Notification 2012-156

Dear Madam/Sir, Reference is made to notification 2012-131 regarding a one-day Colloquium on the role of Indigenous and Community Conserved Areas (ICCAs) in achieving the Aichi Targets of the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020. I am pleased to inform you that the Colloquium was held on 13 October 2012 on the margins of the eleventh meeting of the Conference of Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). I would like to call your attention to the summary report available on the CBD website at http://www.cbd.int/doc/pa/icca-day-report-en.pdf. In particular the Colloquium noted that in order to maintain and enhance the values of ICCAs there is an urgent need to provide appropriate recognition and support for ICCAs based on the agreement of the relevant peoples or communities. I encourage Parties and partners to examine the report and also to make use of CBD publication Technical Series no. 64 (available at http://www.cbd.int/doc/publications/cbd-ts-64-en.pdf) which provide best case scenarios and lessons learned regarding the process of recognizing and supporting ICCAs. Please accept, Madam/Sir, the assurances of my highest consideration.

Executive Secretary

To: CBD Focal Points, PoWPA Focal Points, ILCs, International Organizations, and NGOs