SBSTTA Recommendation
. Proposals for a consolidated update of the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation
XIV/8.Proposals for a consolidated update of the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation
The Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice recommends that the Conference of the Parties at its tenth meeting adopt a decision along the following lines:
The Conference of the Parties,
Recognizing the critical role of plants in supporting ecosystem resilience, provision of ecosystem services; adapting to and mitigating environmental challenges inter alia, climate change, and for supporting human well-being,
Welcoming the efforts made by some Parties in developing national responses and/or mainstreaming these targets, including the regional response from Europe to update the European Plant Conservation Strategy using the framework of this Strategy,
Recalling that the national implementation of the Strategy contributes to the Millennium Development Goals, especially on poverty reduction (goal 1), the health crisis (goal 6) and environmental sustainability (goal 7),
Acknowledging the efforts that have been put in place by partners, international organizations and other stakeholders to contribute to the achievement of the targets and to build capacity for the implementation of the Strategy,
Welcoming the Plant Conservation Report, available in all the six United Nations languages, as a concise overview of the progress made in implementing the Strategy, and recognizing the contribution of the Government of Ireland to the preparation and dissemination of the Report,
Aware that while significant progress has been made in implementing the Strategy at all levels, further work will be necessary in the period beyond 2010 to achieve the goals set out in the Strategy,
1.Decides to adopt the consolidated update of the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation, including the outcome-oriented global targets for 2011-2020, contained in the annex below, and to pursue the implementation of the Strategy as part of the broader framework of the Strategic Plan of the Convention beyond 2010;
2.Emphasizes that the outcome-oriented global targets for 2011-2020 should be viewed as a flexible framework within which national and/or regional targets may be developed, according to national priorities and capacities, and taking into account differences in plant diversity between countries;
3.Emphasizes the need for capacity-building, particularly in developing country Parties, in particular the least developed countries and small island developing States among them, and Parties with economies in transition, to facilitate implementation of the Strategy;
4.Notes that while the consolidated update is technically and scientifically feasible, there is an urgent need to mobilize, in line with the resource mobilization Strategy of the Convention, the necessary financial, technical and human resources and strengthen capacity and partnerships in order to achieve the targets of this Strategy;
5.Invites Parties, other Governments, [the financial mechanism], and funding organizations to provide adequate, timely and sustainable support to the implementation of the Strategy, especially by developing country Parties, in particular the least developed countries and small island developing States among them, and Parties with economies in transition;
6.Invites Parties and other Governments to:
(a)Develop or update national and, regional targets as appropriate, and, where appropriate, to incorporate them into relevant plans, programmes and initiatives, including national biodiversity strategies and action plans, and to align the further implementation of the Strategy with national and/or regional efforts to implement the Strategic Plan of the Convention beyond 2010; and
(b)Recalling paragraph 6 of decision VII/10, to appoint national focal points for the Strategy where they have not been appointed, with a view to enhance national implementation;
7.Also invites relevant international and regional organizations to:
(a)Endorse the updated Strategy and to contribute to its implementation, including by promoting common efforts towards halting the loss of plant diversity;
(b)Support national and regional efforts to achieve the targets of the Strategy through facilitation of capacity-building, technology transfer, information sharing and resource mobilization;
(c)Support the development of specific toolkits for local protected area managers and compilation of case studies to illustrate best management practices in halting decline in traditional knowledge associated with plant resources;
8.Invites Parties, other Governments and relevant organizations to promote the implementation of the Strategy by all relevant sectors at national level;
9.Decides to undertake a mid-term review of the implementation of the consolidated update of the Strategy and its targets in 2015, in tandem with the mid-term review of the Strategic Plan of the Convention and the review of the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals;
10.[Requests the Executive Secretary to seek the resources necessary for the establishment a position at the Secretariat to strengthen the coordination and support towards the implementation of the Strategy beyond 2010;]
11.Further requests the Executive Secretary, in collaboration with the Global Partnership for Plant Conservation and other partners and relevant organizations, and subject to the availability of the necessary resources to:
(a)Undertake further work, through the flexible coordination mechanism, on developing the milestones and, where relevant, indicators for the updated Strategy and measures for enhanced national implementation of the Strategy and integrate the implementation of the Strategy with other programmes and initiatives of the Convention, including harmonization with the new Strategic Plan and its implementation measures;
(b)Develop, by 2012, an online version of the GSPC toolkit in all United Nations official languages if possible, through by convening a workshop to define the purpose, context, producers, users and evaluation of implementation, taking into account the outline developed by the third meeting of the Liaison Group to facilitate and promote the development and updating of national and regional responses and to enhance national/regional implementation;
(c)Organize regional capacity building and training workshops on national and regional implementation of the Strategy, as much as possible, in conjunction with other relevant workshops; and
(d)Raise awareness about the contribution of the activities carried out as part of the implementation of the Strategy beyond 2010 in achieving the Millennium Development Goals, and contributing to human well-being and sustainable development;
12.Expresses its appreciation to the Government of Ireland, the Government of Spain, the Global Partnership for Plant Conservation, Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI), the Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, Chicago Botanic Gardens, and Durban Botanic Gardens, for supporting activities related to the development of the updated Strategy as well as the Boeing company for supporting regional meetings;
13.Expresses its gratitude to Botanic Gardens Conservation International for the secondment of a Programme Officer to the Secretariat to support the implementation of the Strategy up to 2010.
