Notification 2014-039

Dear Madam/Sir, I have the pleasure to announce that the Secretariat is organizing, in collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), a capacity-building workshop for Southern and Eastern Africa on ecosystem conservation and restoration to support achievement of the Aichi Biodiversity Targets to be held from 12 to 16 May 2014 in Livingstone, Zambia. The workshop will be conducted in English. Meeting documents will be posted on the CBD website at http://www.cbd.int/doc/meeting in due course. This workshop is part of a series being organized through the generous financial assistance of the Governments of Canada, Germany, Japan (through the Japan Biodiversity Fund), and the Republic of Korea, as well as the European Union. The aims of the workshop are to support Parties in: (a) The development of national targets and plans for ecosystem conservation and restoration within the framework of Aichi Biodiversity Targets 5, 11 and 15; (b) The integration of these targets and plans into updated National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs) and mainstreaming into broader national policies, plans and programmes (in particular, for action plans on the Programme of Work on Protected Areas (PoWPA) with respect to decision X/31 (paragraph 1 (c)); and (c) The use of appropriate assessment, policy and planning tools to promote ecosystem conservation and restoration at appropriate levels. Aichi Biodiversity Targets 5, 11 and 15 set quantitative global targets to reduce the loss of natural habitats, improve protected area networks and restore degraded areas. Target 5 calls for the rate of loss of natural habitats to be at least halved; Target 11 calls for the protection of at least 17 per cent of terrestrial and inland waters and 10 per cent of coastal and marine areas; and Target 15 calls for the restoration of at least 15 per cent of degraded ecosystems. There is a need for a coherent approach to the achievement of these area-based targets, including as they contribute toward, or depend on, achieving many other Aichi Biodiversity Targets (e.g. Targets 7, 12, 13, 14 and 18). Through this workshop, the Secretariat plans to offer capacity-building to Parties within an integrated, participatory, approach to promote holistic planning and implementation at the landscape level. These capacity-building activities respond to multiple requests from the Conference of the Parties (COP) to the Executive Secretary including: paragraph 10 of decision XI/24, which requested the continued support for implementation of national action plans for the programme of work on protected areas (PoWPA), including through workshops and making available relevant tools; and paragraph 5 of decision XI/16, wherein the COP requested the Executive Secretary to make use of the information present in documents UNEP/CBD/COP/11/INF/17, 18 and 19 to conduct capacity-building workshops on ecosystem restoration. Furthermore, these activities will assist the Secretariat to report to the twelfth meeting of the COP on progress by Parties in integrating PoWPA action plans into revised NBSAPs and into relevant sectoral plans and budgets, as invited in paragraph 1 (c) of decision X/31. Submission of nominations from Governments I am pleased to invite your Government to nominate two representatives to participate in the workshop, as soon as possible but not later than 1 April 2014. The nomination should be in the form of an official letter addressed to the Executive Secretary and signed by the national focal point, sent by fax to +1 (514) 288-6588 or e-mail to secretariat@cbd.int, and should include the nominee’s full contact details, as well as a curriculum vitae clearly indicating the areas of expertise. The selection of both representatives should be carried out using the following criteria: (a) Experience in spatial planning for biodiversity and/or be responsible for land-use/spatial planning, as well as be knowledgeable about their countries’ NBSAP (for example the protected area focal point, if one has been designated), (b) Ability of reporting on the current status of achieving the area-based Aichi Biodiversity Targets (5, 11 and 15), providing an assessment of needs, and liaising with key partners to facilitate support for follow up actions; and (c) Ability to translate the knowledge gained into concrete actions. In the weeks leading up to the workshop, the representatives will be provided with pre-work questions and asked to submit a case study and information on the status of restoration and conservation activities in their countries. Participants will also be offered the opportunity to benefit from online modules on key workshop themes, including protected areas. The capacity gained can be shared with staff in-country who may also take these modules. The Secretariat will be in a position to support two experts from eligible Parties. A third expert from eligible Parties will be nominated and supported through FAO channels. Based on curriculum vitae and subject to available funding, selected participants will be invited to attend a joint capacity-building workshop hosted by the SCBD and the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification to be held from 10 to 11 May prior to this workshop. Submission of nominations from relevant regional organizations Relevant organizations are invited to nominate one self-funded expert to participate in this workshop. Nominations must be in the form of an official letter addressed to the Executive Secretary, signed by the head of the organization, sent by fax to +1 (514) 288-6588 or e-mail to secretariat@cbd.int by 1 April 2014. Please include the nominee’s full contact details, as well as a curriculum vitae clearly indicating the areas of expertise. I look forward to receiving your nominations and I thank you for your cooperation and continued support for the work of the Convention. Please accept, Madam/Sir, the assurances of my highest consideration.

Executive Secretary

To: CBD National Focal Points: Angola, Botswana, Djibouti, Eritrea, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Rwanda, Seychelles, Somalia, South Africa, South Sudan, Swaziland, Uganda, United Republic of Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe; and relevant regional organizations engaged in conservation and restoration