Notification 2012-093

Dear Madam/Sir, In adopting the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020, the Conference of the Parties in its decision X/2 requested countries to revise/update their National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs) in line with the framework of the Strategic Plan. To facilitate this, the Secretariat organized in 2011, with the generous support of the Government of Japan, a series of regional and sub-regional workshops for revising and updating NBSAPs. Further information on these workshops can be found at: http://www.cbd.int/nbsap/workshops2.html. In further support of this process and to facilitate the identification of national targets and their integration into revised/updated national biodiversity strategies and action plans, I am pleased to inform you that, thanks to the continuing financial support provided by the Government of Japan, a follow-up regional workshop for the Caribbean region will be held in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, from 5 to 7 September 2012. The workshop is organized by the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity (SCBD), in collaboration with the Caribbean Community Secretariat (CARICOM) and the Cropper Foundation. The purpose of the workshop is to address various issues that countries in the region may have encountered or will encounter while updating their NBSAPs, with a focus on target setting, stakeholder engagement and the development of country-specific plans for mobilizing financial resources for the implementation of NBSAPs. Further information is available at: http://www.cbd.int/nbsap/workshops2.shtml. Please note that the workshop will be held in English. In light of the above, I am pleased to invite you to nominate two representatives of your Government to participate in this workshop. The nomination should be in the form of an official letter addressed to the CBD Executive Secretary signed by yourself, or a senior government official, and should contain the nominees’ names and full contact information, including email addresses. This letter can either be scanned and emailed to secretariat@cbd.int or faxed to the Secretariat at + 1 514 288 6588, no later than July 6, 2012. In submitting nominations, Parties are requested to note that one participant should be directly responsible for the development, updating and/or implementation of the national biodiversity strategy and action plan, and be in a position to translate the capacity gained into concrete actions in support of national implementation. The other participant should be in a position to support the national development, updating and/or implementation of the national biodiversity strategy and action plan through the mainstreaming of biodiversity into national development and poverty reduction strategies and plans as well as into relevant sectors. In addition, please note that you are also invited to attend the Caribbean ABS Workshop from 3 to 4 September organized by the ABS Capacity Development Initiative that is financially supported by the Governments of Denmark, Germany and Norway and implemented by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH. Costs related to accommodation and Daily Substance Allowance (DSA) will be covered by the ABS Capacity Development Initiative. We would like this workshop to be as practical and useful as possible. For this reason, please notify us, through the nomination process, if you would like a certain aspect of your country’s NBSAP to be discussed and used as an example during the workshop. Upon receipt of nominations, further information on travel and hotel arrangements will be duly communicated. We look forward to receiving your early nominations. Please accept, Madam/Sir, the assurances of my highest consideration.

Executive Secretary

To: CBD National Focal Points of the following countries: Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago