Decision COP XII/30

1. Invites Parties to enhance coordination among their respective biodiversity-related convention national focal points, in order to identify national priorities in support of the implementation of the various biodiversity-related conventions that are aligned with the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020 and with the implementation of the Aichi Biodiversity Targets, and incorporate them into their national biodiversity strategies and action plans;

2. Invites the governing bodies of the various biodiversity-related conventions:

3. Requests the Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity to include any advice received in accordance with paragraph 2 above into the documentation for the appropriate agenda item, for consideration by the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity at its next meeting;

4. Also requests the Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity to further liaise with the various biodiversity-related conventions and the Global Environment Facility in order to find ways to facilitate the efforts of Parties as indicated in paragraph 1 above;

5. Decides, with a view to further streamlining guidance to the Global Environment Facility, to review proposed new guidance to avoid or reduce repetitiveness, to consolidate previous guidance where appropriate and to prioritize guidance in the context of the Aichi Biodiversity Targets;

6. Welcomes the sixth replenishment package for the Global Environment Facility Trust Fund, and encourages Parties to submit project proposals to the Global Environment Facility in line with their national priorities and the guidance from the Conference of the Parties;

7. Encourages Parties to promote co-financing, in line with the response of the Global Environment Facility to decision XI/5, paragraph 5, and projects that benefit from synergies and the multi-focal area approach in using Global Environment Facility resources;

8. Invites the Global Environment Facility to take the following action in order to further improve the effectiveness of the financial mechanism:

9. Encourages the Executive Secretary and the Chief Executive Officer of the Global Environment Facility to continue to strengthen inter-secretariat cooperation and collaborate with the Independent Evaluation Office of the Global Environment Facility and the Global Environment Facility agencies;

10. Requests the Executive Secretary to explore and report on ways in which the Conference of the Parties can best utilize the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020 and the Convention’s Protocols to set priorities for the financial mechanism within the context of the four-year framework of programming priorities for GEF-7 and to submit the report to the Subsidiary Body on Implementation for its consideration at its first meeting;

11. Decides, in anticipation of the seventh replenishment of the Global Environment Facility Trust Fund, to undertake, at its thirteenth meeting, the second determination of funding requirements for the implementation of the Convention and its Protocols, in line with the terms of reference contained in the annex to the present decision;

12. Requests the Global Environment Facility to indicate in its report to the thirteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties, how it plans to respond to the report on the first determination of funding requirements, noted in decision XI/5, pursuant to paragraph 5.2 of the Memorandum of Understanding;

13. Welcomes the creation of programmes 5 and 8 in the GEF-6 biodiversity focal area strategy, reflecting the importance of the Cartagena and the Nagoya Protocols, and invites Parties to prioritize projects accordingly;

14. Encourages Parties to develop and submit multi-focal area projects for Global Environment Facility funding in order to give adequate attention to all the issues of the Convention and its Protocols;

16. Taking note of decision NP-1/6, invites the financial mechanism to implement the following guidance considered by the Conference of the Parties:

Policy and strategy

17. Takes note of the consolidated guidance to the financial mechanism related to policy and strategy adopted in decision X/24, and invites the Conference of the Parties to review, and as appropriate, revise this guidance to take into account new developments such as the entry into force of the Nagoya Protocol;

Programme priorities

18. Requests the Global Environment Facility:

Eligibility criteria

19. Decides that all developing countries, in particular the least developed and small island developing States, as well as countries with economies in transition, which are Parties to the Nagoya Protocol, are eligible for funding by the Global Environment Facility in accordance with its mandate;

20. Adopts the following transitional clause in the eligibility criteria for funding under the financial mechanism of the Protocol:

‘Developing countries, in particular the least developed countries and small island developing States among them, and countries with economies in transition that are Parties to the Convention and provide a clear political commitment towards becoming Parties to the Protocol, shall also be eligible for funding by the Global Environment Facility for up to four years after the Nagoya Protocol has entered into force for the development of national measures and institutional capabilities in order to enable them to become a Party. Evidence of such political commitment, accompanied by indicative activities and expected milestones, shall take the form of a written assurance to the Executive Secretary that the country intends to become a Party to the Nagoya Protocol on completion of the activities to be funded.’

Customary sustainable use

21. Invites Parties, other Governments, international organizations, programmes and funds, including the Global Environment Facility, to provide funds and technical support to developing country Parties and indigenous and local communities for implementation of programmes and projects that promote customary sustainable use of biological diversity;

Marine and coastal biological diversity

22. Recalling paragraph 20 of decision X/29 and taking into account paragraph 7 of Article 20 of the Convention, as appropriate, invites the Global Environment Facility to continue to extend support for capacity-building to developing countries, in particular the least developed countries and small island developing States, as well as countries with economies in transition, in order to further accelerate existing efforts towards achieving the Aichi Biodiversity Targets in marine and coastal areas;

Biodiversity and tourism development

23. Invites the Global Environment Facility and other donors, as appropriate, to continue to provide funding to support sustainable tourism that contributes to the objectives of the Convention;