SBSTTA 16

The sixteenth meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice (SBSTTA 16) was held from 30 April to 5 May 2012 at the headquarters of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) in Montreal, Canada.

SBSTTA discussed the following items:

• Ways and means to improve the effectiveness of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice in light of the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020 and issues, modalities and options for collaboration with the intergovernmental science-policy platform on biodiversity and ecosystem services (IPBES).
• Global Biodiversity Outlook: preparation of the fourth edition.
• Island biodiversity: in-depth review of the implementation of the programme of work.
• Marine and coastal biodiversity:
• Ecologically or biologically significant marine areas;
• Addressing adverse impacts of human activities on marine and coastal biodiversity, including coral bleaching, ocean acidification, fisheries, and underwater noise;
• Marine spatial planning, marine protected areas and voluntary guidelines for the consideration of biodiversity in environmental assessments in marine and coastal areas.
• Biodiversity and climate change:
• Advice on the application of relevant REDD+ safeguards for biodiversity, and on possible indicators and potential mechanisms to monitor or assess impacts of REDD+ measures on biodiversity;
• Integration of biodiversity considerations into climate change-related activities, including addressing gaps in knowledge and information;
  
• Geo-engineering: impacts on biodiversity and gaps in regulatory mechanisms.
  
• Global Strategy for Plant Conservation: progress in implementing decision X/17.
• Global Taxonomy Initiative: revised draft comprehensive capacity-building strategy.
• New and emerging issues.
• Biofuels and biodiversity: progress in implementing decision X/37.
• Incentive measures: progress in implementing decision X/44.
• Reports on collaborative work in the areas of agriculture, forests and health.

For in-depth detail on these items, please see the Annotated Agenda

Meeting Information

Please visit the official SBSTTA-16 documents page for more information and official documents.