Decision COP XIII/28

Recalling decision XI/3 and paragraph 20(b) of decision XII/1,

1. Takes note of the report of the Ad Hoc Technical Expert Group on Indicators for the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020, and expresses its thanks to the European Union and the Governments of Switzerland and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland for their financial support;

2. Welcomes the updated list of indicators for the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020 contained in the annex to the present decision;

3. Notes that the list of global indicators provides a framework to be used, as appropriate, for assessing progress towards the Aichi Biodiversity Targets at the global level and by Parties, other Governments and international organizations;

4. Encourages Parties to ensure that the use of the indicators reflect all three objectives of the Convention on Biological Diversity in a balanced manner;

5. Emphasizes that the list of indicators provides a flexible framework for Parties to adapt, as appropriate, to their national priorities and circumstances, and decides that the list of indicators should be kept under review, enabling, inter alia, the future incorporation of other relevant indicators;

6. Notes that indicators may be used for a variety of purposes at the national, regional and global levels, including:

7. Encourages Parties:

8. Invites biodiversity-related conventions as well as intergovernmental organizations and non-governmental organizations to make use of the list of global indicators and to contribute to the further development of the indicators, inter alia, through the Biodiversity Indicators Partnership;

9. Emphasizes the advantages of aligning the indicators for the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020 and those of the Sustainable Development Goals and other relevant processes, to further support the achievement of the three objectives of the Convention, avoiding duplication of data sets and approaches, notes that shared indicators must be reviewed to determine the degree to which they are suitable for each use, and stresses the role of the Biodiversity Indicators Partnership in this regard;

10. Notes the report on National Indicators and Approaches to Monitor Progress towards the Aichi Biodiversity Targets; 

11. Also notes the potential role of the existing mechanism established by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations for reporting on the Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries in assessing progress towards Aichi Biodiversity Target 6, welcomes the report of the Expert Meeting on Improving Progress Reporting and Working Towards Implementation of Aichi Biodiversity Target 6  which includes a framework of actions and indicators to accelerate, monitor and report on progress towards the achievement of Aichi Biodiversity Target 6, invites Parties, other Governments, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and regional fishery bodies to consider the results of this meeting, and invites the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, in collaboration with the Executive Secretary, to further develop this framework;

12. Invites the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services and, in particular, its Knowledge, Information and Data Task Force and its regional and global assessments to contribute to and make the best use of biodiversity indicators, including through the Biodiversity Indicators Partnership, for the regional and global assessments in order to maximize synergy, ensure relevance to policy and reduce the multiplicity of global indicators;

13. Welcomes the important contributions to indicator development by the members of the Biodiversity Indicators Partnership and other relevant organizations and processes, as well as initiatives on community-based monitoring and information systems, and encourages further collaboration and continued support for work on indicators, including in the preparation of the fifth edition of the Global Biodiversity Outlook;

14. Notes the need to urgently identify or develop indicators for those Aichi Biodiversity Targets which currently do not have identified indicators;

15. Also notes that many indicators rely on a small number of essential biodiversity variables and that further efforts are required to improve the monitoring of these variables;

16. Invites data holders and institutions to improve the accessibility of data and documentation, as appropriate, to further enhance data generation and to work in close collaboration with research, observation and indicator communities to fill gaps in data collection and provision, including through community-based monitoring efforts and citizen science;

17. Recalls recommendation XIX/2 of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice, and invites those institutions that compile global indicators to promote the free and open access to underlying data and methodologies and to facilitate national disaggregation of underlying data, and methodologies, where appropriate, taking into account the voluntary guidance to improve the accessibility of biodiversity-related data and information;

18. Recalls decision XI/3, and reaffirms the need to strengthen technical and institutional capacities and to mobilize adequate financial resources for the development and application of indicators and monitoring systems, especially for developing country Parties, in particular the least developed countries, small island developing States and countries with economies in transition.