SBSTTA Recommendation
. Forest biodiversity: Collaboration with the UNFF secretariat and report on cooperation on the monitoring of forest biodiversity and on clarifying the definitions of forest and forest types
XIV/12.Forest biodiversity: Collaboration with the UNFF secretariat and report on cooperation on the monitoring of forest biodiversity and on clarifying the definitions of forest and forest types
The Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice recommends that the Conference of the Parties adopt a decision along the following lines:
The Conference of the Parties
Cooperation with the United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF) and the International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO)
1.Welcomes resolution 8/1 of the United Nations Forum on Forests on forests in a changing environment, enhanced cooperation and cross-sectoral policy and programme coordination, regional and subregional inputs;
2.Welcomes and supports the Memorandum of Understanding between the secretariats of the Convention on Biological Diversity and the United Nations Forum on Forests as signed on 15 December 2009, which, among others, aims to identify, develop and implement targeted joint activities; and invites Parties, other Governments, and relevant organizations to support joint activities under the Memorandum of Understanding as outlined in this decision; and invites donors to provide funding for a joint staff position and activity funds through the Voluntary Trust Fund of the Convention. Subject to available funds, this joint staff will be tasked with implementing activities under the Memorandum of Understanding;
3.Welcomes and supports the Memorandum of Understanding between the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity and the Secretariat of the International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO) as signed on 2 March 2010 which aims to strengthen implementation of the programme of work on forest biodiversity of the Convention on Biological Diversity in tropical forests;
4.Takes note of the importance of collaboration with all relevant regional and international bodies mandated to promote conservation and sustainable use of various types of forests, including those in countries with low forest cover and fragile forest ecosystems;
Targeted joint activities between the secretariats of the Convention on Biological Diversity and the United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF)
5.Requests the Executive Secretary to:
(a)Based on priorities identified in its decision IX/5 and taking into account recent developments, in particular resolution 8/1 of the United Nations Forum on Forests, identify and implement, in consultation with the Director of the United Nations Forum on Forests, targeted joint activities between the secretariats of the Convention on Biological Diversity and the United Nations Forum on Forests to support Parties, in particular developing countries, in the implementation of the programme of work on forest biological diversity and the non-legally binding instrument on all types of forests, including through:
(i)Further capacity-building on how forest biodiversity and climate change could be better addressed in national biodiversity and forest policies, such as national biodiversity strategies and action plans and national forest programmes, and in sustainable forest management practices, building on the UNFF/CBD workshop 17 held in Singapore, from 2 to 5 September 2009, taking into account current discussions under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change;
(ii)Further collaboration with the Global Partnership on Forest Landscape Restoration and other cooperation mechanisms on restoring forest ecosystems, paying particular attention to genetic diversity;
(iii)Streamlining forest-related reporting, based on the Collaborative Partnership on Forests (CPF) Task Force on Streamlining Forest-related Reporting, including by organizing, in collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, a meeting of the Task Force prior to the eleventh meeting of the Conference of the Parties, to investigate whether there are inadequacies in forest biodiversity reporting and monitoring, and if so, suggest ways to address these inadequacies, including by proposing improved definitions of forest and forest types, in view of further improving the biodiversity monitoring component of the Global Forest Resources Assessment and other relevant processes and initiatives;
and report on progress to SBSTTA at a meeting prior to the eleventh meeting of the Conference of the Parties;
Cooperation with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and relevant organizations
6.Welcomes the work of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations in compiling the Global Forest Resources Assessment 2010, which will provide updated and expanded information on forest biodiversity;
7.Takes note of the findings of the Global Forest Resources Assessment 2010, and encourages the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations to continue its work towards improved monitoring of forest biodiversity;
8.Recognizes the importance of forest genetic diversity for the conservation and sustainable use of forest biodiversity, including in the context of addressing climate change and maintaining forest ecosystems resilience; and in this context welcomes the preparation by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations of the country driven report The State of the World's Forest Genetic Resources;
9.Invites Parties, other Governments, and relevant organizations to support the preparation of the country-driven first report The State of the World's Forest Genetic Resources; this may include preparation of country reports and reports from international organizations, noting that technical assistance and other support should be provided to developing country Parties to ensure the quality of the report;
10.Requests the Executive Secretary to collaborate with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations in the preparation of The State of the World's Forest Genetic Resources, including by participating in relevant sessions of the Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture and its Intergovernmental Technical Working Group on Forest Genetic Resources;
11.Requests the Executive Secretary to explore, together with the Low Forest Cover Countries (LFCC) Secretariat, the possibility for developing a workplan, including identification, development and implementation of targeted joint activities to support Parties, in particular developing countries with low forest cover, in the implementation of the programme of work on forest biodiversity;
Cooperation with Collaborative Partnership on Forests
12.Requests the Executive Secretary:
(a)With regard to reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation, collaborate with the Secretariat of the United Nations Forum on Forests, the Facility Management Team of the World Bank Forest Carbon Partnership Facility, the Secretariat of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, the Secretariat of the UN Collaborative Programme on Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation in Developing Countries, and the other members of Collaborative Partnership on Forests (CPF), and in collaboration with Parties through their national CBD focal points, to
- Option 1
- [Contribute to the discussions on and the possible development of biodiversity safeguards and mechanisms to monitor impacts on biodiversity, with the full and effective participation of indigenous and local communities, as appropriate, and support the development of guidance on how to create synergies between the implementation of national forest-related actions and programmes;]
- Option 2
- [With effective consultation with Parties, and based on their views, explore opportunities to provide advice, as requested, to the discussions on this issue, in order to avoid any possible negative impacts on biodiversity by such activities, with the full and effective participation of indigenous and local communities, as appropriate;]
(b)Develop a module of the TEMATEA tool on international commitments related to forest biodiversity;
13.Invites Parties, other Governments, and relevant organizations to further improve coordination and collaboration, based on domestic needs, at national and regional levels between national focal points of the Convention on Biological Diversity, the United Nations Forum on Forests, the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and involve relevant sectors and stakeholders to implement all relevant decisions, including the expanded programme of work on forest biological diversity (decisions VI/22 and IX/5);
14.Invites Parties, other Governments, the members of the Collaborative Partnership on Forests, and other relevant organizations and processes to closely collaborate in implementing the targets concerning forest biodiversity agreed upon in the revised Strategic Plan of the Convention on Biological Diversity.
17
The report of the meeting is available as document UNEP/CBD/WS-CB-FBD&CC/1/2 at http://www.cbd.int/doc/meetings/for/wscb-fbdcc-01/official/wscb-fbdcc-01-02-en.doc.