Annex
PROPOSALS FOR AN UPDATED GLOBAL STRATEGY FOR PLANT CONSERVATION 2011 2020
A.VISION
Without plants, there is no life. The functioning of the planet, and our survival, depends upon plants. The Strategy seeks to halt the continuing loss of plant diversity.
1.Our vision is of a positive, sustainable future where human activities support the diversity of plant life (including the endurance of plant genetic diversity, survival of plant species and communities and their associated habitats and ecological associations), and where in turn the diversity of plants support and improve our livelihoods and well-being.
B.MISSION STATEMENT
2.The Global Strategy for Plant Conservation is a catalyst for working together at all levels - local, national, regional and global - to understand, conserve and use sustainably the world's immense wealth of plant diversity whilst promoting awareness and building the necessary capacities for its implementation.
C.OBJECTIVES
3.The goal of the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation is to address the challenges posed by threats to plant diversity. While the overall purpose of the Strategy is conservation, sustainable use of plant diversity, access and benefit-sharing are equally important to its purpose, taking into consideration Article 8(j) of the Convention.
4.The implementation of the Strategy should be considered within the broader framework of the Strategic Plan 2011-2020 of the Convention considering that the pressures on biodiversity and the underlying causes of biodiversity loss affect plants as much as other components of biodiversity. Similarly, the mechanisms required to enable Parties, partners and other stakeholders to effectively implement the Convention and to monitor progress in implementation under the New Strategic Plan for the Convention beyond 2010 will be also relevant for this Strategy.
5.The Strategy consists of the following five objectives:
(a)Objective I: Plant diversity is well understood, documented and recognized;
(b)Objective II: Plant diversity is urgently and effectively conserved;
(c)Objective III: Plant diversity is used in a sustainable and equitable manner;
(d)Objective IV: Education and awareness about plant diversity, its role in sustainable livelihoods and importance to all life on Earth is promoted;
(e)Objective V: The capacities and public engagement necessary to implement the Strategy have been developed.
D.RATIONALE FOR THE STRATEGY
6.Plants are universally recognized as a vital component of the world's biological diversity and an essential resource for the planet. In addition to the cultivated plant species used for food, timber and fibres, many wild plants have great economic and cultural importance and potential, as future crops and commodities more so as humanity grapples with the emerging challenges of environmental and climate change. Plants play a key role in maintaining the planet's basic environmental balance and ecosystem stability and provide an irreplaceable component of the habitats for the world's animal life. At present, a complete inventory of the plants of the world has not been assembled, but it is estimated that the total number of vascular plant species may be of the order of 400,000. 6
7.Of urgent concern is the fact that many plant species, communities, and their ecological interactions, including the many relationships between plant species and human communities and cultures, are in danger of extinction, threatened by such human-induced factors as climate change, habitat loss and transformation, over-exploitation, alien invasive species, pollution, clearing for agriculture and other development, inter alia. If this loss is not stemmed, countless opportunities to develop new solutions to pressing economic, social, health and industrial problems will also be lost. Furthermore, plant diversity is of special concern to indigenous and local communities, and these communities have a vital role to play in addressing the loss of plant diversity.
8.If efforts are made at all levels to fully implement this updated Strategy: (i) Societies around the world will be able to continue to rely upon plants for ecosystem goods and services, including food, medicines, clean water, climate amelioration, rich, productive landscapes, energy sources, and a healthy atmosphere; (ii) humanity will secure the ability to fully utilize the potential of plants to mitigate and adapt to climate change recognizing the role of plant diversity in maintaining the resilience of ecosystems; (iii) the risk of plant extinctions because of human activities will be greatly diminished, and the genetic diversity of plants safeguarded; (iv) the rich evolutionary legacy of plant diversity will be used sustainably and benefits arising are shared equitably to solve pressing problems, support livelihoods and improve human well-being; (v) the knowledge, innovations and practices of indigenous and local human communities that depend on plant diversity will be secure and recognized; and (vi) people everywhere will be aware of the urgency of plant conservation and will understand that plants support their lives and that everyone has a role to play in plant conservation.
E.SCOPE AND GENERAL PRINCIPLES OF THE GLOBAL STRATEGY FOR PLANT CONSERVATION
9.The Strategy applies to the three primary levels of biological diversity as recognized by the Convention, hence plant genetic diversity, plant species and communities and their associated habitats and ecosystems.
10.Accordingly, the Strategy addresses the Plant Kingdom with main focus on higher plants, and other well-described groups such as Bryophytes and Pteridophytes. This does not imply that these lower groups do not have important ecological functions, nor that they are not threatened. Parties may choose on a national basis to include other taxa, including algae, lichens and fungi. The strategy considers plants in the terrestrial, inland water and marine environments.
