Decision COP V/17

1.Takes note of the information provided by the Executive Secretary with regard to education and public awareness (UNEP/CBD/COP/5/13, section IV);

2.Requests the Executive Secretary, in cooperation with the United Nations Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization, to convene a consultative working group of experts, including the United Nations Environment Programme, the World Bank, the United Nations Institute for Training and Research, the Commission for Education and Communication of IUCN, the World-Wide Fund for Nature, representatives of Parties and other relevant bodies to further advance and, in particular, to identify priority activities for the proposed global initiative on biological diversity education and public awareness;

3.Decides that the working group should take into account priorities developed by the Conference of the Parties for its work programme, and, when approved by the Conference of the Parties, priorities identified in the strategic plan for the Convention;

4.Invites the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, through its education programmes, to actively integrate biological diversity into all levels of formal education systems as a component of the development of the global initiative;

5.Endorses paragraph 7 of recommendation IV/1 A of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice, which states that education and public awareness be included in the discussions on the work programmes on thematic issues;

6.Invites Parties, Governments, organizations and institutions to support capacity-building for education and communication in biological diversity as part of their national biodiversity strategies and action plans, taking into account the global initiative;