. Forest biodiversity: consideration of matters arising from the implementation of paragraph 19 of decision VI/22
Forest biodiversity: consideration of matters arising from the implementation of paragraph 19 of decision VI/22
The Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice recommends that the Conference of the Parties:
Recalling paragraph 19 of decision VI/22 of the Conference of the Parties in which the Executive Secretary was requested to initiate a series of actions in support of the implementation of the expanded programme of work on forest biodiversity,
Mindful that many organizations, including the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF), the World Bank Forest Law Enforcement Governance (FLEG) processes, other members of the Collaborative Partnership on Forests, and regional forest-related processes, have relevant and current information, including on forest law enforcement and sustainable forest management, national forest programmes and cross-sectoral integration,
1. Welcomes the note prepared by the Executive Secretary on matters arising from the implementation of paragraph 19 of decision VI/22 (UNEP/CBD/SBSTTA/11/14); and the report on the effects of insufficient law enforcement on forest biological diversity (UNEP/CBD/SBSTTA/11/INF/12), and the compilation of best practices to reduce negative impacts and enhance positive impacts of other sectoral policies on forest biological diversity (UNEP/CBD/SBSTTA/11/INF/13);
2. Expresses its appreciation to those Parties, other Governments, non-governmental organizations, members of the Collaborative Partnership on Forests, regional forest-related processes, , other United Nations bodies and conventions, intergovernmental organizations, and research institutes for their various inputs and collaborative efforts in the implementation of the different actions outlined in subparagraphs 19 (a)-(g) of decision VI/22;
3. Urges Parties and invites international organizations and non-governmental organizations to provide information on forest law enforcement and related trade and its effects on forest biological diversity as a contribution to the review of the programme of work;
4. Requests the Executive Secretary to:
(a) Strengthen collaboration on issues regarding forest law enforcement and sustainable forest management with the International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO), the United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF), the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR), the World Bank, other relevant members of the Collaborative Partnership on Forests, and regional forest-related processes, in order to complement and contribute to the ongoing Forest Law Enforcement and Governance (FLEG) Ministerial processes and similar initiatives, with a view to improving the implementation of relevant activities of the expanded programme of work on forest biological diversity at the national level and in order to determine where the Convention on Biological Diversity can add value in the development of regional approaches;
(b) Synthesize, in collaboration with relevant members of the Collaborative Partnership on Forests, existing information on the way Parties are promoting the implementation of their national forest programmes and national biodiversity strategies and action plans;
(c) Develop in collaboration with stakeholders and taking into account the work of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the United Nations Forum of Forests, the Ministerial Conference on the Protection of Forests in Europe (MCPFE), other relevant regional forest-related processes, and members of the Collaborative Partnership on Forests, the toolkit on cross-sectoral, integrated approaches making best use of already existing instruments, notably national forest programmes, to reduce negative impacts and enhance positive impacts of other sectoral policies on forest biological diversity, for consideration of SBSTTA at its twelfth meeting, and to disseminate it through electronic and non-electronic means;
(d) Suspend the operation of the forest web portal of the Convention on Biological Diversity due to its low rate of use, and direct Parties to the Collaborative Partnership on Forests (CPF) Joint Information Framework web site, hosted by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) [16]/ and invite the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations to incorporate the CBD forest-related information more comprehensively into the CPF web portal;
(e) Complete the assessment on unauthorized harvesting on fauna (including bushmeat) as proposed in document UNEP/CBD/SBSTTA/11/INF/12 and finalize the compilation of best practices outlined in document UNEP/CBD/SBSTTA/11/INF/13;
(f) Compile the lessons learned from paragraph 19 of decision VI/22, in particular those under subparagraph (f) on sustainable use;
5. Recalling paragraph 28 of decision VI/22 and paragraphs 7 and 11(b) of decision VII/11, encourages Parties to continue to integrate the ecosystem approach and sustainable forest management policies and practices and to further strengthen the institutional and human capacity for implementing adaptive management;
6. Invites Parties and other Governments to strengthen collaboration at the national level between the World Heritage Convention, the Convention on Biological Diversity, and UNESCO focal points respectively, in order to increase the effectiveness of implementation of the expanded programme of work on forest biological diversity, and the programme of work on protected areas, in relevant World Heritage sites, taking into account the relevance of the programme of work on protected areas for the implementation of programme element 1, goal 3, objective 3 of the expanded programme of work on forest biological diversity;
7. Considers the outcomes to be derived from the sixth session of the United Nations Forum on Forests;
8. Explores further means to strengthen the exchange of information and capacitybuilding related to the implementation of the expanded programme of work on forest biological diversity through non-web based means, such as CD-Rom and hard copies and to enhance sharing of practical and useful web-based forest information;
9. Takes note of the potential impacts of genetically modified trees on forest biological diversity and suggests a process on how to address this issue.