Side Event

Intermediate results of UNEP’s initiative on Integrated Assessment of Trade-related Policies and Biodiversity in the Agricultural Sector

Organizer
United Nation Environment Programme - Economics and Trade Branch

Date and Time
22 May 2008 13:15 - 14:45

Meeting
Ninth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP 9)

The side event will present the intermediate results of UNEP’s initiative on Integrated Assessment of Trade-related Policies and Biodiversity in the Agricultural Sector, implemented in close collaboration with the Secretariat of the CBD and UNEP-WCMC. The initiative aims to enhance capacity in developing countries to develop and implement policy recommendations that safeguard biological diversity while maximizing sustainable development gains from trade liberalization in the agriculture sector. The outcomes of this initiative will help clarify the relationships between biodiversity and trade-related policies and also contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of biodiversity assessment and valuation. The 4-year initiative was launched in July 2005 in response to the call by the CBD COP to study the impact of trade liberalization on agricultural biodiversity (Decision VI/5). The side-event will provide an opportunity to update the parties on the progress achieved in this respect. At the core of this initiative are 6 country projects in ACP countries (Cameroon, Uganda, Mauritius, Madagascar, Papua New Guinea, Jamaica) of 3-year duration (Oct 06-Dec 09), which aim to assess the economic, social and environmental impacts of trade liberalization in the agricultural sector with particular focus on biodiversity. Selected members of the country project teams will be invited for the side event to share first hand experiences. The side event will also be used to share the advanced draft of UNEP’s Guidance on Incorporating Biodiversity into Integrated Assessment of Trade Policy in the Agricultural Sector (consisting of a practical step-by-step guide to undertaking integrated assessment of trade policy in the agricultural sector prioritising biodiversity, specific guidance for biodiversity assessment, and an accompanying reference document that explains in detail the importance of biodiversity and ecosystem services and the complex linkages that exist between trade in the agricultural sector and biodiversity). The side event will be jointly organized by UNEP (through its Economics and Trade Branch) and the Secretariat of the CBD.