Notification 2010-045

Dear Madam/Sir, During the eighth meeting of the Ad Hoc Open-ended Working Group on Access and Benefit-sharing, the Co-Chairs of the Working Group, Mr. Fernando Casas and Mr. Timothy Hodges, outlined the consultations to be held during the inter-sessional period between the eighth and ninth meetings of the Working Group in March 2010 (document UNEP/CBD/WG-ABS/8/8, paragraphs 116-132) , including the Co-Chairs Informal Inter-regional Consultation (CIIC), which will be held in Cali, Colombia, on 16-18 March 2010. The mandate of the CIIC is to consult on preambular text, definitions and provisions relevant to the consolidation of operative text of the International Regime. The meeting is expected to identify concrete solutions in order to facilitate and accelerate the negotiations at the ninth meeting of the Working Group. Further to Secretariat notification 2010-013 of 22 January 2010 dealing with organizational matters and with the process for the nomination of participants, I am pleased to attach for your information the list of selected participants in the CIIC. Details regarding the venue and logistics of the meeting have been communicated directly to the participants. Please accept, Madam/Sir, the assurances of my highest consideration.

Executive Secretary

To: CBD and ABS National Focal Points; international organizations; indigenous and local communities and stakeholders