Notification 2009-119

Dear Madam/Sir, As you recall, the Conference of the Parties, in decision IX/9, paragraph 1, requested the third meeting of the Ad hoc Open-ended Working Group on Review of Implementation of the Convention to prepare a revised and updated Strategic Plan for consideration and adoption at its tenth meeting, including a revised biodiversity target. In the same decision, the Conference of the Parties requested countries and observers to submit further views on the revising and updating of the Strategic Plan. In response, the Executive Secretary has conveyed this request to all Parties and relevant organizations. A summary of views submitted by relevant Parties and organizations has been prepared and sent again to Parties (ref. Notification SCBD/ITS/DC/MC/64383) and made available at the Convention website for wider comments (https://www.cbd.int/sp/). To obtain inputs more widely to the revising and updating of the Strategic Plan, the Secretariat, together with a number of partners, has been organizing or supporting a number of regional meetings on revising or updating the Strategic Plan of the Convention. I am pleased to inform you that, with the support of the Japanese Ministry of the Environment, a regional workshop will be organized for East, South and Southeast Asia from 15 to 18 December 2009 in Tokyo, Japan. I wish to invite your country to nominate a government officer or an expert to attend this workshop. I would appreciate that you send a formal nomination letter addressed to the Executive Secretary with the nominee’s details, no later than 19 October 2009. The nominee should have experience in the implementation of the Convention at the national level, and be in a position to provide insights and suggestions for the future implementation of the Convention. The nominee should also be in a position to help translate the goals and objectives in the revised Strategic Plan into specific national targets and measures while revising national biodiversity strategies and action plans or other similar strategies and plans in response to the revised Strategic Plan and revised biodiversity target(s). Please note that English will be the only working language of the workshop. Japan has kindly offered to cover the costs of one participant from your country, including a round-trip economy-class air ticket, hotel accommodation, meals and incidentals. A visa/funding letter will be issued once your nomination is confirmed. All the documents related to this meeting will be sent to confirmed participants in due course. Please, Sir/Madame, accept the assurances of my highest consideration.

Executive Secretary

To: CBD National Focal Points of East, South and Southeast Asian countries