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Decision COP VII/14
UNEP/CBD/COP/DEC/VII/14

Biological Diversity and tourism

The Conference of the Parties
Operational Active
1.Adopts the Guidelines on Biodiversity and Tourism Development annexed to the present decision;
Informational
2. Recognizing that sustainable tourism can provide significant benefits to biodiversity conservation, notes that the Guidelines are voluntary and represent a range of opportunities for local, regional, national governments, indigenous and local communities and other stakeholders to manage tourism activities in an ecological, economic and socially sustainable manner; 
3. Recognizing that these international guidelines have a broad application and audience, requests the Executive Secretary, in order to increase clarity and facilitate the detailed understanding of the guidelines and the implementation by Parties and to identify and address specific stakeholders, to:
Operational Retired Implemented Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity
(a)Develop a user’s manual, checklists and, on the basis of experience gained , including the contribution of indigenous and local communities, produce and make available a streamlined and user-friendly core set of improved voluntary guidelines;
Operational Retired Implemented Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity
(b)Prepare a glossary and definitions of terms used in the Guidelines;
Operational Active Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity
(c)  Promote the use of the clearing-house mechanism to collect and disseminate information on:
(i)Specific case-studies on the implementation of the Guidelines that make clearer reference to the use and application of specific analytical management tools; and 
(ii)Best practices, lessons learned and case-studies on the involvement of indigenous and local communities embodying traditional lifestyles in sustainable-tourism and ecotourism activities and projects;
Informational Retired
4.Aware that the Guidelines should recognize and shall respect the rights of indigenous and local communities, consistent with the provisions of the Convention; 
Informational Retired
5. Recalls Article 8(j) of the Convention and related provisions and emphasizes that the Guidelines on Biodiversity and Tourism Development should be consistent with the Akwe: Kon Voluntary Guidelines for the Conduct of Cultural, Environmental and Social Impact Assessment regarding Developments Proposed to Take place on, or which Are Likely to Impact on, Sacred Sites and on Lands and Waters Traditionally Occupied or Used by Indigenous and Local Communities;
Operational Active Parties Government(s) Relevant organizations
6.Invites Parties, the Governments and relevant organizations to implement pilot projects, also through public-private partnerships as outlined in the World Summit on Sustainable Development, to test the applicability of the Guidelines, understand their practical implications and provide feedback on their effectiveness (e.g. through the clearing-house mechanism);
Operational Active Parties Government(s)
7. Encourages Parties, Governments and relevant organizations to establish  monitoring and reporting systems based on relevant indicators to assess the applicability and status of implementation of the Guidelines;
Operational Active Parties Government(s) Relevant organizations OTHERS
8.Invites Parties, Governments and relevant organizations to provide indigenous and local communities with capacity-building and financial resources to support their active participation in tourism policy-making, development planning, product development  and management indicated by the Guidelines and invites non-governmental organizations to continue and increase their involvement in fostering effective policy-making for sustainable tourism development;
Operational Active OTHERS
9.In light of the collaboration between the Convention on Biological Diversity, the United Nations Environment Programme and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, invites the World Tourism Organization, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, the United Nations Development Programme, the World Bank, World Trade Organization, regional development banks and other relevant international organizations, to: 
(a) Take these Guidelines into account in undertaking their activities;
(b)Provide technical and financial assistance in the implementation of the Guidelines and pay due regard to the Guidelines when preparing, approving and funding tourism development projects having potential implications on biological diversity, as also recommended in the report of the Workshop on Tourism and Biodiversity, held in Santo Domingo in June 2001. To this end, the Conference of the Parties requests the Executive Secretary to forward the endorsed guidelines to financing agencies, regional development banks and developers;
Operational Active OTHERS Government(s)
10.Invites all Governments to integrate these Guidelines in the development or review of their strategies and plans for tourism development, national biodiversity strategies and action plans, and other related sectoral strategies, at appropriate levels in consultation with interested stakeholders including tourism operators and all members of the tourism sector;
Operational Active
11.Calls for additional efforts to increase awareness and training on the Guidelines and their applicability among the tourism sector and other stakeholders;
Operational Active Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity
12. Invites the Executive Secretary to report on progress made in the implementation and improvement of the Guidelines, including the development of relevant tools, to the Conference of the Parties at its eighth meeting. 
Body
Conference of the Parties (COP)

Meeting
COP-07
Seventh Ordinary Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity
9 - 20 February, 2004
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Decision document
VII/14
Biological Diversity and tourism
Related documents
UNEP/CBD/COP/11/INF/1
Proposals on the Retirement of Decisions Taken by the Conference of the Parties at Its Seventh Meeting
Related decisions / recommendations
V/4 para 18
Progress report on the implementation of the programme of work for forest biological diversity
V/21 para 3
Cooperation with other bodies
XI/6
Cooperation with other conventions, international organizations, and initiatives
X/20 para 20
Cooperation with other conventions and international organizations and initiatives
SBSTTA-VIII/5
Biological diversity and tourism: draft guidelines for activities related to sustainable tourism development and biological diversity and case-studies on the implementation of the guidelines
XI/12 para 1
Retirement of decisions