Notification 2023-004

Dear Madam/Sir, The purpose of this notification is to encourage Parties to use the opportunity of the 2023 session of the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development to highlight the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework and its role in sustainable development and contribution to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and implementation. The 2023 session of the High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF), convened under the auspices of the Economic and Social Council, will be held from 10 to 19 July 2023, including its ministerial segment from 17 to 19 July 2023, as part of the high-level segment of the Council. The theme of this year’s HLPF is: “Accelerating the recovery from the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and the full implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development at all levels". Participants will further discuss the effective and inclusive recovery measures to address the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and explore actionable policy guidance for the full implementation of the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs at all levels. The HLPF in July will also support the mid-term review of the implementation of the SDGs and the preparations for the 2023 SDG Summit – the HLPF to be convened under the auspices of the General Assembly, in September 2023. The 2023 HLPF will discuss in depth five Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): 6 (clean water and sanitation), 7 (affordable and clean energy), 9 (industry, innovation and infrastructure), 11 (sustainable cities and communities) and 17 (partnerships for the Goals). As you will be aware, the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity, at its fifteenth meeting in December 2022, adopted the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (see the Annex of decision 15/4). The Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework is a contribution to the achievement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. It places biodiversity, its conservation, the sustainable use of its components and the fair and equitable sharing of the benefits arising out of the utilization of genetic resources, at the heart of the sustainable development agenda, recognizing the important linkages between biological and cultural diversity. The following forty-one countries will also carry out voluntary national reviews (VNRs) of their implementation of the 2030 Agenda on Sustainable Development to the HLPF in July this year: Bahrain, Barbados, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brunei Darussalam, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Canada, Central African Republic, Comoros, Chile, Croatia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, European Union, Fiji, France, Guyana, Iceland, Ireland, Kuwait, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Maldives, Mongolia, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Slovakia, Saint Kitts & Nevis, Syrian Arab Republic, Tajikistan, Timor-Leste, Turkmenistan, United Republic of Tanzania, Uzbekistan, Venezuela, Viet Nam and Zambia. In view of the above, the HLPF provides a great opportunity to highlight the role of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, as well as of biodiversity and ecosystems more broadly, in sustainable development and their contribution to the 2030 Agenda and SDGs’ implementation. In light of the recovery from the global COVID-19 pandemic, the HLPF also offers a timely opportunity to demonstrate how biodiversity is at the core of the “building back better” vision, and how biodiversity contributes to planetary and human health, and social development. Parties may also wish to take advantage of the Regional Forums for Sustainable Development, convened by the regional commissions, and the thematic preparatory meetings to convey this message. The regional forums will assess progress and exchange knowledge, good practices and policy solutions to support the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals, in line with regional priorities and specificities. The tentative dates of the Regional Forums for Sustainable Development in 2023 are the following: Regional Forum for Sustainable Development Tentative dates and venue Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) 27 February-2 March 2023 Niamey, Niger Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) 14-16 March 2023 Beirut, Lebanon Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) 27-30 March 2023 Bangkok, Thailand Economic Commission for Europe (ECE) 29-30 March 2023 Geneva, Switzerland Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) 2 4 28 April 2023 Santiago, Chile Further information and resources to assist Parties in this respect, including biodiversity-specific guidance for countries preparing their reviews and a set of key messages related to biodiversity and the SDGs, is available under: https://www.cbd.int/development/implementation/hlpf/. Please accept, Madam/Sir, the assurances of my highest consideration.

Executive Secretary

To: CBD National Focal Points, Cartagena Protocol Focal Points and ABS Focal Points