Decision COP IX/26

The Conference of the Parties,

Recalling its decision VIII/17,

Noting with appreciation the initiative of the Portuguese Presidency of the Council of the European Union of holding a high‑level conference on business and biodiversity in November 2007,

Welcoming the efforts of Germany, including through its Business and Biodiversity Initiative, to mobilize the business community for the ninth meeting of the Conference of the Parties,

Welcoming the support of the Netherlands for the organization of a third informal “business and the 2010 biodiversity challenge” meeting, to further develop ideas that could best be pursued through the Convention or in support of its objectives, for engaging business in biodiversity issues, as a means of working towards the 2010 target,

Noting with appreciation the efforts of the Secretariat to engage the business community, including through the designation of a focal point for business,

Recognizing the potential impacts of business operations on biodiversity and the role that the business community and civil society need to play for the implementation of the three objectives of the Convention, at all levels,

1. Invites Parties, as appropriate, to improve actions and cooperation for enhancing the engagement of the business community, including small and medium-sized enterprises, in particular through the development of public-private partnerships, in the implementation of the three objectives of the Convention;

2. Urges Parties to continue to raise awareness on the business case for biodiversity;

3. Encourages public and private financial institutions to include biodiversity considerations into all investments and to create investment schemes to promote sustainable business activities;

4. Requests the Global Environment Facility, and invites Parties, other Governments, and relevant organizations to support capacity-building in developing countries, in particular the least developed and the small island developing States among them, and Parties with economies in transition, for engaging the business community in the implementation of the Convention; 

5. Welcomes the framework for priority actions to be undertaken by the Secretariat contained in the annex to the present decision, subject to the availability of resources, and requests the Executive Secretary, where possible and appropriate, to take into account relevant initiatives by Parties and organizations.