Notification 2006-042

Dear Madam/Sir, In decision VII/30 on the Strategic Plan, the Conference of the Parties decided to develop a framework to enhance the evaluation of achievements and progress in the implementation of the Strategic Plan and, in particular, its mission, to achieve a significant reduction in the current rate of biodiversity loss at the global, regional and national levels. The framework covers a number of focal areas, including: “Ensuring the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising out of the use of genetic resources”. When addressing the issue of indicators for assessing progress towards the 2010 target at the global level, the Conference of the Parties, in paragraph 8 of this decision, requested the Working Group on access and benefit-sharing to explore the need and possible options for indicators for access to genetic resources and in particular for the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from the utilization of genetic resources and to report the results to the Conference of the Parties at its eighth meeting. The Conference of the Parties, in decision VIII/4E, paragraph 1, requested “the Working Group on Access and Benefit-sharing at its fifth meeting to further address this issue of the need and possible options for indicators for access to genetic resources and the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising out of the utilization of genetic resources”. It also invited “Parties, Governments, relevant organizations, indigenous and local communities and all relevant stakeholders to submit their views and information to the Executive Secretary in accordance with recommendation III/5 of the third meeting of the Working Group on Access and Benefit-sharing” and requested the Executive Secretary to compile the views and information received and to make such compilation available to the Ad Hoc Open-ended Working Group on Access and Benefit-sharing at its fifth meeting. Parties are invited to provide their views and information to the Secretariat on the need and possible options for indicators for access and benefit-sharing by 31 December 2006. Please note that in order to facilitate preparatory work all submissions should be provided in Word format. Please accept, Madam/Sir, the assurances of my highest consideration.

Executive Secretary

To: CBD National Focal Points and ABS National Focal Points