Notification 2016-027

Dear Madam/Sir, In its decision NP-1/8, the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Nagoya Protocol on access and benefit-sharing (COP-MOP 1) established an informal advisory committee (IAC) to provide advice to the Executive Secretary on matters of relevance to the assessment of the effectiveness of the strategic framework for capacity-building and development to support the effective implementation of the Nagoya Protocol. The decision provides that the IAC will comprise 15 experts selected by the Executive Secretary on the basis of nominations by Parties with due regard to equitable geographic representation and gender balance and shall also include representatives of indigenous and local communities and relevant organizations. Through notification 2015-050 of 5 May 2015, Parties to the Nagoya Protocol were invited to nominate one expert actively involved in ABS capacity-building for the IAC and a reminder was sent out on 6 July 2015. Due to the small number of nominations received from Parties in the regions of Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) and Western Europe and Others Group (WEOG), only two members from each of these regions could be selected instead of three. The composition of the IAC was made available in notification 2015-074 dated 6 July 2015 and the first meeting of the IAC was held in Montreal from 15 to 17 September 2015. A second meeting of the IAC is to be held from 15-17 June 2016 at a venue to be confirmed. Against this background, taking into account that additional countries have since become Parties to the Nagoya Protocol and with a view to ensuring that the IAC has adequate regional representation, Parties to the Nagoya Protocol from the CEE and WEOG regions that did not do so in 2015 are invited to nominate one expert each as soon as possible but no later than 18 March 2016. Nominated experts should have knowledge of the Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefit-sharing and be actively involved in ABS capacity-building. The nomination, in the form of an official letter signed by the Access and Benefit-sharing National Focal Point, or the CBD National Focal Point (where ABS National Focal Point has not been designated), together with the completed nomination form and the curriculum vitae of the nominee, should be scanned and e-mailed to secretariat@cbd.int or faxed to +1 514 288 6588. Based on the nominations received, the Executive Secretary will select one additional member each for the CEE and WEOG regions on the basis of their expertise, experience and engagement in the ABS capacity-building, as well as the need to ensure equitable geographical representation and gender balance. Please accept, Madam/Sir, the assurances of my highest consideration.

Executive Secretary

To: ABS National Focal Points of CEE and WEOG countries, CBD Focal Points of CEE and WEOG countries where ABS National Focal Points have not yet been designated