Notification 2011-138

Dear Madam/Sir, In paragraph 7(a) of decision X/31 on protected areas, the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) requested the Executive Secretary to continue to hold regional and sub-regional capacity-building workshops, with special attention to element 2 on governance, participation, equity and benefit-sharing of the programme of work on protected areas (PoWPA), and other identified priorities with specific timetables for planning and funding, developing cooperation with regional and sub-regional convention agreements, the IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas, technical networks, and other partners. Accordingly, the Executive Secretary, with the generous financial assistance of the European Union, is organizing a Sub-Regional Workshop for the Pacific on Capacity Building for Implementation of the CBD Programme of Work on Protected Areas to be held from 3 to 7 October 2011 in Nadi, Fiji in collaboration with the South Pacific Regional Environment Programme, and the PoWPA Friends Consortium. The objective of the workshop is to build capacity to (i) create a national action plan for implementation of the PoWPA, (ii) access funding based on these action plans, and (ii) strengthen implementation of the PoWPA on the themes of governance, climate change (including integrating protected areas into the wider land and seascape), sustainable financing, and valuation of the costs and benefits of protected areas, with a focus on marine protected areas where applicable. The provisional agenda and other meeting documents will soon be available on the CBD website (http://www.cbd.int/doc/?meeting=WSCBPA-PAC-01). I am pleased to invite CBD primary focal points to nominate one representative of your government, at your earliest convenience, but not later than 15 August 2011, to participate in the workshop. The Secretariat will be in a position to finance the participation of one representative from eligible Parties. Parties are requested to use the following criteria while submitting their nomination: - The country representative should be involved in the implementation of the PoWPA; and - After the workshop, the representative should be in a position to translate the knowledge gained into concrete actions. In the weeks leading up to the workshop the participants will be expected to spend approximately 5 hours per week participating in online courses guided by mentors (http://www.cbd.int/protected/e-learning/) on key themes of the PoWPA such as climate change and protected areas. The capacity gained can be shared with staff in country who may also take these modules. Unless the nominee is the current PoWPA Focal Point, nominations must include full contact details and be accompanied by curriculum vitae clearly indicating the areas of expertise of the nominee. CBD primary focal points should provide the name and contact details of their nominee via official signed letter addressed to the Executive Secretary by the deadline (faxed to +1 (514) 288-6588, or scanned and attached to an email addressed to secretariat@cbd.int). Please note that the workshop will be held in French and English with interpretation provided. Please note that this workshop will be held in parallel with a "Regional Workshop for the Pacific on Updating National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans" also organized by the Secretariat of the CBD (notification available at http://www.cbd.int/nbsap/workshops2/pacific/). I look forward to receiving your nominations and I thank you in advance for your cooperation and for your continued support for the work of the Convention.

Executive Secretary

To: CBD Focal Points with copy to PoWPA focal points in the Pacific: Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Micronesia (Federated States of), Nauru, Samoa, Tuvalu, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Vanuatu.