Notification 2014-009

Dear Madam/Sir, In decision X/29, the Conference of the Parties (COP) to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) requested the Executive Secretary to organize a series of regional workshops, with a primary objective to facilitate the description of ecologically or biologically significant marine areas through application of the scientific criteria in annex I of decision IX/20 as well as other relevant compatible and complementary nationally and intergovernmentally agreed scientific criteria, as well as the scientific guidance on the identification of marine areas beyond national jurisdiction, which meet the scientific criteria in annex I to decision IX/20. At its eleventh meeting, the Conference of Parties reviewed the outcomes of the first two regional workshops and requested that additional workshops be organized for the remaining regions or subregions where Parties wish workshops to be held (decision XI/17). The COP also requested, in decision XI/17, that the Executive Secretary further collaborate with Parties, other Governments, competent organizations, and global and regional initiatives, such as the United Nations General Assembly Ad Hoc Working Group of the Whole on the Regular Process for Global Reporting and Assessment of the State of the Marine Environment, including Socio-Economic Aspects, the International Maritime Organization, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, regional seas conventions and action plans, and, where appropriate, regional fisheries management organizations, with regard to fisheries management, and also including the participation of indigenous and local communities, in organizing the above regional workshops. At the 18th Meeting of the Contracting Parties to the Barcelona Convention, held in December 2013 in Istanbul, Contracting Parties adopted decision IG.21/5, “Identification and Conservation of sites of particular ecological interest in the Mediterranean”, which requested the Secretariat of the Barcelona Convention/Mediterranean Action Plan (UNEP/MAP), with the assistance of the Regional Activity Center for Specially Protected Areas, to cooperate with the CBD Secretariat in organizing during 2014 a Mediterranean regional workshop on EBSAs, in time for its report to be considered by the 18th meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice (June 2014) and the twelfth meeting of the CBD COP. Pursuant to these requests, I have the pleasure to inform you that, with financial support from the Government of Spain, the UNEP/MAP Mediterranean Trust Fund and the European Commission, the Secretariat is convening, in collaboration with the UNEP/MAP Secretariat, with logistical and technical support provided by the IUCN Centre for Mediterranean Cooperation (IUCN-Med) and the Regional Activity Center for Specially Protected Areas, a Mediterranean regional workshop to facilitate the description of ecologically or biologically significant marine areas (EBSAs), from 7 to 11 April 2014, in Málaga, Spain. Parties and other Governments in the Mediterranean region, as well as relevant regional organizations/initiatives are invited to nominate one expert who can participate in this workshop and provide scientific information in support of the workshop’s objectives prior to the workshop. The selection of experts will be based on scientific expertise and experience, taking into account the guidance of COP in its decision X/29, and will be carried out using the following criteria: • Good scientific knowledge related to, and research experience in describing ecologically or biologically significant marine areas through application of scientific criteria in annex I of decision IX/20 as well as other relevant compatible and complementary nationally and intergovernmentally agreed scientific criteria; • Good scientific knowledge related to, and experience in the application of scientific guidance on the application of EBSA criteria (annex VI, UNEP/CBD/SBSTTA/14/INF/4); and • Good scientific knowledge related to, and experience in developing and applying biogeographic classification systems of open-ocean waters and deep-sea habitats. Draft terms of reference for the workshop are annexed to this notification for your reference. Meeting documents will be forwarded to the selected experts and posted on the CBD website in due course. The meeting will be conducted in English with simultaneous French interpretation. All nominations should include the name and full contact details of the nominee and should be submitted via an official signed letter addressed to the Executive Secretary. Nominations from Governments should be signed by the CBD National Focal Point, and those from relevant organizations/initiatives should be signed by the head. Funding will be provided through the UNEP/MAP Secretariat to support the participation of one expert from each eligible Party in the Mediterranean region. All nominations should be accompanied by a curriculum vitae clearly indicating the areas of expertise and experience of the nominee. All nominations must be received as soon as possible but no later than 20 February 2014 (scanned and sent to secretariat@cbd.int and copied to rena.cavoura@unepmap.gr or faxed to +1 (514) 288-6588 and +30 (210) 7253196). Thank you for your cooperation and your continued support of the work of the Convention. Please accept, Madam/Sir, the assurances of my highest consideration. Draft Terms of Reference for the CBD Regional Workshop to Facilitate the Description of Ecologically or Biologically Significant Marine Areas (EBSAs) (paragraph 36, decision X/29) 1. Describe ecologically or biologically significant marine areas through application of the scientific criteria adopted through decision IX/20 and contained in annex I to that decision, as well as other relevant compatible and complementary nationally and intergovernmentally agreed scientific criteria, as well as the scientific guidance on the identification of marine areas beyond national jurisdiction, which meet the scientific criteria in annex I to decision IX/20; 2. Collate, review, analyse and synthesize relevant scientific data/information/maps collected and compiled by the CBD Secretariat, to undertake the above activity in paragraph 1; 3. Produce a regional workshop report on areas meeting EBSA criteria for consideration by SBSTTA; and 4. The regional workshops will be convened by the Executive Secretary in collaboration with Parties and other Governments as well as competent organizations and regional initiatives, such as the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), regional seas conventions and action plans, and, where appropriate, regional fisheries management organizations (RFMOs), with regards to fisheries management.

Executive Secretary

To: CBD National Focal Points and SBSTTA Focal Points in the Mediterranean region: Albania, Algeria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Cyprus, Egypt, the European Community, France, Greece, Israel, Italy, Lebanon, Libya, Malta, Monaco, Montenegro, Morocco, Slovenia, Spain, Syria, Tunisia, Turkey; Mediterranean Action Plan; relevant regional fisheries management organizations; and other relevant regional organizations/initiatives