Notification 2017-034

Dear Madam/Sir, I am pleased to share with you the first issue of BioCAP: Biodiversity Capacity Development Update available at: http://www.cbd.int/doc/newsletters/biocap/biocap-01-en.pdf. Over the past years, the Conference of the Parties has underlined the importance of capacity development in enabling developing country Parties and Parties with economies in transition to implement effectively the Convention, the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety and the Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefit-sharing. In this regard, the Conference of the Parties adopted a “Short-term Action Plan (2017-2020) to Enhance and Support Capacity-Building for the Implementation of the Convention and its Protocols” and requested the Executive Secretary to facilitate and support capacity development and technical and scientific cooperation activities in collaboration with partners. The Secretariat has prepared BioCAP to keep Parties, other Governments, relevant organizations and other stakeholders informed of the efforts being made towards the implementation of the above-mentioned short-term action plan. BioCAP will be disseminated electronically as an interactive PDF document and will also be made available at: http://www.cbd.int/doc/newsletters/default.shtml#tab=0. I hope that the information provided through BioCAP will be useful in supporting your national implementation efforts and in inspiring further collaboration. I invite you to bring this update to the attention of relevant stakeholders in your country. Please accept, Madam/Sir, the assurances of my highest consideration.

Executive Secretary

To: CBD, CPB and ABS National Focal Points, relevant organizations and IPLCs