Notification 2018-041

Dear Madam/Sir, I am pleased to inform you that the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity, in collaboration with UN Women, is convening a capacity-building workshop on the margins of the twenty-second meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice (SBSTTA 22), from 30 June to 1 July 2018, in Montreal, Canada. The purpose of the workshop is to strengthen the awareness and capacity of subsidiary body meeting delegates of the Convention to integrate a gender perspective in the intergovernmental deliberations and the implementation of the Convention, the Aichi Biodiversity Targets, and the National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs). The workshop is being convened with financial and technical support from UN Women, and will be conducted in English. This workshop is intended to equip participants with the knowledge and tools needed to: a. effectively contribute to discussions on gender equality and women’s participation under SBSTTA22/SBI2 and COP14, and support their delegations and negotiating groups to integrate gender considerations in decisions to be adopted; b. identify key entry points for gender mainstreaming in biodiversity policies and programmes, including in NBSAPS, in implementation of the Aichi Biodiversity Targets, and in national reporting; c. effectively implement the 2015-2020 Gender Plan of Action and reflect on a post-2020 plan or strategy; and d. strategically integrate gender considerations in the development of the post-2020 biodiversity framework and follow-on planning for gender mainstreaming in implementation of the Convention. By this notification, I am pleased to invite your Government or accredited stakeholder organization to nominate one official who will be attending the upcoming subsidiary body meetings (SBSTTA 22 and/or the second meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Implementation – SBI 2) to participate in this workshop. Please note that due to funding constraints, only a limited number of representatives will be selected. Participants should be individuals with an interest in engaging on gender issues related to the Convention, including those with relevant experience on mainstreaming gender issues. Participants might include subsidiary body delegates who serve as gender focal points in their agencies/organizations, or delegates who are engaged in biodiversity-related policy and/or programming where the integration of gender perspectives is most relevant. The Secretariat encourages the nomination of a representative who meets the following criteria: a. Demonstrated interest and/or experience in gender mainstreaming relevant to the Convention; b. Ability to actively contribute to exchange and learning on gender equality and biodiversity topics, applying their knowledge and practical experience working on processes under the Convention; and c. Availability to apply learning from the workshop, including through advancing consideration of gender issues in upcoming meetings under the Convention (SBSTTA 22, SBI 2 and the fourteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties – COP 14), such as through supporting their delegations and negotiating groups to integrate gender considerations in decisions and participating in panels and or events. Delegates who are also engaged in processes under other Rio Conventions (climate change and/or land degradation) are particularly welcome to participate in this capacity-building workshop. Participants will be expected to undertake some preliminary work in preparation for the workshop, involving, among other things, identification and submission of national case studies on gender and biodiversity issues, to be shared at the workshop. All Parties or accredited organizations wishing to participate in the workshop should provide the name and full contact details of their nominees via a letter addressed to the Executive Secretary. Nominations from Parties are asked to be signed by the National Focal Point. Nominations must also be accompanied by the attached nomination form duly completed. UN Women will cover two day’s subsistence allowance for a limited number of delegates from developing country Parties or accredited stakeholder organizations, with priority given to participants from Least Developed Countries and Small Island Developing States. The Secretariat welcomes nominations from developed countries, however if selected, their participation would be at the expense of the nominating country or organization. Representation of all major geographic regions, diverse roles/responsibilities related to the Convention and gender balance is sought for the workshop Nominations should be forwarded, as soon as possible, but no later than 18 May 2018 (scanned and attached to an e-mail addressed to secretariat@cbd.int, or faxed to +1 (514) 288-6588). Thank you for your cooperation and for your continued support for the work of the Convention. Please accept, Madam/Sir, the assurances of my highest consideration.

Executive Secretary

To: CBD National Focal Points, SBSTTA Focal Points, United Nations organizations, non-governmental organizations, intergovernmental organizations, indigenous peoples and local communities’ organizations, educational organizations