Notification 2012-073

Dear Madam/Sir, Reference is made to the earlier notifications sent to CBD National Focal Points and SBSTTA Focal Points as well as competent organizations and regional initiatives, respectively, in i) the Southern Indian Ocean region (2012-059, dated 24 April 2012), and ii) the eastern tropical and temperate Pacific region (2012-061, dated 25 April 2012) regarding the nomination of experts to upcoming CBD regional workshops to facilitate the description of ecologically or biologically significant marine areas (EBSAs). The Conference of the Parties to the Convention, at its tenth meeting, requested the Executive Secretary to work with Parties and other Governments as well as competent organizations and regional initiatives, such as the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), regional seas conventions and action plans, and, where appropriate, regional fisheries management organizations (RFMOs), with regards to fisheries management, to organize, including the setting of terms of reference, a series of regional workshops with a primary objective to facilitate the description of ecologically or biologically significant marine areas through application of scientific criteria in annex I of decision IX/20 as well as other relevant compatible and complementary nationally and intergovernmentally agreed scientific criteria, as well as the scientific guidance on the identification of marine areas beyond national jurisdiction, which meet the scientific criteria in annex I to decision IX/20 (paragraph 36, decision X/29). Pursuant to the above request, these regional workshops are being convened by the CBD Secretariat in collaboration with i) the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Nairobi Convention Secretariat, and ii) the Permanent Commission for the South Pacific (CPPS), both with financial support from the Government of Japan. In order to prepare necessary scientific input to the workshop in a timely manner, I invite Parties and other Governments as well as competent organizations and regional initiatives to provide relevant scientific information in support of the objectives of the above-mentioned workshops, as soon as possible but no later than 13 July 2012, to allow enough time for the Secretariat to compile and collate submitted information. Relevant scientific information can be submitted in two ways: (1) by using the EBSA information template attached as an appendix to this letter, or (2) through another appropriate format, such as scientific articles, documents, datasets, maps or visual and audio information. Information should contribute to the description of ecologically or biologically significant marine areas through application of scientific criteria in annex I of decision IX/20 (http://www.cbd.int/decision/cop/?id=11663) as well as other relevant compatible and complementary nationally and intergovernmentally agreed scientific criteria. Submission of information should be made to the CBD Secretariat by the above deadline (via an email addressed to secretariat@cbd.int or faxed to +1 514 288-6588). Kindly indicate clearly the workshop for which the information is intended. Please note that all the submitted information will be available only for consideration by the above-mentioned workshops. The information considered by the workshops will be kept in the CBD EBSA repository, as called for by COP 10 in decision X/29, paragraph 39, in accordance with the guidance provided in this decision. I thank you in advance for your continued cooperation with 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, and other Governments; FAO; regional seas conventions and action plans and RFMOs in the southern Indian Ocean region and eastern tropical and temperate Pacific region; IOC–UNESCO, OBIS, ISA, UNEP-WCMC, GOBI, other competent organizations and regional initiatives