Decision COP IX/29

1. Requests the Executive Secretary, in consultation with the Bureau, to further refine the tentative schedule for meetings of the Convention up to 2010 (UNEP/CBD/COP/9/INF/35), taking into consideration the decisions taken at its ninth meeting;

2. Welcomes as a useful input into the further consideration of the periodicity of its meetings and its subsidiary bodies the report by the Executive Secretary (UNEP/CBD/COP/9/22/Add.1), on options for the meeting schedule and organization of work of the Conference of the Parties after 2010;

3. Requests the report referred to in paragraph 2 of the present decision to be updated by the Executive Secretary as needed and made available for the consideration of the Working Group on the Review of Implementation at its third meeting and forwarded to the Conference of the Parties at its tenth meeting, taking into consideration the relationship between the periodicity of the meetings of the Conference of the Parties and its subsidiary bodies and the revision and updating of the Strategic Plan as well as a multi-year programme of work for the period 2011-2022;

4. Reiterates its request to the Executive Secretary in paragraph 4 of decision VIII/10 to work with the host countries of future meetings of the Conference of the Parties to ensure an effective and productive ministerial segment;

5. Reminds Parties, the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice, Bureau members, working groups, ad hoc technical expert groups and the Executive Secretary, to take into full account the provisions of previous decisions of the Conference of the Parties and other relevant documents of the Convention when recommending any decision to the Conference of the Parties for adoption in future meetings, so as to avoid any duplication of decisions;

Additional elements to the consolidated modus operandi

Recalling the consolidated modus operandi of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice adopted by the Conference of the Parties in decision VIII/10,

6. Requests the Executive Secretary to facilitate increased information exchange between the Bureaus of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific Technical and Technological Advice and the Conference of the Parties by inter alia inviting the Chair of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific Technical and Technological Advice to attend relevant meetings of the Bureau of the Conference of the Parties; 

7. Calls upon Parties to actively participate in the peer-review process for documentation related to the Subsidiary Body on Scientific Technical and Technological Advice prepared by the Executive Secretary and to include where appropriate experts qualified in the fields relating to the items on the agenda of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific Technical and Technological Advice on their delegations;

New and emerging issues relating to the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity

Recalling that, according to Article 25, paragraph 3, of the Convention, the functions, terms of reference, organization and operation of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice may be further elaborated by the Conference of the Parties,

Also recalling that in accordance with decision VIII/10, annex III, paragraph 1, the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice will fulfil its mandate under the authority of, and in accordance with, guidance laid down by the Conference of the Parties, and upon its request,

Further recalling that in accordance with VIII/10, annex III, paragraph 5, that the rules of procedure for meetings of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity shall apply, mutatis mutandis, in accordance with rule 26, paragraph 5, to the proceedings of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice,

Underlining 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 (decision VIII/10, annex III, para. 14),

Also recalling that in accordance with decision VIII/10, annex III, appendix A, paragraph (d),  one of the specific functions of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice is to identify new and emerging issues related to the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity,

Emphasizing that the present decision is without prejudice to the rules of procedure and to the modus operandi contained in annex III to decision VIII/10,

8. Requests the Executive Secretary to notify Parties and relevant organizations after each meeting of the Conference of the Parties of the latest date by which proposals submitted for new and emerging issues based on the information requested in paragraph 11 below and the criteria listed in paragraph 12 will still be included into the compilation mentioned below;

9. Also requests the Executive Secretary to compile the submissions in the form in which they are received and notify Parties and relevant organizations of the opportunity to contribute relevant information and views related to the proposals taking into account the criteria listed in paragraph 12 below; 

10. Further requests the Executive Secretary to prepare a document compiling the original submissions and the information and views received for consideration by the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice;

11. Decides that proposals for emerging issues should, where possible, be accompanied with information on:

12. Further decides that the following criteria should be used for identifying new and emerging issues related to the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity:

13. Requests the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice to review and discuss the proposals and, as appropriate, identify new and  emerging issues and elaborate a scientific and technical analysis with options for action for consideration and to submit this analysis to the Conference of the Parties for its consideration;

14. Decides:

15. Requests the Executive Secretary to make proposals to the Conference of the Parties at its tenth meeting regarding the retirement of decisions and elements of decisions taken at its sixth meeting, as well as the proposals contained in the note by the Executive Secretary on operation of the Convention (UNEP/CBD/COP/9/22) and to communicate such proposals to Parties, Governments and relevant international organizations at least six months prior to its tenth meeting;

16. Requests the Executive Secretary to continue the practice of maintaining the full text of all decisions on the Secretariat website while indicating those decisions and elements of decisions that have been retired;

17. Decides to adopt the steps annexed to the present decision for the admission of any body or agency, whether governmental or non-governmental, to meetings of the Convention on Biological Diversity, recognizing that it is without prejudice to Article 23, paragraph 5, of the Convention, and rule 7 of the rules of procedure; 

18. 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 urges the Executive Director of UNEP and the Executive Secretary to finalize the revision for consideration by the Conference of the Parties at its tenth meeting, taking into consideration decisions IV/17, VII/33, and VIII/10, and requests the Executive Secretary to report to the President and the Bureau between the ninth and tenth meetings of the Conference of the Parties on progress on this matter;

19. Takes further note of the recommendations by the Executive Secretary on the ways and means to more actively promote the use of the principles, guidelines and other tools developed under the Convention, and requests the Executive Secretary to undertake such actions, subject to the availability of resources, including further facilitating their use at capacity-building workshops and other activities aimed at furthering the implementation of the work programmes of the Convention, with a view to promoting the greater use of the Convention’s principles, guidelines and other tools, and invites other intergovernmental processes, United Nations agencies and non-governmental organizations to facilitate their use as well.