Notification 2014-037

Dear Madam/Sir, In its decision XI/2 item C, paragraphs 15 and 17, the Conference of the Parties (COP) to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) requested the Executive Secretary to develop, in cooperation with relevant partner organizations and subject to the availability of resources, a coherent, consistent and coordinated approach to technical and scientific cooperation, and also requested the Executive Secretary to engage in a process towards establishing a capacity-building network of national and regional centres of excellence in biodiversity to support the implementation of the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011–2020 and the achievement of the Aichi Biodiversity Targets in developing countries. Moreover, in decision XI/8 item D, paragraph 3, the Conference of the Parties requested the Executive Secretary to promote South-South cooperation and triangular cooperation as part of a coherent, consistent and coordinated approach to technical and scientific cooperation and information exchange as a cross-cutting issue relevant to all aspects of work under the Convention. I am pleased to inform you that, with the financial support from the Government of China, the CBD Secretariat is organizing a regional workshop for East, South and Southeast Asia on South-South Cooperation on Biodiversity for Development, within the wider context of more effective technical and scientific cooperation, from 21 to 24 May 2014 in Qingdao, Province of Shandong, China. The event will be held in parallel with the Regional Workshop for East, South and Southeast Asia on Cities and Biodiversity, and the celebrations around the International Day for Biological Diversity. The objective of the workshop is to take stock of relevant scientific and technical cooperation initiatives and efforts in the region (including South-South and triangular arrangements), to identify technical and scientific needs and opportunities for implementation of the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020, and to strengthen the capacity of developing countries in the region to implement the CBD Multi-Year Plan of Action for South-South Cooperation on Biodiversity for Development. Outcomes of this regional workshop, to be held in English with simultaneous interpretation into Chinese, will contribute to enhance scientific and technical cooperation at various levels in support of the implementation of the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020, to be undertaken at the twelfth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the CBD (COP 12) to take place from 6 to 17 October 2014 in Pyeongchang, Republic of Korea. Accordingly, I have the pleasure to invite your Government to nominate one representative directly involved in scientific and technical cooperation in relation to biodiversity, for example national government liaison officers between Environment and Science and Technology, heads of scientific and technical agencies, or other high ranking officials working on scientific and technical cooperation in the context of the Convention and related MEAs. The nomination should be in the form of an official letter to the CBD Executive Secretary, signed by the CBD Focal Point or a senior government official. The nomination letter should be submitted as soon as possible, but no later than 13 April 2014, either by e-mail to secretariat@cbd.int or by fax to +1 514 288 6588. Once the nominations are complete, the Secretariat will transmit the names of representatives who are eligible to attend the workshop to the relevant authorities of the Government of China. Please note that funding and travel arrangements for eligible participants will follow the usual UN regulations, and will be handled directly by the Government of China with the intention of supporting the participation of one representative from each developing country Party. Further details regarding the workshop, including the agenda and other documents, as well as contact details of the organizers from the Government of China side will be made available in due course to the selected participants. Please accept, Madam/Sir, the assurances of my highest consideration.

Executive Secretary

To: CBD National Focal Points of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, DPR Korea, Republic of Korea, Lao DPR, Malaysia, Maldives, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Timor Leste and Vietnam