11.The sixteen outcome clear, stable, long-term targets adopted at global level provide guidance for setting national plant targets. These targets are to be understood in a pragmatic rather than a literal way. They aim to be strategic, rather than comprehensive. Regional components of the Strategy might be developed, perhaps using a biogeographical approach.
12.The implementation of the Strategy should be considered within the broader framework of the Strategic Plan of the Convention for the period 2011-2020. The pressures on biodiversity and the underlying causes of biodiversity loss affect plants as much as other components of biodiversity. Also the mechanisms required to enable Parties and other stakeholders to effectively implement the Convention and to monitor progress in implementation are needed for the conservation and sustainable use of plants. These elements covered in the Strategic Plan for the period 2011-2020 are therefore not detailed for the updated Global Strategy for Plant Conservation but should be seen as complementary components that are essential for the effective implementation of the Strategy.
F.THE TARGETS - 2011-2020
Objective I: Plant diversity is well understood, documented and recognized
Target 1:An online Flora of all known plants.
Target 2:An assessment of the conservation status of all known plant species, as far as possible, to guide conservation action.
Target 3:Information, research and associated outputs, and methods necessary to implement the Strategy developed and shared.
Objective II: Plant diversity is urgently and effectively conserved
Target 4:At least 15 per cent of each ecological region or vegetation type secured through effective management and/or restoration.
Target 5:At least 75 per cent of the most important areas for plant diversity of each ecological region protected with effective management in place for conserving plants and their genetic diversity.
Target 6:At least 75 per cent of production lands in each sector managed sustainably, consistent with the conservation of plant diversity.
Target 7:At least 75 per cent of threatened plant species conserved in situ.
Target 8:At least 75 per cent of threatened plant species in ex-situ collections, preferably in the country of origin, and at least 20 per cent available for recovery and restoration programmes.
Target 9:70 per cent of the genetic diversity of crops including their wild relatives and other socio-economically valuable plant species conserved, and associated indigenous and local knowledge respected, [preserved][protected] and maintained.
Target 10:Effective management plans in place to prevent new biological invasions and to manage important areas for plant diversity that are invaded.
Objective III. Plant diversity is used in a sustainable and equitable manner
Target 11:No species of wild flora endangered by international trade.
Target 12:All wild harvested plant based products sourced sustainably.
Target 13:Indigenous and local knowledge innovations and practices associated with plant resources, maintained or increased, as appropriate, to support customary use, sustainable livelihoods, local food security and health care.
Objective IV: Education and awareness about plant diversity, its role in sustainable livelihoods and importance to all life on earth is promoted
Target 14:The importance of plant diversity and the need for its conservation incorporated into communication, education and public awareness programmes.
Objective V: The capacities and public engagement necessary to implement the Strategy have been developed
Target 15:The number of trained people working with appropriate facilities sufficient according to national needs, to achieve the targets of this Strategy.
Target 16:Institutions, networks and partnerships for plant conservation established or strengthened at national, regional and international levels to achieve the targets of this Strategy.
G.IMPLEMENTATION OF THE STRATEGY
13.Measures to implement the Strategy will need to be put in place at international, regional, national, and subnational levels. This includes the development of national targets and their incorporation into relevant plans, programmes and initiatives, including national biodiversity strategies and action plans. National targets will vary from country to country according to differences in levels of plant diversity and national priorities. Multilateral and bilateral funding agencies should consider putting in place policies and procedures to ensure that their funding activities are supportive of and do not run counter to the strategy and its targets.
14.The Strategy should be implemented in harmony with the updated Strategic Plan of the Convention beyond 2010 and with other programmes of work and initiatives of the Convention. In addition, it will be necessary to develop a monitoring framework for the Strategy beyond 2010 including a review and harmonization of the indicators and milestones consistent with the processes under the 2010 biodiversity indicators framework of the Convention.
15.In order to ensure that progress in implementation is not constrained by limited funding and lack of training workshops there will be a need to backstop the updated strategy with sufficient human, technical and financial resources in order to achieve the targets by 2020. Therefore, in addition to the Parties to the Convention, further development and implementation of the strategy should involve a range of actors, including: (i) International initiatives (e.g., international conventions, intergovernmental organizations, United Nations agencies, multilateral aid agencies); (ii) members of the Global Partnership for Plant Conservation, (iii) conservation and research organizations (including protected-area management boards, botanic gardens, gene banks, universities, research institutes, non-governmental organizations and networks of non-governmental organizations); (iv) communities and major groups (including indigenous and local communities, farmers, women, youth); (v) Governments (central, regional, local authorities); and (vi) the private sector.
6
Paton, Alan J.; Brummitt, Neil; Govaerts, Rafaël; Harman, Kehan; Hinchcliffe, Sally; Allkin, Bob; Lughadha, Eimear Nic. 2008. Target 1 of the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation: a working list of all known plant species-progress and prospects. Taxon, Volume 57, Number 2, May 2008 , pp. 602-611(10).