Notification 2018-097

Dear Madam/Sir, Reference is made to notification 2018-049 (https://www.cbd.int/doc/notifications/2018/ntf-2018-049-biobridge-en.pdf) in which developing country Parties and Parties with economies in transition were invited to submit requests for assistance under the Bio-Bridge Initiative aimed at promoting technical and scientific cooperation to support the implementation of the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020 and the achievement of its Aichi Biodiversity Targets. I am pleased to announce that, after careful review of the 63 requests for assistance that were submitted, ten project proposals have been selected to receive catalytic seed funding from the Bio-Bridge Initiative: • Benin: Développement d’une méthodologie pour acquérir des séries spatio-temporelles des paramètres physico-chimiques de l’environnement marin côtier du Bénin • Brazil: LEAP - Leveraging Ecosystem-based Approaches for Priority-setting (South Atlantic Coast) • Liberia: ChimpFace: Using Animal Facial Recognition Technology to Combat Internet-Facilitated Wildlife Trafficking • Moldova: Enhancing CEE and Central Asia regional dialogue to integrating Biodiversity and Climate change through ecosystem-based adaptation • Namibia: Development of Institutional Synergy to Enable Inventorying and Cultivation of Priority Species for Conservation in Southern Africa Region: Medicinal Plants in Family Apocynaceae • Senegal: The Lesser Flamingo – Saving an African Icon • Singapore: Urban Nature – Green Infrastructure in ASEAN Cities • South Africa: Remote Animal Monitoring Solution (R.A.M.S) • Sri Lanka: Establishing a Molecular-Based System for Complementing Taxonomic Research Efforts on Sri Lankan Angiosperm Flora and Species Inventorying • Thailand: Laying the Foundations for an Indigenous Peoples’ Partnership on Community Mapping and Monitoring in Asia The evaluation of the proposals was undertaken by an external Project Review Panel based on the criteria that were set out in the notification. The Panel is comprised of the chairs of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice and of the Informal Advisory Committee to the Clearing-House Mechanism, as well as a representative from the Republic of Korea and from the Global Environment Facility. The selected projects aim to promote technical and scientific cooperation or technology transfer on a variety of topics and issues. Brief descriptions will be available shortly on the Bio-Bridge Initiative website (https://www.cbd.int/biobridge/). I would like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude to the Government of the Republic of Korea for providing the financial support for these projects through the Bio-Bridge Initiative and to thank members of the Project Review Panel for committing their time to evaluate the project proposals. Please accept, Madam/Sir, the assurances of my highest consideration.

Executive Secretary

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