Notification 2006-022

Dear Madam/Sir, The Conference of the Parties, in paragraph 8 (a) of decision VII/30, requested the Executive Secretary, with the assistance of the World Conservation Monitoring Centre of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP-WCMC) and other relevant international organizations, to prepare the second Global Biodiversity Outlook (GBO-2) for publication prior to the eighth meeting of the Conference of the Parties following peer-review and review by SBSTTA at its tenth or eleventh meeting. The final version of the Executive Summary for GBO-2 is available as an official document in six languages (UNEP/CBD/COP/8/12) at the page for the eighth meeting of the Conference of the Parties (http://www.biodiv.org/doc/meeting.aspx?mtg=COP-08 ). Global Biodiversity Outlook 2 will be launched during the opening session of eighth meeting of the Conference of the Parties and will be made publicly available at that time. Meanwhile an embargoed copy is available to National Focal Points of the Convention at the following restricted access website: http://www.biodiv.org/doc/restricted/gbo2 (username: gbo2; password = embargo2). Please note that GBO-2 is embargoed until 1600 GMT on March 20th, 2006 and should not be released to the press or public before that time.

Executive Secretary

To: CBD National Focal Points<br>cc: SBSTTA Focal Points and relevant organizations