Notification 2010-038

Dear Madam/Sir, I am pleased to inform you that a consultative expert meeting on South-South Cooperation will be held in Nairobi, Kenya at the headquarters of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) from 29 to 30 May 2010 and back to back with the Third Meeting of the Ad Hoc Open-ended Working Group on Review of Implementation of the Convention (WGRI-3). This meeting was called for by the Steering Committee on South-South Cooperation on Biodiversity at its first meeting on 29 October, 2009, following the request of the Conference of the Parties (COP) to report on the development of a Multi-Year Plan of Action for South-South Cooperation on Biodiversity for Development at the tenth meeting of the COP in Nagoya, Japan in October 2010 (decision IX/25). The objective of the consultative expert meeting is to review the draft Multi-Year Plan of Action for South-South Cooperation on Biodiversity for Development, with a special focus on its implementation, ahead of its formal submission to the G-77 for adoption. The report of the Steering Committee is available at http://www.cbd.int/doc/meetings/ssc/ssc-sc-01/official/ssc-sc-01-03-en.pdf. Accordingly, and in light of notification SCBD/ITS/NP/fb/69027 (2009-127) dated 1 October 2009 and notification SCBD/STTM/JM/va/70147 (2010-001) dated 5 January 2010, I am pleased to invite you to nominate a representative to attend the consultative expert meeting on South-South Cooperation based on nominations for WGRI-3. Nominations should be submitted through official letters addressed to the Executive Secretary by fax to +1 514 288 6588, or as scanned e-mail attachments addressed to secretariat@cbd.int as soon as possible but no later than 30 March, 2010. On the basis of these nominations, up to 8 experts and 12 government representatives will be selected, taking into account their expertise, the need to ensure equitable geographical distribution, and with due regard to gender balance. Regional bodies and development agencies active in South-South and triangular cooperation will also be invited. Travel support will be available for selected candidates. We look forward to receiving your nomination, and I thank you in advance for your support and cooperation. Please accept, Madam/Sir, the assurances of my highest consideration.

Executive Secretary

To: CBD National Focal Points