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Decision COP VIII/10
UNEP/CBD/COP/DEC/VIII/10

Operations of the Convention

The Conference of the Parties,
Recalling its decisions VII/30 and VII/33, 
Recognizing the need to enhance the effectiveness of and streamline Convention processes with a view to strengthening the implementation of the Convention,
I. The Conference of the Parties
Operational Elapsed Implemented
1. Decides to maintain the current periodicity of its ordinary meetings until its tenth meeting, in 2010;
Operational Elapsed Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity
2. Recognizing the need to streamline the meeting schedule of the Convention, requests the Executive Secretary, in consultation with the Bureau of the Conference of the Parties, to develop a schedule for meetings of the Convention up to 2010;
Operational Elapsed
3. Decides to consider at its ninth meeting the meeting schedule of the Convention after the tenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties in 2010, and requests the Executive Secretary, in consultation with the Bureau of the Conference of the Parties, to prepare options for the meeting schedule, including the financial implications of each option, taking into account, inter alia, the periodicity of ordinary meetings of the Conference of the Parties and the periodicity and scheduling of meetings of its subsidiary bodies, and to make available a report on those options to Parties, Governments and relevant organizations for their review and comments at least six months prior to its ninth meeting; 
Operational Elapsed Active Retired Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity
4. Requests the Executive Secretary to work with the host country to ensure an effective and productive ministerial segment; and further requests the Executive Secretary in agreement with the Bureau of the Conference of the Parties and the host country of any meeting of the Conference of the Parties, to develop a format for the ministerial segment that will enhance its contribution to the Conference of the Parties and generate support for, and raise awareness of, biodiversity-related issues and the implementation of the Convention;
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5. Decides to use the procedure contained in annex I below as guidance for the process of priority-setting for the allocation of financial resources by the Conference of the Parties; 
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6. Adopts the refined multi-year programme of work of the Conference of the Parties up to 2010, specifying strategic issues for evaluating progress or supporting implementation for in-depth consideration, as set out in annex II below;
Operational Active Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity
7. Requests the Executive Secretary to compile a list of all proposals for new principles, guidelines and other tools, and all requests to the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice, contained in the draft decisions for the Conference of the Parties, and to update this list as new proposals emerge over the course of a meeting, in order to assist the Conference of the Parties in finalizing its decisions; 
Operational Superseded Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity
8. Requests the Executive Secretary, in preparing for meetings of the Conference of the Parties, to keep the number and length of documents to a minimum, and to circulate documents to Parties as early as possible, preferably no later than three months in advance of meetings; 
Operational Active Parties Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity
9. Further requests the Executive Secretary to note linkages among draft decisions in the documentation in order to minimize overlap among them, and encourages Parties and the Executive Secretary to bear these linkages and the need to maintain a manageable number of decisions in mind when considering or preparing draft decisions and to consider the amendment of current decisions before proposing additional ones; 
Informational
10. Decides to maintain the changes it made to rule 21 of the rules of procedure in paragraph 5 of decision V/20; 
Operational Active Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity
11. Requests the Executive Secretary to maintain a list of requests for information, reports, views and compilations proposed during meetings of subsidiary bodies to allow Parties to have an overview of all requests to the Executive Secretary for further inter-sessional work;
Operational Active Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity
12. Further requests the Executive Secretary in undertaking the task above to provide indicative information on: cost estimates, time-frames, and duplication with existing activities;
Operational Elapsed Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme
13. Takes note of the ongoing review and revision of the administrative arrangements between the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Secretariat of the Convention and invites the Executive Director of UNEP and the Executive Secretary to finalize the revision for consideration of the Conference of the Parties at its ninth meeting, taking into consideration decisions IV/17 and VII/33 and the need for a transparent and objective process for appointment of the Executive Secretary that involves the Conference of the Parties and its Bureau in a manner consistent with paragraph 1 of decision IV/17, which refers to consultation with the Conference of the Parties through its Bureau before appointing the Executive Secretary and to the authority of the Conference of the Parties to determine the term of office of the Executive Secretary;
II. The Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice
Informational
14. Notes with appreciation the work of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice to carry out its mandate effectively as defined in Article 25 of the Convention and underlines the need to reduce the number of agenda items for consideration by the Subsidiary Body at each meeting in order to improve the effectiveness of its proceedings; 
Operational Active
15. Requests the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice to ensure that assessments are carried out in an objective and authoritative manner, and that sufficient time is allocated for the consideration of results of assessments (in line with its recommendations VI/5 and X/2); 
Operational Active
16. Requests the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice, whenever it convenes ad hoc technical expert groups under the guidance of the Conference of the Parties, to provide oversight to ensure that terms of reference clearly indicate their mandate, duration of operation, expected outcomes and reporting requirements, and that their mandates are limited to the provision of scientific and technical advice and assessments;
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17. Requests Parties to give priority to the nomination of appropriate scientific and technical experts for participation in ad hoc technical expert groups and other assessment processes, and decides to discontinue the maintenance and use of the roster of experts;
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18. Requests the Executive Secretary to develop and maintain a list of upcoming meetings of ad hoc technical expert groups, other expert groups and assessment processes that require Parties to identify experts, and to circulate the list to all national focal points after each meeting of the Conference of the Parties and the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice; 
Operational Active Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity SBSTTA OTHERS
