Notification 2023-096

Dear Madam/Sir, I am pleased to invite Parties, other Governments, indigenous peoples and local communities, and relevant organizations and initiatives to nominate experts to participate in two upcoming workshops: • Technical Expert Workshop to Review Modalities for Modifying the Descriptions of Ecologically or Biologically Significant Marine Areas (EBSAs) and Describing New Areas, to take place from 20 to 24 November 2023 in Norway • Legal Expert Workshop to Review Modalities for Modifying the Descriptions of Ecologically or Biologically Significant Marine Areas (EBSAs) and Describing New Areas, to take place from 23 to 27 November 2023 in Norway Since 2010, the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity has been coordinating a process to facilitate the description of areas meeting the EBSA criteria through regional workshops, on the basis of the scientific criteria for identifying EBSAs adopted by the Conference of the Parties in 2010 (decision IX/20, annex I). Through this work, more than 300 areas have been described as meeting the EBSA criteria (www.cbd.int/ebsa). Despite the success of the EBSA process, the COP has been discussing ways to improve this work since 2014 (COP 12), when the COP requested the Executive Secretary to develop practical options to further enhance scientific methodologies and approaches to describe areas meeting the EBSA criteria. While discussions on this issue, most recently at COP 15, have brought forth valuable insights, the COP has unfortunately not yet been able to agree on modalities for modifying the descriptions of EBSAs and for describing new EBSAs through means other than regional workshops. With a view to advancing discussions on these issues, the Conference of the Parties requested, in decision 15/26, the Executive Secretary to convene two expert workshops, respectively to: • review the technical aspects of the modalities outlined in the annex to recommendation 24/10 of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice; and • review the legal issues pertaining to these modalities, based on the outcomes of the technical workshop. The outcomes of this work will be submitted to the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice (SBSTTA) and/or to the Subsidiary Body on Implementation (SBI), for consideration, with a view to adopting modalities for modifying the descriptions of EBSAs and for describing new EBSAs at the sixteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties. Based on nominations submitted in response to this notification, the Executive Secretary will select participants for these workshops using the following criteria, and the need to ensure equitable geographical distribution and gender balance: • Level of understanding of the issues to be discussed in these workshops and the key areas of divergent views among Parties with respect to these issues; • Participation in deliberations on these issues at previous meetings of the SBSTTA and COP; • Participation in previous EBSA workshops convened by the Secretariat; • Relevant scientific/technical expertise and legal expertise, respectively for each workshop; • Expected participation at SBSTTA 26 and/or SBI 4 and COP 16 as a speaker for their government/organization on the agenda item on EBSAs. These workshops will be held back-to-back, with two overlapping days of joint sessions on 23 24 November 2023 to ensure that participants of both workshops are able to share views that relate to both technical and legal matters, and to ensure a common understanding across the two workshops. Please note that the Secretariat is inviting nominations separately for each of these two workshops. Nominations may be submitted for only one of these workshops, or for both. The nominee can be the same person for both workshops, if that expert has the necessary background in both technical and legal matters. Please also note that a nomination being accepted for one of these two workshops does not guarantee that the same expert or another expert from the same government or organization will have its nomination accepted for the other workshop. For each workshop, the Secretariat will be able to finance the participation of one selected participant from each Party eligible for funding. Nominations must be submitted in the form of a signed official letter from the national focal point (in the case of a Party or other Government) or from the head of the organization (in the case of indigenous peoples and local communities, and relevant organizations and initiatives) addressed to the Executive Secretary and containing the name and full contact information of the nominated expert/s. Kindly indicate the workshop(s) for which each expert is being nominated. Nominations must also include the curriculum vitae (CV) clearly indicating the areas of expertise and experience of the nominee. The nomination letter and CV must be sent to the Secretariat by e-mail at: secretariat@cbd.int as soon as possible but no later than 30 September 2023. Please accept, Sir, Madam, the assurances of my highest consideration.

Acting Executive Secretary

To: CBD national focal points, SBSTTA focal points, CBD marine and coastal biodiversity focal points, indigenous peoples and local communities, and relevant global and regional organizations/initiatives