Notification 2019-001

Dear Madam/Sir, I am pleased to inform you that the ninth Trondheim Conference on Biodiversity will be held in Trondheim, Norway from 2 to 5 July 2019. The Trondheim Conferences aim to advance a knowledge-based dialogue on critical issues on the agenda of biodiversity within the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and beyond. The 2019 Conference will address the challenges of achieving the 2050 Vision for Biodiversity, explore pathways for the transformational changes needed, and contribute to the development of the post-2020 global biodiversity framework. Building upon multiple sources of information, including the IPBES Global Assessment on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services, the Conference will facilitate a shared understanding of key knowledge areas, and help to ensure that the process for developing the post-2020 global biodiversity framework is knowledge-based, just and inclusive. The conference will be hosted by the Norwegian Government in close cooperation with the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and other partners. The Conference is organized by the Norwegian Environment Agency, will be conducted in English and bring together up to 450 participants. Participation is by invitation only. On behalf of the Government of Norway, the Norwegian Ministry of Climate and Environment and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has the pleasure of inviting all Parties to the Convention and Member States of the United Nations to be represented at the conference. Two representatives from each country may attend the conference. It is assumed that one of the two representatives will subsequently be involved in the negotiation process under the CBD, and the other could be from a different sector where biodiversity is a critical component - such as within the fields of food production, climate change mitigation and adaptation, health, or risk and disaster prevention. The conference aims to foster a cross-sectoral exchange of evidence that will be used in the process for developing the post-2020 global biodiversity framework. It will be interactive in its form; hence the participants should expect to contribute actively to sessions throughout. The Norwegian Government is prepared to provide travel support for two participants from countries eligible for such support. Invitations are also being sent by the Norwegian Environment Agency to relevant UN entities and to selected international organizations and institutions that are involved in supporting the implementation of the CBD. The deadline for electronic registration on the Conference webpage is set for 28 February 2019. Kindly note that all electronic registrations should be accompanied by a confirmation letter from the CBD National Focal Point. Further information on the Conference, including on how to register electronically and how to obtain visa, will be available on the Conference webpage (http://www.trondheimconference.org) and can also be obtained by contacting the Conference Secretariat in the Norwegian Environmental Agency at trondheimconference@miljodir.no. Please accept, Madam/Sir, the assurances of my highest consideration.

Executive Secretary

To: CBD National Focal Points, SBSTTA Focal Points and relevant organizations