Notification 2008-040

Dear Madam/Sir, As you know, in Section D-I of Decision VIII/5, the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity, adopted the criteria for the operation of the Voluntary Funding Mechanism to facilitate the participation of indigenous and local communities in the work of the Convention. In connection with the Ninth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP-9), after due consideration of all nominations received and in accordance with the selection criteria established in the Annex of the referred Decision, I am pleased to inform Parties that the selection of representatives of indigenous and local communities to receive financial assistance in support of their participation in the above-mentioned meeting has been completed. The list of beneficiaries of financial assistance is attached for your information. The selected participants will be contacted directly by the Secretariat with regard to travel arrangements. Please accept, Madam/Sir, the assurances of my highest consideration. List of beneficiaries of the Voluntary Fund for the Ninth meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP-9), 19 – 30 May 2008, Bonn, Germany Africa ●Ms. Lucy Mulenkei, Indigenous Information Network (IIN), Kenya ●Mr. Gladman Chibememe, Chibememe Earth Healing Association (CHIEHA), Zimbabwe ●Ms. Fati Wallet Mohamed Aboubacrine, Association pour l’épanouissement des femmes nomades, Mali ●Mr. Vital Bambanze, L’Unissons-nous pour la Promotion des Batwa (UNIPROBA), Burundi ●Mr. Liep Kasura Komba, Kyaramacan Peoples Association, Namibia Asia ●Ms. Joji Carino, Tebtebba Foundation, Philipines ●Ms. Jannie Lasimbang, Asia Indigenous Peoples Pact Foundation (AIPP), Malaysia ● Mr. Parbat Gurung, Tribal Link Foundation and Himalayan Bio Trade, Nepal ●Ms. Herminia Minnie Degawan, International Alliance of Indigenous-Tribal Peoples of the Tropical Forests, Philippines ●Mr.Kittisak Rattanakrajangsri, International Alliance of Indigenous-Tribal Peoples of the Tropical Forests, Thailand Latin America (including Central and South America & the Caribbean) ●Ms. Viviana Elsa Figueroa, Juventud Indígena Argentina, Argentina ●Ms. Maria Eugenia Choque Quispe, Centro de Estudios Multidisciplinarios Aymara, Bolivia ●Ms. Lucía Fernanda Inacio Belfort, Instituto Indígena Brasileño para la Propiedad Intelectual (INBRAPI), Brazil ●Mr. Joaquim Yawanawa Luiz, Tribal Link Foundation, Brazil ●Ms. Esther Camac Ramírez, Asociación Ixäcavaä de Desarrollo e Información Indígena (ASIDII), Costa Rica ●Ms. Maria Yolanda Terán Maigua, Organización Indígena Andes Chinchasuyo, Ecuador ●Ms. Florina Lopez Miro, Red de Mujeres Indígenas y Biodiversidad, Panama ● Mr. Onel Arias Arias, Fundación para la Promoción del Conocimiento Indígena, Panama ●Mr. Arlen Ribeira Calderon, Federación de Comunidades Nativas Fronterizas del Putumayo (FECONAFROPU), Peru Europe and Arctic ● Mr. Mattias Ahren, Saami Council, Sweden Eastern, Central Europe and the Caucasus ● Ms. Olga Timofeeva -Tereshkina, Association of Indigenous People of Anabar / Russian Association of Indigenous Peoples of the North (RAIPON), Russian Federation North America ●Mr. Merle Alexander, The Dena Kâyeh Institute, Canada Pacific ●Ms. Neva Collings, Foundation for Aboriginal and Islander Research Action (FAIRA), Australia ●Ms. Malia Nobrega, Indigenous World Association, Hawaii ●Mr. Fiu Mataese Elisara, Ole Siosiomaga Society Incorporated (OLSSI), Samoa

Executive Secretary

To: CBD National Focal Points, Indigenous and Local Communities