19. Requests the Executive Secretary and the Bureau of the Subsidiary Body Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice to consider the options for facilitating information exchange and views on items on the agenda of the Subsidiary Body contained in annex IV below when preparing for meetings of the Subsidiary Body;
Informational
20. Endorses the consolidated modus operandi of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice, as contained in annex III to the present decision and decides to review the operation of paragraph 16 above at its ninth meeting;  
Informational
21. Recognizing that Parties determine the specific responsibilities of their focal points to the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice, notes that such focal points act as liaisons with the Secretariat on behalf of their Parties with regard to scientific, technical and technological matters related to the Convention and that, in doing so, they may undertake the following tasks: 
(a) Developing linkages, and facilitating information exchange, between the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice and relevant regional and national agencies and experts; 
(b) Responding to requests for input from the Conference of the Parties and the Secretariat related to scientific, technical and technological issues;
(c) Communicating and collaborating with focal points for the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice in other countries to improve the effectiveness of the Subsidiary Body and to facilitate implementation of the Convention;
(d) Collaborating with other national-level focal points for the Convention on Biological Diversity and focal points from other biodiversity-related conventions to facilitate implementation of the Convention at the national level;
Operational Active Parties
22. Encourages Parties that have not already done so to appoint focal points for the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice; 
III. Ad hoc open-ended working groups
Operational Active
23. Decides that when establishing an ad hoc open-ended working group, it will clearly define the mandate of that working group, including terms of reference, duration of operation, expected outcomes, and reporting requirements. The Executive Secretary shall assist each working group in responding to requests for work that are consistent with the mandate the Conference of the Parties has established, and in producing its final report; 
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24. Decides that, subject to the availability of the necessary budgetary resources and/or voluntary contributions, the Ad Hoc Open-ended Working Group on Review of Implementation of the Convention will meet prior to the ninth meeting of the Conference of the Parties for a period no longer than five days and, if possible back-to-back with the next meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice;
Operational Elapsed WGRI
25. Further decides that at its second meeting, the Ad Hoc Open-ended Working Group on Review of Implementation of the Convention will undertake an in-depth review of the implementation of goals 2 and 3 of the Strategic Plan (excluding consideration of the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety) in accordance with decisions VIII/8 and VIII/13, on national biodiversity strategies and action plans and financial resources and the financial mechanism, and report its findings to the Conference of the Parties at its ninth meeting;  
IV. Other matters
Informational
26. Recognizing that Parties determine the specific responsibilities of their national focal points, notes that the primary function of national focal points is to act as liaisons with the Secretariat on behalf of their Parties and in so doing, they are responsible for:
(a) Receiving and disseminating information related to the Convention; 
(b) Ensuring that Parties are represented at meetings under the Convention; 
(c) Identifying experts to participate in ad hoc technical expert groups, assessment processes and other processes under the Convention; 
(d) Responding to other requests for input by Parties from the Conference of the Parties and the Secretariat; 
(e) Collaborating with national focal points in other countries to facilitate implementation of the Convention; 
(f) Monitoring, promoting and/or facilitating national implementation of the Convention;
Operational Active Parties Other Government(s) OTHERS
27. Invites Parties and Governments, international and regional financial institutions and development agencies, as well as other donors, to make funds available for strengthening the capacity of national focal points for the Convention in developing countries, in particular the least developed countries and small island developing states, and countries with economies in transition, so as to make them more effective, for example through regional and subregional workshops and the sharing of information and experience;   
Operational Active Parties
28. Invites Parties to facilitate regional and subregional preparation for meetings of the Conference of the Parties and implementation of the Convention at the regional and subregional levels as appropriate; 
Operational Active Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity
29. Recalling paragraph 10 of decision VII/33, requests the Executive Secretary, subject to the availability of the necessary budgetary resources and/or voluntary contributions, to make the necessary arrangements for at least one regional preparatory meeting per region prior to each meeting of the Conference of the Parties; 
Operational Active Parties
30. Calls upon developed country Parties to provide financial resources to the Special Voluntary Trust Fund for Additional Voluntary Contributions in Support of Approved Activities (BE Trust Fund) and the Special Voluntary Trust Fund for Facilitating Participation of Parties in the Convention Process (BZ Trust Fund) in a timely manner to facilitate the planning of meetings and the full participation of representatives from developing country Parties and countries with economies in transition; 
Operational Active
31. Recalling paragraph 17 of decision VI/27 B, decides, subject to the necessary financial resources, to fund the participation of two delegates from developing countries or countries with economies in transition in meetings of the Conference of the Parties and the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice through the Special Voluntary Trust Fund for Facilitating Participation of Parties in the Convention Process (BZ Trust Fund); 
Operational Active Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity
32. Decides that prior to the development of new principles, guidelines and other tools under the Convention, the Executive Secretary will, upon request and as appropriate, conduct a gap analysis with a view to:
(a) Identifying existing, useful tools which it might endorse or welcome;
(b) Identifying existing, useful tools, and tools under development that it might try to influence, such that they adequately reflect biodiversity considerations;
(c) Identifying the need for new tools developed under the Convention;
Operational Active Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity
33. Noting that the Conference of the Parties has frequently invited other institutions and organizations to make use of the principles, guidelines and other tools developed under the Convention, requests the Executive Secretary to identify ways and means to more actively promote the use of such tools by international organizations and institutions;
Operational Elapsed Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity
34. Requests the Executive Secretary to report on progress in the implementation of elements of this decision to the Conference of the Parties at its ninth meeting. 
