Decision COP XIII/6
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UNEP/CBD/COP/DEC/13/6 filtered
Biodiversity and human health
The Conference of the Parties,
Recalling decision XII/21,
Welcoming the memorandum of understanding signed between the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity and the World Health Organization,
Taking note of the publication by the World Health Organization and the Secretariat of the Convention of Connecting Global Priorities: Biodiversity and Human Health, a State of Knowledge Review,
Recognizing that biodiversity and human health are interlinked in various ways, including the following:
(a)Biodiversity gives rise to benefits for human health, including directly as a source of foods, nutrition, traditional medicines and biomedical discovery, and indirectly as a source of clean water, clothes, heating and shelter, by underpinning ecosystem functioning and resilience and the provision of essential ecosystem services and by providing options for adapting to changing needs and circumstances, and to climate change; biodiversity in urban environments contributes to a feeling of well-being by stimulating physical exercise, providing clean air, and improving mental well-being, among others;
(b)Biodiversity may be related to adverse health effects, notably through infectious agents;
(c)A number of drivers of change may affect both biodiversity and health;
(d)Health sector interventions can have both positive and negative impacts on biodiversity and that biodiversity-related interventions can have both positive and negative impacts on human health,
Noting that better consideration of health-biodiversity linkages could contribute to improving many aspects of human health, including nutrition, reducing the global burden of infectious as well as non communicable diseases, and improving mental health and well-being,
Noting also that recognition of the health benefits of biodiversity reinforces the rationale for the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity and thus contributes to the development of national biodiversity strategies and action plans, the implementation of the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020 and the achievement of the Aichi Biodiversity Targets,
Acknowledging that health-biodiversity linkages are related to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and to the Sustainable Development Goals, 
Also acknowledging the strong linkages between biodiversity, climate change and human health and the potential for synergies provided by the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030  and the Paris Agreement, 
Recognizing that the health benefits of biodiversity are influenced by socioeconomic factors and may be specific to local ecosystems and cultures, that men and women often have different roles in the management of natural resources and family health, and that poor and vulnerable communities, women and children are often particularly directly dependent on biodiversity and ecosystems for food, medicines, clean water, and other health related services,
Highlighting the importance of traditional knowledge as well as conventional scientific knowledge in realizing the health benefits of biodiversity,
Re-emphasizing the value of the “One Health” approach to addressing the cross-cutting issue of biodiversity and human health, as an integrated approach consistent with the ecosystem approach, 
informational

paragraph 1

1.Takes note of the key messages contained in the summary of Connecting Global Priorities: Biodiversity and Human Health, a State of Knowledge Review; 
operational active parties other governments

paragraph 2

2.Invites Parties and other Governments, to consider using the State of Knowledge Review and its key messages, as appropriate, to promote the understanding of health biodiversity linkages with a view to maximizing health benefits, addressing trade-offs, and where possible, addressing common drivers for health risks and biodiversity loss;
operational active parties other governments

paragraph 3

3.Invites Parties and other Governments to make use of information contained in the annex to the present decision, as appropriate and taking into account national circumstances, to achieve the objective stated in paragraph 2 above;
operational active parties other governments organizations

paragraph 4

4.Invites Parties, other Governments and relevant organizations to carry out activities, as appropriate and taking into account national circumstances, inter alia:

paragraph 4 item (a)

(a)To facilitate dialogue between agencies responsible for biodiversity and those responsible for health and other relevant sectors, across all levels of government;

paragraph 4 item (b)

(b)To consider relevant health-biodiversity linkages in developing and updating relevant national policies and programmes, strategies, plans, and accounts including health strategies, such as national environmental health action plans, national biodiversity strategies and action plans, and sustainable development and poverty eradication strategies;

paragraph 4 item (c)

(c)To strengthen national monitoring capacities and data collection, including integrated monitoring and surveillance capacities and early warning systems, that enable health systems to anticipate, prepare for and respond to public health threats resulting from ecosystem change;

paragraph 4 item (d)

(d)To consider health-biodiversity linkages in environmental impact assessments, risk assessments and strategic environmental assessments, as well as in health impact assessments, social and economic valuation and the evaluation of trade-offs;

paragraph 4 item (e)

(e)To address, monitor and evaluate any unintended and undesirable negative impacts of biodiversity interventions on health and of health interventions on biodiversity;

paragraph 4 item (f)

(f)To identify opportunities for and promote healthy lifestyles and sustainable production and consumption patterns and associated behavioural change, that would benefit biodiversity and human health through, inter alia, the promotion of public health campaigns;

paragraph 4 item (g)

(g)To develop interdisciplinary education, training, capacity-building and research programmes on health-biodiversity linkages, using integrative approaches, at various levels and different spatial and temporal scales, and communities of practice on biodiversity and health;

paragraph 4 item (h)

(h)To consider the need to strengthen the capacity of health, environment and other relevant ministries, agencies and organizations to address health-biodiversity linkages in order to support preventative approaches to health and promote the multiple dimensions of health and well-being;

paragraph 4 item (i)

(i)To integrate relevant biodiversity concerns into national public health policies, with particular emphasis on the needs of indigenous peoples and local communities;
operational active parties other governments organizations

paragraph 5

5.Encourages Parties, other Governments and relevant organizations:
operational active parties other governments organizations

paragraph 5 item (a)

(a)To develop integrated metrics, indicators and tools to facilitate the analysis, evaluation, monitoring and integration of biodiversity into health strategies, plans and programmes and vice-versa;
operational parties other governments organizations

paragraph 5 item (b)

