Convention and with Article 14, when addressing threats of significant reduction or loss of biological diversity posed by organisms, components and products resulting from synthetic biology, in accordance with domestic legislation and other relevant international obligations;