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Decision COP XIII/2

CBD/COP/DEC/XIII/2

Progress towards the achievement of Aichi Biodiversity Targets 11 and 12

The Conference of the Parties,
Welcoming the continued progress towards the achievement of Aichi Biodiversity Target 11,
Also welcoming the Promise of Sydney and related commitments made by the members of the International Union for Conservation of Nature and other organizations at the World Parks Congress 2014, held in Sydney, Australia, and noting the outcomes of the IUCN World Conservation Congress 2016, held in Honolulu, Hawaii, particularly commitments that accelerate the implementation of the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020,
Also welcoming the decisions of the implementation of the CITES Strategic Vision 2008-2020 of the seventeenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, in particular the provision on improving coherence with the implementation of the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020, 
Noting the adoption by the United Nations General Assembly of resolution 69/292 on the development of an international legally binding instrument under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction,
Informational
1.Acknowledges with appreciation the support of partner organizations, donors, host Governments and the Executive Secretary for organizing regional capacity-building workshops and related activities on achieving Aichi Biodiversity Targets 11 and 12;
Informational
2.Recognizes that the achievement of Aichi Biodiversity Target 11 will contribute to the implementation of other Aichi Biodiversity Targets, the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030,  relevant targets of the Sustainable Development Goals, and Articles 5, 7 and 8 of the Paris Agreement,  as well as means for mitigation and adaptation to climate change;
Informational
3.Also recognizes the considerable gap in the conservation status assessment of most taxonomic groups, and the general lack of information on species conservation plans;
Informational
4.Welcomes the Like-Minded Megadiverse Countries Carta on achieving Aichi Biodiversity Target 11 adopted by ministers of the Like-Minded Megadiverse Countries assembled at the margins of the high-level segment of the thirteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity, in Cancun, Mexico, on 3 December 2016,  and takes note of the declaration of the Latin American Technical Cooperation Network on National Parks, other Protected Areas and Wildlife (REDPARQUES) on the contribution of protected areas for well-being and sustainable development adopted on 28 October 2016; 
Operational Active Parties

5. Invites Parties, as appropriate and taking into account national circumstances:

(a) To undertake concerted efforts to implement actions identified in national biodiversity strategies and action plans and other relevant strategies and, as appropriate, address gaps identified through regional capacity-building workshops to achieve all elements of Aichi Biodiversity Targets 11 and 12;

(b) To pursue efforts to identify and explore options to protect areas of particular importance for biodiversity and ecosystem services, taking into account progress made in describing ecologically or biologically significant marine areas by the Convention on Biological Diversity and the Standards for the Identification of Key Biodiversity Areas adopted by the Council of the International Union for Conservation of Nature, the Vulnerable Marine Ecosystems included in the database of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the list of Particularly Sensitive Sea Areas maintained by the International Maritime Organization, as appropriate, and, in establishing new and/or expanding existing protected areas, or taking other effective area-based conservation measures, to give due consideration to areas that: (i) improve ecological representativeness; (ii) increase connectivity; (iii) promote the integration of protected areas into the wider landscape and seascape; (iv) protect the habitats of species, in particular threatened, endemic and migratory species, including through such mechanisms as important bird and marine mammal areas; (v) expand the coverage of areas important for biodiversity and ecosystem services; (vi) are identified as centres of origin or centres of genetic diversity; (vii) are managed under collective action by indigenous peoples and local communities and promote the integration of those areas into the wider landscapes and seascapes, as appropriate; and (viii) have involved the full and effective participation of indigenous peoples and local communities whose territories, areas and resources overlap wholly or partially with the proposed areas, in accordance with national legislation, in order to obtain their prior informed consent;

(c) To endeavour to undertake more systematic assessments of management effectiveness and biodiversity outcomes of protected areas, and where possible, other effective area-based conservation measures, to improve the management effectiveness by addressing the gaps, and to provide, on a voluntary basis, information on the results to the Global Database on Protected Areas Management Effectiveness, maintained by the United Nations Environment Programme’s World Conservation Monitoring Centre, as appropriate and to promote the IUCN Green List of Protected and Conserved Areas as a voluntary standard to promote and encourage protected area management effectiveness;

