Notification 2012-024

Dear Madam/Sir, I am pleased to inform you that the fourth meeting of the Ad Hoc Open-ended Working Group on Review of Implementation of the Convention (WGRI-4) will be held in Montreal, Canada, at the Headquarters of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), from 7 to 11 May 2012, back-to-back with the sixteenth meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice (SBSTTA-16), from 30 April to 5 May 2012. Parties are kindly invited to nominate their representatives to attend the WGRI-4 meeting through official letters to be addressed to the CBD Executive Secretary, and sent to the Secretariat by fax at +1 514-288-6588 or as a scanned e-mail attachment to secretariat@cbd.int at their earliest convenience, but no later than 30 March 2012. On-line pre-registration will be available from 6 February 2012 by means of an exclusive and unique internet link that will be provided, in a separate e-mail, to the CBD National Focal Points and SBSTTA Focal Points. The provisional agenda of the meeting, endorsed by the Bureau of the Conference of the Parties, is attached herewith for your reference. Pre-session and other relevant documentation for the meeting, including the Information Note for Participants, will be made available on the CBD website in due course. Please note that subject to the availability of contributions to the Special Voluntary Trust Fund (BZ), the Secretariat will be in a position to finance the participation of only one representative from each of the developing countries Parties to the Convention, including the least developed countries, small island developing States, other developing countries, and countries with economies in transition, for both meetings, i.e. SBSTTA-16 and WGRI-4. Eligible Parties to the Convention wishing to solicit such assistance are kindly requested to advise the Secretariat at their earliest convenience, but no later than 9 March 2012, of the name and coordinates of the Government’s officially designated representative to benefit from such financial support. It will not be possible for the Secretariat to respond positively to request for funding received after the deadline. Due to the increased security procedures for travellers and budget constraints, and with a view to enable the participation of a maximum number of countries in the meeting, the Secretariat will be using special airfare tickets for sponsored delegates that impose restrictions with respect to the changing of passenger’s name, travel dates and itinerary. Please note, therefore, that it will not be possible for the Secretariat to accommodate name changes if received after 9 March 2012. Please accept, Madam/Sir, the assurances of my highest consideration.

Executive Secretary

To: CBD National Focal Points and SBSTTA Focal Points