V. Retirement and consolidation of decisions
Recalling paragraph 3 of its decision VII/33,
Taking note of the proposals prepared by the Executive Secretary regarding the retirement of decisions and elements of decisions taken at its fifth and sixth meetings pursuant to decision VII/33 (UNEP/CBD/COP/8/16/Add.1 and UNEP/CBD/COP/8/INF/2),
Operational Elapsed WGRI
35. Requests the Ad Hoc Open-ended Working Group on Review of Implementation of the Convention to develop guidance for the future review and retirement of the decisions of the Conference of the Parties; 
Operational Elapsed Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity
36. Requests the Executive Secretary to make proposals to its ninth meeting regarding the retirement of decisions and elements of decisions taken at its fifth meeting and to communicate such proposals to Parties, Governments and relevant international organizations at least six months prior to its ninth meeting;
Operational Elapsed Parties Other Government(s) OTHERS
37. Invites Parties, Governments and relevant international organizations to submit to the Executive Secretary written comments on the proposals referred to in paragraph 36 above at least three months prior to its ninth meeting;
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38. Recognizing the complexity and far reaching implications of the process of consolidation of decisions, decides to discontinue the process established in paragraph 2 of decision VII/33; 
VI. Admission of bodies and agencies to meetings under the Convention
Recalling Articles 1 and 23, paragraph 5, of the Convention and rule 7 of the rules of procedure for meetings of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity,
Operational Elapsed WGRI
39. Requests the Ad Hoc Open-ended Working Group on Review of Implementation of the Convention, at its second meeting, to consider procedures for admission of bodies and agencies, whether governmental or non-governmental.
Body
Conference of the Parties (COP)

Meeting
COP-08
Eighth Ordinary Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity
20 - 31 March, 2006
Curitiba, Brazil

Decision document
VIII/10
Operations of the Convention
Related documents
UNEP/CBD/COP/10/7/ADD1
Report of the Executive Secretary on the Administration of the Convention and the Budget for the Trust Fund of the Convention (Addendum: Revised Administrative Arrangements between UNEP and the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity)
UNEP/CBD/COP/10/7/ADD1/CORR1
Report of the Executive Secretary on the Administration of the Convention and the Budget for the Trust Fund of the Convention (Addendum: Revised Administrative Arrangements between UNEP and the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity - Corrigendum)
UNEP/CBD/COP/9/INF/2
Proposals on the Retirement of Decisions Taken by the Conference of the Parties at its Fifth Meeting - Proposals by the Executive Secretary pursuant to decision VIII/10 on Operations of the Convention
UNEP/CBD/COP/9/INF/53
Requests to the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice in the Draft Decisions of the Ninth Meeting of the Conference of the Parties
Related decisions / recommendations
VII/33 para 8
Operations of the Convention
IX/29
Operations of the Convention
WGRI-2/5
Operations of the Convention
WGRI-1/2
Review of processes
VII/33 para 9
Operations of the Convention
IV/16 para 8
Institutional matters and the programme of work
V/20 para 5
Operations of the Convention
VII/33 para 7
Operations of the Convention
VII/33
Operations of the Convention
IV/17 para 1
Programme budget for the biennium 1999-2000
VII/28 para 35 2)
Protected areas (Articles 8 (a) to (e))
IV/16 para 11
Institutional matters and the programme of work
III/2
Report and recommendations of the second meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice
VII/33 para 2
Operations of the Convention