(d) To undertake or participate in, where relevant, national protected area governance assessments with a view to promoting, recognizing and improving governance diversity, efficiency and equity in protected area systems;

(e) To strengthen their efforts to complete the assessments of the conservation status of all taxonomic groups and habitats and develop and implement species and habitat conservation plans, in particular for threatened and endemic species;

6. Invites the International Union for Conservation of Nature and the World Conservation Monitoring Centre to work with Parties and other Governments to update the World Database on Protected Areas and also to contribute to the assessment of progress in the implementation of Aichi Biodiversity Target 11;

7. Invites Parties and, where appropriate, the International Union for Conservation of Nature, the ICCA Consortium and other partners in consultation with the Secretariat, to develop voluntary guidance and best practices on identifying and recognizing territories and areas conserved by indigenous peoples and local communities, including in situations of overlap with protected areas, and their potential contribution to the achievement of the Aichi Biodiversity Targets;

8. Invites the biodiversity-related conventions, international and regional organizations to promote integrated efforts to support the implementation of actions for the achievement of the Aichi Biodiversity Target 12, considering regional aspects;

9. Invites Parties, other Governments, relevant partners, regional agencies, bilateral and multilateral funding agencies, in conjunction with the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity, taking into account information provided by, and in consultation with Parties and other Governments, and subject to the availability of resources:

(a) To undertake a review of experiences on:

(i) Protected areas and other effective area-based conservation measures, taking into account the work of the International Union for Conservation of Nature and other appropriate expert bodies;

(ii) Additional measures to enhance integration of protected areas and other effective area-based conservation measures into the wider land- and seascapes,

(iii) Mainstreaming of protected areas and other effective area-based conservation measures across sectors to contribute, inter alia, to the Sustainable Development Goals and as natural solutions to combat climate change;

(iv) Effective governance models for management of protected areas, including equity, taking into account work being undertaken under Article 8(j);

(b) To promote the development of global or regional projects which could support national assessments of management effectiveness and equity in protected areas and encourage the sharing of best practices and lessons learned with interested Parties;

(c) To facilitate the completion of assessments of the conservation status of species, in particular threatened and endemic species, and enable their status monitoring and conservation, in accordance with established national processes;

(d) To facilitate support networks at the regional and subregional level, such as REDPARQUES and other important regional initiatives, as appropriate, to build capacity and support the implementation of national actions identified in national biodiversity strategies and action plans and, as appropriate, through the regional workshops for the achievement of Aichi Biodiversity Targets 11 and 12, to promote the preparation, use and sharing of technical guidance, best practices, tools, lessons learned, and monitoring efforts;

10. Requests the Executive Secretary:

(a) To develop, subject to the availability of financial resources, voluntary guidance on the elements listed in paragraph 9(a) above, noting lessons learned from the relevant biodiversity-related conventions and agreements;

(b) To organize, subject to the availability of resources, a technical expert workshop or workshops to provide scientific and technical advice on definition, management approaches and identification of other effective area-based conservation measures and their role in achieving Aichi Biodiversity Target 11;

(c) To report on progress on the above to the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice at a meeting held prior to the fourteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties;

(d) To also report on progress in the implementation of regional initiatives in accordance with paragraph 3 of decision X/31;

11. Invites the Global Environment Facility and its implementing agencies to facilitate the alignment of the development and implementation of protected area and other effective area-based conservation measures in its sixth and seventh replenishment cycles with the national actions identified in national biodiversity strategies and action plans and, as appropriate, through the regional workshops for the achievement of Targets 11 and 12, with a view to facilitating the systematic monitoring and reporting of the results of those projects as they contribute to the implementation of the national action plans for the achievement of Aichi Biodiversity Targets 11 and 12 and other related targets.