(b)To develop and compile toolkits, including good practice guides, aimed at raising awareness and enhancing co-benefits of biodiversity and health, including in the context of the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and Sustainable Development Goals;
operational active parties other governments organizations

paragraph 6

6.Also encourages Parties, other Governments, relevant organizations and funding agencies to promote and support further research on health-biodiversity linkages and related socioeconomic considerations, including, inter alia, on the following issues:

paragraph 6 item (a)

(a)The relationships between biodiversity, ecosystem degradation and infectious disease emergence, including the effects of ecological community structure and composition, habitat disturbance and human-wildlife contact, and the implications for land use and ecosystem management;

paragraph 6 item (b)

(b)The interlinkages between dietary diversity, health and diversity of crops, livestock and other components of biodiversity in agricultural ecosystems, as well as marine and inland water ecosystems;

paragraph 6 item (c)

(c)The linkages between the composition and diversity of the human microbiome, and biodiversity in the environment, and implications for the planning, design, development and management of human settlements;

paragraph 6 item (d)

(d)The significance for health of marine biodiversity, including for food security, and the consequences of multiple stressors on marine ecosystems (including pathogens, chemicals, climate change and habitat degradation);

paragraph 6 item (e)

(e)The contribution of biodiversity and the natural environment, including protected areas, in promoting mental and physical health, particularly in urban areas;

paragraph 6 item (f)

(f)The significance of soil biodiversity for health;

paragraph 6 item (g)

(g)Linkages between migratory species and their corridors and human health;

paragraph 6 item (h)

(h)Linkages between invasive alien species and human health;
operational active parties other governments organizations

paragraph 7

7.Invites Parties, other Governments, and relevant organizations to provide information on the implementation of the present decision to the Executive Secretary;
operational active parties other governments donors

paragraph 8

8.Invites Parties, other Governments and donors to further advance in the analysis of the interlinkages between biodiversity and human health, such as the identification of microbiological biodiversity and pathogenic species;
operational implemented

paragraph 9

9.Decides to consider biodiversity and human health interlinkages when addressing the follow-up to the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011–2020 and the Aichi Biodiversity Targets;
operational active es

paragraph 10

10.Requests the Executive Secretary, subject to the availability of resources:
operational active es

paragraph 10 item (a)

(a)To collaborate with the World Health Organization and other relevant organizations, to promote and facilitate implementation of the present decision, including through wide dissemination of the State of Knowledge Review in the six official languages of the United Nations, the development of toolkits and good practice guides (including on “One Health”), support to capacity-building, and by convening a meeting of the interagency liaison group on biodiversity and human health co-convened by the Secretariat and the World Health Organization, as well as the tasks set out in paragraph 9 of decision XII/21;
operational active

paragraph 10 item (b)

(b)To compile and analyse information received in the implementation of the present decision, including information provided further to paragraph 7 above;
operational implemented es

paragraph 10 item (c)

(c)To prepare guidance to support the consideration of biodiversity and ecosystem management in the application of the “One Health” approach;
operational implemented es

paragraph 10 item (d)

(d)To submit a report to the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice at a meeting prior to the fourteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties.
Body
Conference of the Parties (COP)

Meeting
COP-13
Thirteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity
4 - 17 December, 2016
Cancun, Mexico

Elements of decision
33 1 informational 15 operational
14 3 implemented 0 superseded 0 elapsed 11 active

Actors
29 9 parties   9 other-governments   6 organizations   1 donors   4 executive-secretary  

AICHI targets
0

Subjects
12 Health and Biodiversity National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs) Capacity-building Communication, Education and Public Awareness Indicators Sustainable Development / Millenium Development Goals Agricultural Biodiversity Marine and Coastal Biodiversity Invasive Alien Species Strategic Plan 2011-2020 Aichi Biodiversity Targets Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice (SBSTTA)

Document
XIII/6
Biodiversity and human health
Related decisions
XII/21 para 9 4)
Biodiversity and human health
(d)To continue efforts under the joint work programme between the Secretariat and the World Health Organization, including regional capacity-building workshops in additional regions, on the interlinkages between biodiversity and human health, and to report the results of collaborative work on biodiversity and human health to the 68th World Health Assembly, as well as the Conference of the Parties at its thirteenth meeting;
XIV/4 para 6
Health and biodiversity
6.Encourages Parties to promote dialogue among ministries and agencies responsible for the sectors of health (including domestic animal and wildlife health), environment, pollution (such as marine plastic debris), pesticides, antimicrobial resistance, agriculture, nutrition and food security, food safety, planning (including urban planning), climate change adaptation and mitigation and disaster risk reduction, to foster integrated approaches, with a view to enhancing implementation of the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020 and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, including by mainstreaming biodiversity and health linkages such as those contained in the annex to decision XIII/6 into existing and future policies, plans and strategies, as appropriate;
XIV/4 para 11
Health and biodiversity
11.Invites the World Health Organization:(a)To support the implementation of the present decision and decision XIII/6 in cooperation with other relevant partners;(b)To further support the development and implementation of measures, guidance and tools for promoting and supporting the mainstreaming of biodiversity and health linkages in the health sector, and to consider establishing a regular reporting mechanism for the progress of activities on biodiversity and health under the joint work programme of the Convention on Biological Diversity and the World Health Organization;
XIV/4 para 13 3)
Health and biodiversity
(c)To develop a draft global action plan to mainstream biodiversity and health linkages into national policies, strategies, programmes and accounts, in order to further support Parties in the mainstreaming of biodiversity and health linkages, building upon decision XIII/6 and the guidance on integrating biodiversity considerations into One Health approaches, among other holistic approaches;