Notification 2012-090

Dear Madam/Sir, The fourth meeting of the Ad Hoc Open-ended Working Group on Review of Implementation of the Convention (WGRI-4) discussed issues related to the Strategy for Resource Mobilization and the Financial Mechanism and made a number of requests for inter-sessional work to be carried out in preparation for the eleventh meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention (COP 11). With regard to the Strategy for Resource Mobilization, Parties were invited to make use of the preliminary reporting framework (UNEP/CBD/WG RI/4/6/Add.1) as a flexible and tentative framework to monitor resources mobilized for biodiversity at national and global level, adapting it to national needs and circumstances, as appropriate, to build on this flexible framework as part of national monitoring, including the implementation of national biodiversity strategies and action plans (recommendation 4/2, paragraph 6). Further, Parties were encouraged to develop, as appropriate, country specific resource mobilization strategies, including assessment of resource needs, as part of their updated NBSAPs, as a matter of priority, and, where possible to finalize them by the end of June 2012 with a view to informing a decision on resource mobilization at the eleventh meeting of the Conference of the Parties (recommendation 4/2, paragraph 8). With regard to the Financial Mechanism, the Working Group took note of the preliminary report of the assessment of needs for GEF-6 and requested the expert group, with the support of the Executive Secretary, to further develop the report (UNEP/CBD/WG-RI/4/INF/10), taking into account, among other things, additional views submitted by Parties, other Governments and organizations (recommendation 4/3, section B, paragraph 4(b)). Further, the Executive Secretary, in consultation with Parties and the Global Environment Facility, was requested to develop a new four-year outcome-oriented framework of programme priorities for consideration at the eleventh meeting of the Conference of the Parties, taking into account, among other things, the views submitted by Parties, other Governments and organizations (recommendation 4/3, Section A, paragraph 1). Accordingly, Parties, other Governments and organizations are kindly invited to submit information on the following four issues: (a) information on the existing resources mobilized for biodiversity, making use of the aforementioned preliminary reporting framework and as previously requested in CBD’s notification 2012-023 dated 3 February 2012 on this issue; (b) information on the progress made in developing countries’ specific resource mobilization strategies, including assessments of resource needs; (c) comment and views on the preliminary report of the assessment of needs for GEF-6, and, as already requested in CBD’s notification 2011-195 dated 7 October 2011, and notification 2012-032 dated 20 February 2012, data and information on the financial needs for the implementation of the Convention making use of the GEF-6 questionnaire; and (d) views on the new four-year outcome-oriented framework of programme priorities for GEF-6. In accordance with the recommendations of the Working Group, these submissions should be provided to secretariat@cbd.int as soon as possible but no later than 30 June 2012 so that the information can be compiled and made available to the eleventh meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention (COP 11). I would also like to take this opportunity to remind you of the request in decision X/3, A, paragraph 10, as per notification 2011-070 dated 1 April 2011, inviting Parties to submit their views about the basis upon which targets are to be adopted at the eleventh meeting of the COP. Parties that have not yet done so are kindly encouraged to provide their comments to the Secretariat on this issue as soon as possible and no later than 30 June 2012. Given the importance of these topics, I would encourage Parties, other Governments and organizations to give high priority to this matter to enable the Secretariat to undertake the inter-sessional work in preparation for the eleventh meeting of the Conference of the Parties in an effective and timely manner. Further information on the inter-sessional work being carried out on these issues is available on CBD Website at: http://www.cbd.int/financial/COP-11-preparations/. Please accept, Madam/Sir, the assurances of my highest consideration.

Executive Secretary

To: All CBD National Focal Points