Decision COP IV/1

Recalling its decision III/2, which, inter alia, noted recommendation II/11 of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice and decided to consider the recommendation further at its fourth meeting as part of the longer term review of the programme of work and the operations of the Conference of the Parties and subsidiary organs,

Also recalling its decision III/10 on identification, monitoring and assessment,

Further recalling past practice of noting the reports of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice,

1. Takes note of the report of the third meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice, held in Montreal from 1 to 5 September 1997, contained in document UNEP/CBD/COP/4/2, bearing in mind that five of the seven recommendations - III/1 (inland water ecosystems); III/2 (marine and coastal biological diversity); III/3 (forest biological diversity); III/4 (agricultural biological diversity); and III/6 (clearing-house mechanism) - contain advice on matters that have been considered under other items on the agenda of the present meeting;

2. Takes note that the recommendations made at the third meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice constitute major inputs into the thematic work under the Convention;

3. Endorses recommendation III/5 of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice, and requests the Executive Secretary to undertake the work outlined in its annex, in accordance with the guidance contained in the same recommendation, for consideration by the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice at its fourth meeting;

4. Proposes that further work on indicators by the Parties and by the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice should take account of, inter alia, further work by the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice on the development of the ecosystem approach;

5. Welcomes the contributions provided by the DIVERSITAS working group of experts to the Executive Secretary, in its recommendations on scientific research that should be undertaken for the effective implementation of Articles 7, 8, 9, 10 and 14 of the Convention on Biological Diversity, as contained in document UNEP/CBD/COP/4/Inf.18;

Recognizing that in several decisions adopted at the third meeting of the Conference of the Parties the ecosystem approach has been addressed as a guiding principle, although the terminology used has varied, including: "ecosystem approach", "ecosystem process-oriented approach", "ecosystem management approach" and "ecosystem-based approach",

Acknowledging that, by paragraph 1 of its decision II/8, the ecosystem approach has been adopted as a framework for the analysis and implementation of the objectives of the Convention on Biological Diversity, and in the elaboration and implementation of the various thematic and cross-cutting work programmes under the Convention, as appropriate,

Acknowledging the need for a workable description and further elaboration of the ecosystem approach,

1. Takes note of the report of the workshop on the ecosystem approach, held in Lilongwe, Malawi, from 26 to 28 January 1998, as contained in document UNEP/CBD/COP/4/Inf.9;

Noting the significant adverse ecological and economic effects of certain alien species on biological diversity and human health,

Recalling that the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice, at its second meeting, considered the development of an indicative framework of processes and categories of activities that are likely to have significant adverse impacts on biological diversity to be a priority,

Recalling paragraphs 9 and 10 of its decision III/9, on the implementation of Articles 6 and 8 of the Convention, which address alien species that threaten ecosystems, habitats or species,

Recalling recommendations III/1, III/2 and III/3 of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice, related to alien species as they affect inland water, marine and coastal, forest and agricultural biological diversity respectively in accordance with decisions II/10, III/11, III/12 and III/13 of the Conference of the Parties,

Recognizing the particular endemic biological diversity of geographically and/or evolutionarily isolated ecosystems, such as small islands, and the particularly damaging impacts, in terms of biological­diversity loss, that species introduction can have on such ecosystems,

Noting the importance of taking a precautionary and ecosystem approach when dealing with issues related to alien species,

Noting the need to address the issue of alien species as an integrated component of the various sectoral and thematic items under the programme of work of the Conference of the Parties,

Recognizing that there is also a need for complementary and consolidated action on alien species,

1. Decides that alien species is a cross-cutting issue for implementation of many of the themes of the Convention;

2. Requests the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice to develop guiding principles for the prevention, introduction and mitigation of impacts of alien species and to report on those principles and any related work programme to the Conference of the Parties at its fifth meeting;

3. Invites Parties to develop country­driven projects at national, regional, subregional and international levels to address the issue of alien species and requests the financial mechanism to provide adequate and timely support for those projects;

4. Invites the Parties to address the issue of alien species for the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity and to incorporate such activities into their national strategies, programmes and action plans;

5. Requests the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice to identify the priority work pertinent to the issue of alien species in geographically and evolutionarily isolated ecosystems and to report thereon to the Conference of the Parties at its fifth meeting;

Noting decision III/10, supporting a Global Taxonomy Initiative, and the activities being supported by the financial mechanism on taxonomy,

Recognizing the need for taxonomic input in many activities aimed at the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity and the lack of taxonomic capacity in a majority of countries,

Recalling that paragraph 3 of decision III/10, in which the Conference of the Parties endorsed the recommendation II/2 of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice concerning capacity-building for taxonomy through a Global Taxonomy Initiative,

Taking into account the urgency for the availability of taxonomic information to countries of origin, and the need of developing countries to develop national collections and human and institutional capacities in taxonomy,

1. Acknowledges the work already under way by the financial mechanism in response to decision III/10 of the Conference of the Parties, and requests the Global Environment Facility to report on these experiences at the fifth meeting of the Conference of the Parties;

2. Stresses the urgent need for the further implementation of recommendation II/2 of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice concerning capacity-building in all fields of taxonomy to assist in the implementation of the Convention, through the incorporation of targeted actions in its workplan, including promoting regional activities to set regional agendas;

3. Endorses, as initial advice, the Suggestions for Action in the annex to the present decision to develop and implement a Global Taxonomy Initiative, and requests the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice to examine and provide advice on the further advancement of a Global Taxonomy Initiative;

4. Recognizes that the implementation of a Global Taxonomy Initiative should occur on the basis of country­driven projects at the national, regional and subregional levels;

5. Invites the United Nations Environment Programme to assist in the global implementation of a Global Taxonomy Initiative, as offered by the Executive Director in his address to the Conference of the Parties at its fourth meeting;

6. Encourages Governments to make available appropriate resources to enhance the availability of taxonomic information;

7. Encourages Governments to develop bilateral and multilateral training and employment opportunities for taxonomists, particularly for those dealing with poorly known organisms;