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Decision COP XIV/29
CBD/COP/DEC/14/29

Review mechanisms

The Conference of the Parties,

Recalling decision XIII/25,

Recognizing that implementation by Parties and underlying commitments need to be strengthened to bring the global community on a path towards achieving the 2050 Vision laid out in the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020,

Emphasizing that national reports, provided for in Article 26 of the Convention, continue to be a core element for reviewing progress in implementation as part of the multidimensional review approach,

Recognizing that elements of the multidimensional review approach under the Convention should be technically sound, objective, transparent, collaborative and constructive and aim to facilitate enhanced efforts by Parties,

Acknowledging that reviews should take into account the specific needs and circumstances of Parties and, noting national differences in approaches and visions,

Noting the importance of engaging holders of traditional knowledge in review mechanisms under the Convention,

1. Acknowledges that the voluntary peer-review process seeks to help Parties improve their individual and collective capacities to more effectively implement the Convention by:

(a) Assessing the development and implementation of national biodiversity strategies and action plans and producing specific recommendations for the Parties under review;

(b) Providing opportunities for peer learning for Parties directly involved and other Parties;

(c) Enhancing transparency and accountability for the development and implementation of national biodiversity strategies and action plans to the public and other Parties;

2. Welcomes the progress made in the development of a voluntary peer-review mechanism, and the positive result from the pilot phase initiated through decision XIII/25;

3. Decides to include the voluntary peer review as an element of the multidimensional review approach under the Convention, and requests the Executive Secretary to facilitate its operationalization;

4. Requests the Executive Secretary, subject to the availability of resources:

(a) To further develop, building on the elements of the multidimensional review approach described in the notes by the Executive Secretary on this matter,2 for consideration by the Subsidiary Body on Implementation at its third meeting, options to enhance review mechanisms with a view to strengthening the implementation of the Convention, including an analysis of strengths and weaknesses and an indication of possible costs, benefits and burdens for Parties, other stakeholders and the Secretariat, also taking into account best practices and lessons learned in other processes and comments received at the second meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Implementation;

(b) To prepare for, and organize, the testing of a Party-led review process through an openended forum at the third meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Implementation, including by developing guidance for the voluntary delivery of review reports at the open-ended forum;

(c) To invite Parties to submit, on a voluntary basis, review reports for testing the open-ended forum at the third meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Implementation;

(d) To further consult with Parties and other stakeholders and the open-ended inter-sessional working group to support the preparation of the post-2020 global biodiversity framework established through decision 14/34 in order to explore possible modalities for applying approaches to enhancing the review of implementation in the process for the development of the post-2020 global biodiversity framework and to report on progress to the Subsidiary Body on Implementation at its third meeting;

(e) To explore possible modalities for applying such approaches to enhancing the review of implementation for consideration by the Subsidiary Body on Implementation at its third meeting;

(f) To facilitate further voluntary peer reviews and invite Parties to volunteer for a review and to nominate candidates for the review teams.

Body
Conference of the Parties (COP)

Meeting
COP-14
Fourteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity
17 - 29 November, 2018
Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt