COP 8 CBD[219]

CBD CONVENTION ON BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY Distr. GENERAL UNEP/CBD/COP/8/INF/28 30 January 2006 ENGLISH ONLY CONFERENCE OF THE PARTIES TO THE CONVENTION ON BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY Eighth meeting Curitiba, Brazil, 20-31 March 2006 Item 29 of the provisional agenda* REPORT ON THE ACTIVITIES OF THE UNITED NATIONS ENVIRONMENT PROGRAMME IN THE AREA OF BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY AND BIOSAFETY 1. The Executive Secretary is circulating herewith, for the information of participants to the eighth meeting of the Conference of the Parties, the report of the activities of the United Nations Environment Programme in the area of biological diversity and biosafety. 2. The document is circulated in the form and language in which it was received by the Secretariat. * UNEP/CBD/COP/8/1. /… For reasons of economy, this document is printed in a limited number. Delegates are kindly requested to bring their copies to meetings and not to request additional copies UNEP/CBD/COP/8/INF/28 Introduction 1. The present report has been prepared for the eighth meeting of the Conference of Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity. It provides information on United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) activities in the areas of biological diversity and biosafety from January 2004 to December 2005, and on current and planned activities January 2006–December 2007. In addition, it describes major UNEP activities and issues during the reporting period in the areas covered by the Convention. 2. Supplemental information in the form of publications and documents will be made available by UNEP to the Conference of Parties at its eighth meeting. Guidance from the Conference of Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity 3. At its sixth meeting, the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity adopted eight decisions which were specifically related to UNEP, and nine at its seventh meeting. In general, the guidance given by the Conference of the Partiers requested UNEP to address issues related to marine and coastal biological diversity; agricultural biological diversity; biological diversity and climate change; access and benefit-sharing as related to genetic resources (Article 15 of the Convention); protected areas (Article 8, subparagraphs (a) to (e)); alien species which threaten ecosystems, habitats or species; communication, education and public awareness; cooperation with other organizations; initiatives and conventions; suggested elements for materials transfer agreements; national reports; transfer of technology; global strategy for plant conservation; strategic plan and future evaluations of progress; programme of work of the convention and the Millennium Development Goals; and operations of the Convention. Those issues are being addressed by UNEP through its 2004–2005 and 2006–2007 programmes of work. Chapter I of the present report covers UNEP responses to the decisions of the Conference of the Parties, chapter II looks at UNEP contributions to the 2010 biological diversity targets, and chapter III provides information on inputs by UNEP to the items on the agenda of the eighth meeting of the Conference of the Parties. I. UNEP responses to decisions of the Conference of the Parties 4. Chapter I of the present report outlines the UNEP response to those decisions made by the Conference of the Parties at its sixth and seventh meetings which include specific requests to UNEP. The activities covered in the present report comprise those undertaken by UNEP during the 2004–2005 biennium and also those planned for the current 2006–2007 biennium. A. Decision VI/3 on marine and coastal biological diversity 5. The UNEP Coral Reef Unit1 works with partners around the world to reverse coral reef degradation and to increase international, national and local support for the conservation, management and sustainable use of coral reefs. As a dedicated focal point within UNEP, it provides support to the International Coral Reef Initiative (ICRI) and participates in the Initiative’s operational networks, the Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network and the International Coral Reef Action Network (ICRAN).2 The Coral Reef Unit works closely with multilateral environmental agreement secretariats, including those of biological diversity conventions such as the Convention on Biological Diversity itself and the Convention on Wetlands of International Importance especially as Waterfowl Habitat (Ramsar Convention); regional seas conventions and action plans within and outside the UNEP system; other United Nations agencies; non-governmental organizations; private and industry associations and stewardship councils; and funding organizations. 6. The regional seas conventions and action plans are considered to have a major role to play in the promotion of the Jakarta Mandate on Marine and Coastal Biological Diversity at the regional level. In addition, the Strategic Directions for the Regional Seas Programme 2004–20073 call for an increase in the use of the regional seas conventions and action plans as platforms for developing common regional objectives and promoting synergies and coordinated regional implementation of relevant multilateral environmental agreements. Specific activities and projects on coral reef protection and management are being implemented in several of the regional seas regions, for example within the framework of ICRAN (East Asia, the Caribbean, the Pacific and East Africa). A joint UNEP/ICRAN publication entitled: “People and Reefs: Successes and Challenges in the Management of Coral Reef Marine Protected Areas”4 details experiences and lessons learnt from the network’s field sites in regional seas convention and action plan areas around the world, and the UNEP Regional Seas Programme, in cooperation with the Blue Ocean Institute in Hawaii, has produced an educational and awareness-raising brochure on 1 2 3 4 http://corals.unep.org/. http://www.icran.org/. Available at www.unep.org/regionalseas/Publications/Strategy_180105_English.doc Available at http://www.unep.org/regionalseas/Publications/default.asp. 2 UNEP/CBD/COP/8/INF/28 practical and easy-to-use methods to reduce the by-catch of sea turtles in long-line fisheries entitled “Catch fish not turtles using long lines”. 5 7. In 2004 and 2005, UNEP supported the work programme of the Convention on coral bleaching by raising awareness, providing technical advice to countries, conducting assessments and promoting cooperation and information exchange. Highlights included media events to increase public awareness policy and technical support to small island developing States and to African States for the sustainable management of the coral reef component of their coastal areas. UNEP also provided countries, non-governmental organizations, members of ICRI, partners in ICRAN and the Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network with programmatic and technical assistance in the areas of coral reef management and monitoring. The regular assessment of coral reef ecosystems by UNEP and its partners has strengthened the United Nations process for assessing and reporting on the marine environment. UNEP has prepared or contributed to a large number of coral-reef-related publications which provided essential background information for documentation and for discussion in the United Nations General Assembly and Convention meetings on the protection of vulnerable deep-water ecosystems and biological diversity within and beyond national jurisdiction. 8. In 2006 and 2007, UNEP intends to continue its work on the topic by supporting intergovernmental and inter-ministerial meetings covering cold- and warm-water coral reefs, including meetings of the regional seas conventions and action plans, and by providing technical advice and assistance to developing countries and small island developing States to help them establish and implement national coral reef policies, legislation and action plans. Work on reversing the decline of tropical corals will see a continuation and expansion of collaboration with existing and new partners. 9. UNEP has conducted several activities on the protection and management of marine mammals and their associated habitats6 through its Regional Seas Programme and in collaboration with partners. The Convention on Migratory Species of Wild Animals (Convention on Migratory Species) and the Regional Seas Programme jointly produced a publication entitled “Review of Small Cetaceans: Distribution, Behaviour, Migration And Threats”.7 In addition, they developed a memorandum of understanding with the secretariat of the Agreement on the Conservation of Cetaceans in the Black Sea, the Mediterranean Seas and the Contiguous Atlantic Area (ACCOBAMS) for the further development of a pedagogic training kit on cetaceans in the area covered by the Agreement. Also, the Regional Seas Programme is supporting the Convention for Cooperation in the Protection and Development of the Marine and Coastal Environment of the West and Central African Region (Abidjan Convention) in the preparation of a conservation strategy for the West African manatee (Trichechus senegalensis) throughout its range. 10. Work on cold-water coral reefs will be carried out in close cooperation with Governments and relevant intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations to raise awareness of vulnerable deep-water biological diversity and ecosystems, and to assist and guide national and international efforts to conserve, protect and manage those resources sustainably. B. Decision VI/5 on agricultural biological diversity 11. In response to decision VI/5 of the Conference of the Parties, on agricultural biological diversity, UNEP sharpened its focus on biological diversity impacts in its work in supporting assessment of the impact of trade and trade-related policies on natural-resource sectors such as fisheries, agriculture and energy.8 In 2005, UNEP launched a four-year initiative entitled “Integrated Assessment of Trade-related Policies in the Agricultural Sector – Supporting the Implementation of the Convention on Biological Diversity”, funded primarily by the European Union. The initiative supports developing countries, particularly in Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific, in their efforts to implement the Convention by enhancing national capacities to assess, design and implement policies which maximize development gains from trade in the agricultural sector while minimizing the impact on agricultural biological diversity. A key first step of the initiative is the development of a biological diversity assessment reference manual which will include guidance on assessment methodologies, impact analysis and development of biological diversity indicators. National institutions in six African, Caribbean and Pacific countries will customize and apply the material to fit local conditions and needs and will undertake national assessments of agricultural trade-related policies. Policy action plans will then be developed to respond to the outcomes of the assessments. 5 6 7 8 Available through http://www.unep.org/regionalseas/Publications/Brochures_and_Leaflets/default.asp. http://www.unep.org/regionalseas/Issues/default.asp. Available at http://www.unep.org/regionalseas/News/Review_of_Small_Cetaceans/default.asp. See http://www.unep.ch/etb/. 3 UNEP/CBD/COP/8/INF/28 C. Decision VI/19 on communication, education and public awareness 12. During the 2004–2005 biennium, UNEP continued its strong support for the goals of the Convention’s communication, education and public awareness process. In addition to being represented on the communication, education and public awareness informal advisory committee, UNEP has promoted awareness of the Convention through press outreach activities for major Convention meetings and by co-publishing, with the Convention secretariat, two guides, one for the Convention and one for the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety. In November 2005, UNEP received a letter from the Executive Secretary of the Convention requesting its assistance in implementing the Convention communication, education and public awareness programme of work in developing countries and in countries with economies in transition. Drawing on its experience in supporting similar activities for the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, UNEP has pledged to collaborate with the secretariat on this effort, starting with funds generously provided by the Government of Norway. 13. In addition, UNEP organized subregional and regional workshops on capacity-building for communication, education and public awareness of the potential benefits and associated risks of biotechnology applications. Through its project on development of national biosafety frameworks, UNEP has continued to work with a total of 120 countries, an is also collaborating with six additional countries not receiving support from the Global Environment Facility (GEF). As the project is entering its final phase and has generated an enormous amount of experience, UNEP has begun to document that experience internally with a preliminary case study on lessons learnt. 14. UNEP also undertook work on the “Conceptual Framework and Planning Guidelines for Integrated Coastal Area and River Basin Management” and their implementation, and also on integrated coastal area management and integrated coastal area and river basin management per se. 15. In 2006 and 2007, UNEP, in cooperation with biodiversity-related convention secretariats, intends to organize seminars and workshops to promote education, communications, public awareness and group training for policy-makers on issues related to the biological diversity cluster of multilateral environmental agreements. Those efforts will be supported by the issue-based modular approach9 to synergies and interlinkages for the coherent implementation of biological-diversity-related multilateral environmental agreements, in particular for cross-cutting issues such as inland waters and climate change. 16. In 2006–2008, UNEP is proposing to develop a project on capacity-building for communication, education and public awareness for the Rio Conventions. The project focuses on building the capacities of developing countries for effective communication, education and public awareness-raising related to the three Rio Conventions in an integrated and holistic manner, and addresses key issues identified and articulated in the draft communication, education and public awareness programme of the Convention. The project will be implemented in partnership with United Nations University International Network on Water, Environment and Health, and with the close support of the multilateral environmental agreement secretariats, in particular that of the Convention on Biological Diversity. D. Decision VI/20 on cooperation with other organizations, initiatives and conventions and decision VI/25 on national reporting 17. The final reports of the UNEP pilot projects on the harmonization of national reporting to biological-diversity-related conventions are available at the UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre website.10 A summary report of the projects was finalized in March 2004 and was, with the individual project reports, made available to the workshop “Towards the harmonization of national reporting to biodiversity-related treaties”, held in Haasrode, Belgium, in September 2004 in cooperation with the Government of Belgium and the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, with additional support from the Government of Germany.11 The workshop was attended by representatives of the five global biodiversity-related conventions, including the Convention on Biological Diversity. 18. The report of the workshop was made available to the thirteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora in October 2004 as an information document.12 The workshop report was also made available to the first meeting of the Ad Hoc Open-ended Working Group on Review of the Implementation of the 9 10 11 12 Available at http://www.svs-unepibmdb.net. http://www.unep-wcmc.org/conventions/harmonization/projects.htm. http://www.unep-wcmc.org/conventions/harmonization/workshop.htm. http://www.cites.org/common/cop/13/inf/E13i-43.pdf. 4 UNEP/CBD/COP/8/INF/28 Convention on Biological Diversity, held in Montreal, Canada, in September 2005.13 The Working Group took note of the recommendations of the workshop and encouraged the Biodiversity Liaison Group, in cooperation with the World Conservation Monitoring Centre, to give further consideration to the issues of harmonization of reporting among the biodiversity-related conventions and to develop proposals in that regard (recommendation 1/9 on national reporting). 19. Resolution IX.5 of the Conference of the Contracting Parties to the Ramsar Convention at its ninth meeting states that the Conference of the Contracting Parties is aware that the World Conservation Monitoring Centre held a consultative workshop on the issue of harmonized national reporting (Haasrode, Belgium, September 2004), that the issue has been discussed by the Biodiversity Liaison Group established under Convention on Biological Diversity decision VII/26, and that the workshop specifically noted seven key issues concerned with harmonization of national reporting. The resolution further requests the Secretary-General of the Ramsar Convention to continue working with the UNEP Division of Environmental Conventions and the secretariats of the other biodiversity-related conventions and agreements on more effective convention implementation. Topics might include the harmonization of national reporting requirements. 20. Resolution 8.11 of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Migratory Species at its eighth meeting, on cooperation with other conventions, states that the Conference of the Parties welcomes the results of existing proposals and discussions in an effort to harmonize national reporting in the biodiversity cluster of conventions and agreements. The resolution also proposes that the Conference of the Parties should invites the Executive Secretary of the Convention, in collaboration with the Biodiversity Liaison Group and UNEP, to advance the harmonization of reporting both within the UNEP-Convention on Migratory Species “family” of agreements and between relevant conventions. 21. At its eleventh meeting, the Convention on Biological Diversity Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice adopted two recommendations which urge a harmonized approach to reporting. In recommendation XI/9 on biological diversity of inland water ecosystems, the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice requested the Executive Secretary of the Convention to invite the secretariat of the Ramsar Convention to take the lead in developing a draft joint reporting framework on the biological diversity of inland water ecosystems; in recommendation XI/1, on the biological diversity of dry and sub-humid lands, the Subsidiary Body recommended that the Conference of the Parties should encourage, in particular, the strengthening of the synergy between the Convention on Biological Diversity and the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification in Those Countries Experiencing Serious Drought and/or Desertification, Particularly in Africa in implementing the joint programme of work and harmonizing national reporting. 22. Under contract with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs of the United Kingdom, in August 2005 the World Conservation Monitoring Centre finalized a review of the reporting systems of the five global biodiversity-related conventions. The review follows up on recommendations of the Haasrode workshop on the purpose of reporting, the response of Parties to reporting requests, the use of information from national reports, outcome-oriented reporting and on the links between national reporting and the strategic planning documents of the conventions. In addition, it reviews the guiding principles for national reporting prepared by the World Conservation Monitoring Centre in 1997. The review has been made available to convention secretariats and participants in the workshop.14 23. In November 2005, the Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity invited comments on the draft guidelines for the fourth national report. UNEP held informal discussions on the guidelines with the Convention secretariat and with Governments. UNEP also discussed the next steps in the implementation of the recommendation of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice with the secretariat of the Ramsar Convention. 24. The World Conservation Monitoring Centre presented the issue of harmonization of national reporting at a meeting on the preparation of the World Heritage Periodic Reporting Reflection Year 2007 held in Berlin in November 2005. The meeting welcomed the efforts made towards harmonization and agreed to continue discussions with the other biodiversity-related conventions on harmonization. 25. Recent developments provide a basis for major progress in the harmonization of national reporting in the framework of, in particular, the new reporting formats for the Convention on Biological Diversity and the Ramsar Convention, but also potentially for the Convention on Migratory Species and the World Heritage Convention. As follow-up to those activities, UNEP, in close collaboration with 13 14 http://www.biodiv.org/doc/meetings/wgri/wgri-01/information/wgri-01-inf-06-en.pdf. http://www.unep-wcmc.org/conventions/harmonization/papers.htm. 5 UNEP/CBD/COP/8/INF/28 multilateral environmental agreement secretariats, will explore the possibility of developing joint reporting questionnaires on thematic issues such as inland waters and protected areas. E. Decision VI/23 on alien species that threaten ecosystems, habitats or species 26. The UNEP issue-based module on invasive alien species was recognized by the eleventh meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice as a useful tool to improve the coherent implementation of commitments relating to invasive alien species. 27. In June 2005, the UNEP Regional Seas Programme, the Convention on Biological Diversity and the Global Invasive Species Programme jointly organized a workshop on the development of a joint work programme on marine invasive species from 27 to 29 June 2005 in Montreal, Canada, hosted by the Convention on Biological Diversity secretariat. The workshop was attended by representatives of four regional seas programmes and partner organizations. The outcomes of the meeting of the Ad Hoc Technical Expert Group on Gaps and Inconsistencies in the International Regulatory Framework in Relation to Invasive Alien Species, held in Auckland, New Zealand, from 16 to 20 May 2005 were fed into the workshop and the resulting draft joint action plan was submitted to the eleventh meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice as an information document. 15 28. During 2005, the UNEP Regional Seas Programme supported the Global Invasive Species Programme in the development of a training course toolkit on the management of invasive species in marine and coastal environments. The objective of the activity is to support the integration of marine invasive alien species issues into existing marine and coastal programmes implemented through the various UNEP regional seas programmes by customizing the existing Global Invasive Species Programme generic invasive alien species training course to produce a training course focusing specifically on marine and coastal invasive species. The training course was the subject of a pilot workshop in the East African region which was held in Dar es Salaam, United Republic of Tanzania, from 14 to 17 November 2005. It will be amended according to the recommendations of the workshop and will then be distributed and implemented in other regions through the various regional seas programmes. F. Appendix I on suggested elements for material transfer agreements 29. UNEP also built the capacity of developing countries, countries with economies in transition and small island developing States to meet their obligations under the Convention on Biological Diversity and other biodiversity-related processes, such as the Cartagena Protocol, in the context of other relevant multilateral environmental agreements. 30. UNEP has produced country needs-assessment reports and inventories of genetic resources, reports of case studies on the sharing of benefits arising from the use of genetic resources and traditional knowledge, and has organized workshops on access to and sharing of benefits arising from the use of genetic resources, and on local and traditional knowledge. 31. For 2006 and 2007, if so requested by the relevant convention secretariats, UNEP will undertake case studies on experiences at the national, subregional and regional levels in the implementation or development of access and benefit-sharing arrangements, demonstrating the elements of relevant provisions of the Convention on Biological Diversity, the multilateral system for access and benefit-sharing of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species of Fauna and Flora (CITES). G. Decision VI/27 on operations of the Convention 32. UNEP support to the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) regional and subregional action plan assisted in major biodiversity planning in the five subregions of Africa through the development of subregional environmental action plans in which the countries have strongly addressed biological diversity issues including capacity-building, financing, conservation and sustainable use. UNEP has also supported and assisted in capacity-building of the regional economic communities’ activities, thus contributing to enhancing regional planning. Through a project executed by the UNEP Division of Global Environment Facility Coordination and related to NEPAD, UNEP is strengthening multilateral environmental agreement coordination and synergies in pilot countries. In addition, in 2004 and 2005, the Division of Global Environment Facility Coordination assisted countries in securing additional funding for developing national clearing-house mechanisms and capacity assessments on a number of biodiversity-related issues. 15 UNEP/CBD/SBSTTA/11/INF/4. 6 UNEP/CBD/COP/8/INF/28 33. The continuing focus of UNEP and its assistance to countries on priority issues of the Convention also respond to that decision, through in-kind contributions and through the mobilization of other internal and external resources. Examples include its development of biosafety enabling activities in more than 120 countries, implementation of cross-cutting capacity-building in 35 countries, and the development of numerous GEF projects which mobilize substantial counterpart funding. 34. In addition, the recently adopted Bali Strategic Plan for Technology Support and Capacity-building will enable UNEP to respond in a holistic manner to countries’ capacity-building needs, complementing the GEF-funded activities now being undertaken by the Division of Global Environment Facility Coordination. Cross-cutting issues contained in the Bali Strategic Plan include providing assistance to countries to facilitate compliance with and enforcement of obligations under the multilateral environmental agreements and implementation of environmental commitments. 35. The UNEP Regional Seas Programme supported a joint workshop of the Convention on the Protection of the Black Sea against Pollution and the Convention on Biological Diversity, on “Looking for Synergy in Achieving Biodiversity Millennium Goals in the Black Sea” held in Istanbul, Turkey, from 15 to 17 September 2005, as part of its focus on marine and coastal biodiversity issues and its cooperation with the Convention on Biological Diversity. H. Decision VII/5 on marine and coastal biological diversity 36. The World Conservation Monitoring Centre has secured funds from the European Commission which will be used to review the existing World Database on Protected Areas16 and how it deals with marine protected areas. Issues to be addressed include how the database responds to international needs identified by the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity, the World Summit on Sustainable Development and other international agendas, partnerships in developing and maintaining the marine protected areas data, and delivery of marine and coastal protected areas indicators. The report, which is due during 2006, will set out a costed programme of work for responding to the needs identified by the review, and will be used in the further development of the information needs identified by the Conference of the Parties. 37. The Nairobi Convention, in collaboration with the World Conservation Union (IUCN) and the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS), organized a workshop held in Malindi, Kenya, from 17 to 20 October 2005, to train fishery and forestry management practitioners from Kenya and Somalia in the use of a marine protected areas toolkit, marine protected areas assessment workbook and the WIO-Fish regional fisheries database for the western Indian Ocean. I. Decision VII/28 on protected areas (Article 8, subparagraphs (a) to (e)) 38. UNEP remains committed to maintaining the World Database on Protected Areas.17 The database provides the most comprehensive dataset on protected areas worldwide and is managed by the World Conservation Monitoring Centre in partnership with the IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas and the World Database on Protected Areas Consortium. The World Database on Protected Areas is a fully relational database containing information on the status, environment and management of individual protected areas. 39. The World Database on Protected Areas is compiled from national information submitted by Governments and other agencies, and the data is not only accessible over the internet but is also regularly released on CD-ROM and in published form in the periodically released United Nations List of Protected Areas. Data are also provided for one of the Millennium Development Goals, and for a range of further indicators and analyses including one of the 2010 indicators agreed by the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity. UNEP also makes it available through the Global Environment Outlook (GEO) portal.18 40. Recognizing the need to improve the existing database to respond to international mandates, the World Conservation Monitoring Centre has secured funds from the European Commission to review the existing World Database on Protected Areas, particularly from the perspective of delivering data and indicators on protected areas coverage, how well protected areas cover biological diversity, and how to address the issue of management effectiveness. 16 17 18 http://sea.unep-wcmc.org/wdbpa/. Ibid. http://geodata.grid.unep.ch/. 7 UNEP/CBD/COP/8/INF/28 J. Decision VII/10 on the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation 41. Following decision VII/10 by the Conference of the Parties, the World Conservation Monitoring Centre worked with the interim Chair of the Global Partnership for Plant Conservation to develop a discussion paper identifying possible means for monitoring implementation of the Strategy, and reviewed the paper with the secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity. The paper was then discussed during a workshop set up for that purpose at the Global Partnership for Plant Conservation conference in Dublin. A revised version of the discussion paper will be made available to participants at the eighth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity. K. Decision VII/15 on biodiversity and climate change 42. The UNEP project in the area of biodiversity and climate change is under way after a short delay. As yet, there have been no substantial results or findings. L. Decision VII/19 on access and benefit-sharing as related to genetic resources (Article 15) 43. In response to decision VII/19, UNEP undertook case studies on experiences at the national, subregional and regional levels with the implementation or development of access and benefit-sharing arrangements in the context of the Bonn Guidelines on Access to Genetic Resources and Fair and Equitable Sharing of the Benefits Arising out of their Utilization. The outcome of that exercise was presented at the fourth meeting of the Ad Hoc Open-ended Working Group on Access and Benefitsharing. In the 2006−2007 biennium, UNEP intends to carry out further activities in support of that decision as mentioned in section F above. M. Decision VII/29 on transfer of technology and technology cooperation (Articles 16 to 19) 44. The UNEP report to the UNEP Governing Council/Global Ministerial Environment Forum at its ninth special session, held in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, from 7 to 9 February 2006, on the implementation of the Bali Strategic Plan takes decision VII/29 fully into account. UNEP will further identify and respond to the technology support and capacity-building needs of developing countries and countries with economies in transition, in close consultation and cooperation with the multilateral environmental agreement secretariats and other GEF implementing agencies, in particular, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). UNEP will also review and further improve its services to the UNEP-administered conventions. 45. In 2004, the Environmental Management Group19 decided to focus on the issue of environmental capacity-building in order to identify the gaps and needs, the potential for further synergies within the United Nations system and a possible role for the Group in that regard. To that end, the World Conservation Monitoring Centre produced a pilot study, “Capacity-building for Biological Diversity – a Situation and Needs Analysis for the Environmental Management Group”. N. Decision VII/30, Strategic Plan: future evaluations of progress 46. The World Conservation Monitoring Centre provided substantial support to the secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity in planning for and implementing the second edition of the Global Biodiversity Outlook, including preparatory work, research and compilation of drafts from multiple sources and preparation of the draft executive summary. The work was supported by the Government of the Netherlands and the Government of the United Kingdom, and also by the European Commission, and drew on the Centre’s experience of working on the first edition of the Global Biodiversity Outlook and more recent work on the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment and the 2010 indicators. 47. The World Conservation Monitoring Centre provided substantial support to the Convention secretariat in preparing for both the Ad Hoc Technical Expert Group meeting on 2010 indicators and subsequent discussion of the issue at the tenth meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice. Its support included input to planning, drafting of papers and review of papers drafted by the Convention secretariat and others. Much of that work was supported by the Government of the United Kingdom. 48. The World Conservation Monitoring Centre and the Division of Global Environment Facility Coordination are now in the process of implementing a PDF-B project entitled “Building the Partnership to Deliver the Global 2010 Indicators”. The project aims to support regular delivery of a full 19 http://www.unemg.org/. 8 UNEP/CBD/COP/8/INF/28 suite of 2010 indicators at the global level which is meaningful to a range of audiences in supporting both policy intervention and communicating degree of success in achieving the 2010 target. The indicators will be meaningful at a global level, but clearly linked to related indicators at national and regional levels, to targets and indicators used by other international conventions and programmes, to targets and indicators relevant to other sectors, in particular the Millennium Development Goals, and to assessing the impact of climate change on biological diversity. The work is being carried out in cooperation with the Convention secretariat, and the Conference of the Parties will be briefed on project progress at its eighth meeting. 49. UNEP welcomed the attendance of the Executive Secretary of the Convention at the ninth special session of the UNEP Governing Council/Global Ministerial Environment Forum, held in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, from 7 to 9 February 2006, where the implementation plan for the Bali Strategic Plan was presented and discussed. O. Decision VII/32 on the programme of work of the Convention and the Millennium Development Goals 50. In response to decision VII/32, UNEP organized a high-level brainstorming workshop for multilateral environmental agreements on mainstreaming environment beyond goal 7 of the Millennium Declaration, in Nairobi on 13 and 14 July 2005, in which the Convention on Biological Diversity participated. The meeting was organized to identify the interface between the work of multilateral environmental agreements and poverty reduction, and to find the means to create greater cooperation including, and in particular, at the national level. The meeting recommended that UNEP should play a coordinating role with regard to short-, mid- and long-term activities aimed at mainstreaming environment into the Millennium Development Goals, including the exploration of the economic aspects of ecosystem services and how to move the process forward following the 2005 World Summit on Sustainable Development. All relevant documentation for the meeting can be downloaded from the UNEP website.20 51. As a follow-up, UNEP also organized a high-level workshop on creating pro-poor markets for ecosystem services, held in London from 10 to 12 October 2005. The meeting came up with a number of recommendations, including the need to identify and develop pilot projects which could demonstrate how market-based instruments for ecosystem services can be used effectively to advance the objectives of the multilateral environmental agreements. The Lake Victoria ecosystem of East and Central Africa might be a case in point. All relevant documentation for the meeting can be downloaded from the UNEP website.21 52. The UNEP flagship assessment report, the fourth Global Environment Outlook report (GEO-4), has been working at integrating multilateral environmental agreements into the environment assessment process. Building on the first consultation between GEO staff and multilateral environmental agreement secretariats, held in Bonn on 6 and 7 October 2005, UNEP anticipates working more closely with the Convention on Biological Diversity on developing the biodiversity-related content of GEO-4, drawing from and contributing to the further development of the work already done by the Convention in developing the Global Biodiversity Outlook. A recommendation for such collaboration between GEO-4 and the Global Biodiversity Outlook was considered and adopted at the eleventh meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice. At that meeting a decision was adopted requesting the Conference of the Parties at its ninth meeting to take account of GEO assessments and future Global Biodiversity Outlook plans in considering the need for another integrated assessment of biological diversity and ecosystems in the future. 53. In 2006 and 2007, UNEP is proposing to develop a project on linking the Millennium Development Goals, multilateral environmental agreements and economic instruments in the Lake Victoria basin, in close collaboration with multilateral environmental agreement secretariats, in particular the Convention on Biological Diversity. The project will be a joint initiative of UNEP, the International Council for Research in Agroforestry (ICRAF) – also referred to as the World Agroforestry Centre – multilateral environmental agreement secretariats, the Millennium Project of the United Nations Secretary-General and other partners. Its objective is to bring together various relevant multilateral environmental agreements whose mandates overlap in the Lake Victoria region, link the goals of the Millennium Declaration explicitly with the terms of the various multilateral environmental agreements, and evaluate how market and economic instruments can be used more effectively to achieve both the goals of the Millennium Declaration and multilateral environmental agreement targets. 20 21 http://www.unep.org/dec/support/mdg_meeting.html. http://www.unep.org/dec/support/mdg_meeting_lon.htm. 9 UNEP/CBD/COP/8/INF/28 54. In addition, UNEP has sponsored 10 country projects to assess the interlinkages between economic and trade policies, poverty and the environment. Biological diversity conservation is a common theme in most of those projects. In Brazil, for example, the project examined the implications of federal highway BR163 for biological diversity and also for poverty in the affected areas and generated recommendations to improve the sustainable development plan of the Government for managing the affected areas. During 2006–2007, UNEP is prepared to provide additional support to those countries to help them implement the recommendations from the assessment projects. 55. The underlying theme of the fourth Global Environment Outlook report is environment for development. Human well-being and the role of the environment in achieving the Millennium Development Goals are important considerations in the preparation of GEO-4. The report will look at where we stand on the environmental contribution to the implementation of the internationally agreed development goals, including those contained in the Millennium Declaration, and in particular goal 1 on poverty alleviation, goal 3 on gender equality and goal 7 on ensuring environmental sustainability. The report will be finalized and launched in September 2007. P. Decision VII/33 on operations of the Convention 56. As requested in decision VII/33 on operations of the Convention, UNEP, in consultation with the United Nations Office at Nairobi, provided input to the review of the administrative arrangements between UNEP and the Convention secretariat. As requested in the decision, the revised administrative arrangements will be reported to the Conference of the Parties at its eighth meeting. 57. During the reporting period, UNEP continued to provide administrative support, guidance and backstopping to the Convention secretariat, in particular in relation to human resources and financial and budgetary matters. UNEP is strongly committed to further strengthening the quality and timeliness of its support and services to the UNEP-administered multilateral environmental agreements, including the Convention secretariat. In that regard, with effect from 1 September 2005 the UNEP Executive Director established a new Administrative Support to Conventions Unit within the Division of Environmental Conventions. The objective of the Unit, which will work closely with the United Nations Office at Nairobi, the UNEP executive offices and the UNEP Programme Coordination and Management Unit, is to coordinate and provide administrative support to the multilateral environmental agreements on issues of cross-cutting nature and concern. The new Unit, in cooperation with the aforementioned offices, has also been mandated to assess how UNEP can further facilitate and support the work of the multilateral environmental agreements through streamlining administrative procedures and processes. The establishment of the Administrative Support to Conventions Unit took place within the context of an overall restructuring of the Division and other UNEP Divisions. In addition, UNEP will explore ways and means of providing in-kind contributions to the Convention secretariat through staff support. II. UNEP contributions to the 2010 targets of the Convention on Biological Diversity 58. In its decision VII/30, the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity decided to establish goals and subtargets for each of the identified focal areas22 to clarify the 2010 global biological diversity target and promote coherence among the Convention’s programmes of work. A number of those subtargets have a bearing on the work programme of UNEP. UNEP is also mindful of the strategic goals and objectives of the Strategic Plan for the Convention on Biological Diversity (decision VI/26), which are frequently used in combination with the 2010 targets, for example by the Global Biodiversity Outlook, to assess the status of implementation of the Convention. UNEP has specifically built upon the complementarity between the 2010 targets and the Strategic Plan, in particular goal 3 in its work, as national biodiversity strategies and action plans and the integration of biodiversity concerns into relevant sectors serve as an effective framework for the implementation of the objectives of the Convention, and, in particular, the Division of Global Environment Facility Coordination biodiversity enabling activities, where Parties are currently examining the 2010 targets in determining what they have achieved in formulating national targets based on global targets, an exercise which is one part of the third national report process in which the Division of Global Environment Facility Coordination is supporting 36 countries, and the Biodiversity Service of the UNEP Regional Office in Europe. 22 https://www.biodiv.org/2010-target/focal.aspx 10 UNEP/CBD/COP/8/INF/28 59. UNEP, as a member of the broader United Nations family, pursues the implementation of the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation23 and other internationally agreed development goals, including those contained in the Millennium Declaration. UNEP continues to deploy its technical and scientific expertise to facilitate the effective implementation of the Convention on Biological Diversity and also of other UNEP-administered global and regional environmental conventions. In responding to the 2010 goals and subtargets, UNEP carried out various activities during the 2004–2005 biennium, with other activities planned for the current 2006–2007 biennium as set forth below. 60. The goals and targets are those in the provisional framework for evaluating progress towards the 2010 target set forth in annex II of decision VII/30. A. 1. Activities which contribute overall to the 2010 targets Assessment of 2010 progress 61. The UNEP project “Building the Partnership to Deliver the Global 2010 Indicators” aims to support regular delivery of a full suite of 2010 indicators at the global level that is meaningful to a range of audiences in supporting both policy intervention and communicating degree of success in achieving the 2010 target. The indicators will be delivered through a partnership of the organizations and agencies working on the individual indicators. The indicators will be meaningful at a global level, but clearly linked to related indicators at national and regional levels, to targets and indicators used by other international conventions and programmes, to targets and indicators relevant to other sectors (in particular the millennium development goals), and to assessing the impact of climate change on biological diversity. 62. UNEP is also assisting in the follow up towards the pan-European commitment to halt the loss of biological diversity by 2010, a framework of 15 headline indicators was adopted by the Council of the European Union in June 2004 and by the Council of the Pan-European Biological and Landscape Diversity Strategy Council in 2005. 2. Assessment 63. UNEP, through its Division of Early Warning and Assessment, provides the world community with improved access to meaningful environmental data and information, including on biological diversity, to help increase the capacity of Governments to use environmental information for decision-making and planning action for sustainable human development. Some of the assessment activities relevant to the achievement of the 2010 targets are listed below. (a) Global Environment Outlook 64. The UNEP flagship assessment report, GEO-4, to be published in 2007, will review the state of the environment at global and subglobal levels based on an up-to-date set of scientific data and information, the guidance of the scientific advisory committee and interaction and partnerships between Governments, scientific institutions and intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations. (b) Millennium Ecosystem Assessment 65. UNEP, in collaboration with partner agencies, has coordinated the work of the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment, including programmatic, technical and oversight contributions. The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment findings were released in 2005, including a synthesis report on biological diversity which specifically addressed the needs of the Convention on Biological Diversity. That synthesis report and other products of the assessment were considered at the eleventh meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice, which adopted recommendations on the implications of the Assessment findings for the future work of the Convention. Together with various partners, UNEP is currently preparing a GEF medium-sized project proposal for Millennium Ecosystem Assessment follow-on activities focusing on capacity-building and engagement based on the methodologies developed in the assessment. UNEP has also produced a synthesis report entitled “Marine and Coastal Ecosystems and Human Well-being”, which summarizes the findings of the assessment for marine and coastal ecosystems. (c) Global Marine Assessment 23 Plan of Implementation of the World Summit on Sustainable Development (Report of the World Summit on Sustainable Development, Johannesburg, South Africa, 26 August-4 September 2002 (United Nations publication, Sales No. E.03.II. A.1 and corrigendum), chap I, resolution 2, annex). 11 UNEP/CBD/COP/8/INF/28 66. UNEP and the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) have been invited by the United Nations General Assembly, its resolution 60/30 on oceans and the law of the sea, to undertake, jointly, the role of lead agencies for the Global Marine Assessment. UNEP and the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission have put together a project plan to design and initiate the assessment of assessments which will become the Global Marine Assessment. (d) World Water Development Report II 67. UNEP has prepared a biological diversity chapter on fresh water and coastal ecosystems for the World Water Development Report II – World Water Assessment Programme. The chapter reports on ecosystems and their capacity to provide goods and services; the environmental, social and economic importance of ecosystems; status of and trends in ecosystems and biological diversity; pressures and impacts, policy and management responses; and implementing the ecosystem approach and integrated water resource management. The launch of the overall World Water Development Report II is scheduled for the fourth World Water Forum, to be held in Mexico in March 2006. (e) World Resources Report 68. UNEP has made substantive contributions to and participated in editorial meetings of the World Resources Report. (f) Other global assessments 69. UNEP has also participated in and contributed to global processes related to environmental monitoring, which are sources of key data for an up-to-date set of scientific and technical information which can be used for reviewing the state of the environment at global and subglobal levels. Amongst those global assessments is the Global Earth Observation System of Systems, including the Integrated Global Observing Strategy Partnership, the Global Ocean Observing System, the Global Climate Observing System and the Global Terrestrial Observing System. A framework for collaboration between the Global Ocean Observing System and the UNEP Regional Seas Programme has been provided through a memorandum of understanding concluded in March 2005 between UNEP and the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO. Cooperation focuses on the areas of data and information networking; monitoring; selection of indicators of environmental variability and ecosystem change; remote sensing; geographical information systems; and assessment of contaminants. (g) Harmonization of national reporting 70. See section D above. B. 1. (a) Activities which contribute to protecting the components of biological diversity Goal 1: Promote the conservation of the biological diversity of ecosystems, habitats and biomes Target 1.1: At least 10 per cent of each of the world’s ecological regions effectively conserved (i) World Database on Protected Areas 71. The database has been used by the World Conservation Monitoring Centre and others to make periodic analysis of the extent to which ecological regions are covered by protected areas and that analysis contributed to further major analyses at the time of the World Parks Congress in Durban, South Africa, in 2004. As a result of particular concerns over the marine environment, the World Conservation Monitoring Centre is collaborating with the Fisheries Centre and the University of British Columbia to improve the available data and analyse it further. (ii) Project: Assessment and Analysis of Marine and Coastal Protected Areas 72. UNEP Regional Seas Programme and the Convention on Biological Diversity are conducting the above joint project to assess and analyse the current status of marine and coastal protected areas at the regional level, and the role of the Regional Seas Programme in that context, to identify gaps and related issues for the development of a strategic approach for meeting international goals such as the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation target of establishing a global representative network of marine protected areas by 2012 and the Convention on Biological Diversity target of effective conservation of at least 10 per cent of each of the world’s ecological regions by 2010, and to provide recommendations on how to improve marine and coastal protected areas networks at the regional level. 12 UNEP/CBD/COP/8/INF/28 (b) Target 1.2: Areas of particular importance to biodiversity protected (i) Great Apes Survival Project (GRASP)24 73. The Great Apes Survival Project partnership unites all the principal institutional actors in great ape conservation, including United Nations agencies, biodiversity-related multilateral environmental agreements, great ape range States and donor Governments, non-governmental organizations, scientists, local communities and the private sector. The partnership was established in 2001 to address the extinction crisis facing the four main types of great apes in equatorial Africa and South East Asia: i.e., bonobos, chimpanzees, gorillas and orang-utans, and the mainly forest ecosystems on which they and their human neighbours depend for survival. UNEP activities include high-level national and intergovernmental dialogues; planning and monitoring; promotion of best practices; media, information and public awareness; and sourcing for new and additional funding. As a contribution to GRASP, the World Conservation Monitoring Centre published an atlas during 2005 which drew on the best available information on the status and distribution of the great apes. The atlas was launched both in London and at the Intergovernmental Meeting on Great Apes. The Intergovernmental Meeting on Great Apes and the first Great Apes Survival Project Council meeting, held in Kinshasa from 5 to 9 September 2005, resulted in the adoption of the Kinshasa Declaration on Great Apes with over 70 national and international signatories; a global strategy for the conservation of great apes and their habitat; and a set of rules to govern the organization of the Great Apes Survival Project partnership. (ii) Coral reefs ecosystem protection 74. The UNEP Coral Reef Unit works with partners around the world to reverse coral reef degradation and to increase global, regional, national and local support for the conservation and sustainable use of warm- and cold-water coral reefs. UNEP activities include assessment, reporting, partnership and capacity development. 2. Goal 3: Promote the conservation of genetic diversity Target 3.1: Genetic diversity of crops, livestock, and of harvested species of trees, fish and wildlife and other valuable species conserved, and associated indigenous and local knowledge maintained Fisheries 75. UNEP provides technical assistance to Governments in the development of policy reform packages and measures required for the sustainable management of the fisheries sector. Particular emphasis is directed towards addressing fisheries subsidies reform at the national and international level. In addition to numerous country and analytical studies, UNEP regularly convenes stakeholder consultations attended by government officials, intergovernmental organizations, non-governmental organizations and other fisheries experts. For example, UNEP and WWF co-hosted a high-level event and a technical workshop on fisheries subsidies reform at the sixth World Trade Organization Ministerial Conference, held in Hong Kong in December 2005. C. 1. (a) Activities that promote sustainable use Goal 4: Promote sustainable use and consumption Target 4.1: Biodiversity-based products derived from sources that are sustainably managed, and production areas managed consistent with the conservation of biodiversity (i) Policy guidance on sustainable use 76. UNEP provides policy guidelines on land degradation control through good practices in integrated land and water management and conservation and the sustainable use of biological diversity. A pilot project on cotton production in West Africa, which is being conducted in collaboration with FAO, is developing supply-chain and market-based approaches to promote sustainable agricultural practices which conserve biological diversity, among other objectives. UNEP also provides policy and technical advice and assistance to small island developing States and African States to manage the coral reef component of their coastal areas in a sustainable manner. In addition, UNEP provides programmatic and technical assistance to countries, intergovernmental organizations and non-governmental organizations under the International Coral Reef Initiative (ICRI), the International Coral Reef Action Network (ICRAN) and the Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network in the development and implementation of coral-reef-related projects. 24 http://www.unep.org/grasp/. 13 UNEP/CBD/COP/8/INF/28 (ii) Sustainable use indicators 77. The World Conservation Monitoring Centre together with the World Conservation Union (IUCN) sustainable use specialist group convened a workshop in early 2006 to review the use of sustainable use indicators in the context of the goals and targets of the Convention on Biological Diversity and to make recommendations on appropriate indicators for use at all levels. In addition, the World Conservation Monitoring Centre, in collaboration with WWF, the Forest Stewardship Council and the German Agency for Technical Cooperation (GTZ), has developed an internet-based system which provides regularly updated maps, charts and tables of the areas of certified forests endorsed by the Forest Stewardship Council, displayed globally and by region. Of the various charts displayed, those of most interest for trend data are the increase in area through time by forest type (natural and plantation), and biome (boreal, temperate and tropical-subtropical). (iii) Issue-based modular approach to policy-making 78. UNEP has developed the issue-based module on sustainable use to support the coherent implementation of the relevant decisions of biodiversity-related conventions at the national level. Other modules include climate change, inland waters and alien invasive species. The modules assemble relevant articles, decisions and resolutions of conventions and agreements under thematic issues and make them available over the internet and via CD-ROMs to national decision-makers and practitioners. The project is currently being tested by pilot countries in Africa and Europe. (b) Target 4.2: Unsustainable consumption, of biological resources or that impacts upon biological diversity, reduced Target 4.3: No species of wild flora or fauna endangered by international trade (i) Green Customs Initiative25 79. Since 2001, UNEP has been pioneering the green customs concept. That project strengthens compliance with and enforcement of multilateral environmental agreements and focuses on capacity-building for national customs officials on environmentally sensitive commodities such as ozone-depleting substances, toxic chemicals, hazardous wastes and endangered species. The project assists in building capacity to reduce the illegal trade in endangered species of fauna and flora. (ii) Assessing wildlife trade policies 80. UNEP will launch a two-year project in 2006 focusing on enhancing the capacities of developing countries to assess, design and implement effective national wildlife trade policies. The project is being undertaken in partnership with the CITES secretariat, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and the Graduate Institute of Development Studies, with funding provided by the European Union and the Geneva International Academic Network. At the core of the project is the implementation of pilot studies in four developing countries. Drawing on assessment methodologies developed by UNEP and the CITES secretariat, a toolkit of wildlife trade policy assessment methodologies will be developed. National institutions in the four countries will then use the methodologies to assess the economic, social and environmental impact of wildlife trade policies and develop integrated responses to enhance the effectiveness of those policies. D. 1. Activities which address threats to biological diversity Goal 5: Pressures from habitat loss, land use change and degradation, and unsustainable water use, reduced Goal 6: control threats from invasive alien species Target 5.1: - Rate of loss and degradation of natural habitats decreased, Target 6.1- Pathways for major potential alien invasive species controlled Target 6.2- Management plans in place for major alien species that threaten ecosystems, habitats or species (i) 81. Issue-based modular approach to policy-making See paragraph 79 above. (a) 25 http://www.greencustoms.org/ 14 UNEP/CBD/COP/8/INF/28 (ii) 82. 2. (a) UNEP work with the Global Invasive Species Programme See section E above. Goal 7: Address challenges to biodiversity from climate change, and pollution Target 7.1: Maintain and enhance resilience of the components of biodiversity to adapt to climate change (i) Adapting to climate change 83. UNEP and the Inter-Centre Working Group on Climate Change of the Consultative Group for International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) have proposed a joint project on improving the science-policy link. UNEP is also supporting the development of criteria and indicators for assessing ecological and economic vulnerabilities to climate change and capacities for adapting at the regional level. Many of those criteria and indicators relate to key sectors for biological diversity, agriculture and water. UNEP is also developing a handbook on cost-effective adaptation strategies for agricultural productivity and for mainstreaming adaptation in agriculture. 84. Through its GEF-funded project on the assessment of impacts of and adaptation to climate change in many regions and sectors, UNEP is enhancing scientific and technical capacities in over 45 countries, mostly in Africa. 85. UNEP is also assisting least developed countries by providing training and technical assistance for identifying priority activities for adapting to climate change. That training and assistance will enable governments to incorporate adaptation into their sustainable development planning as part of their United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change national adaptation programmes of action. UNEP believes that linking those efforts explicitly to the Convention on Biological Diversity national biological diversity strategies and action plans could offer considerable benefits. 86. During 2004–2005, the Regional Seas Programme supported Environmental Liaison Group environmental services, the University of Tasmania and the secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme in a project to investigate the capacity of Pacific island States and territories to assess and manage mangrove response to sea-level and climate change. (ii) Sequestering carbon 87. UNEP, IUCN and FAO are working together to provide regional support for developing environmentally sound and socially equitable forest projects under the Clean Development Mechanism of the Kyoto Protocol. The initiative also seeks to build institutional capacities for exploiting the links between climate, desertification and biological diversity protection. In addition, UNEP is working with ICRAF to promote agroforestry for carbon sequestration, particularly in arid and semi-arid areas. (iii) 88. Issue-based modular approach to policy-making See paragraph 79 above. Marine pollution (b) Target 7.2: Reduce pollution and its impacts on biodiversity (i) 89. The UNEP Global Programme of Action for the Protection of the Marine Environment from Land-based Activities and the Regional Seas Programme provide technical advice and assistance to countries to comply with marine-pollution-related protocols for the protection of the marine environment from pollution. UNEP also provides assistance to the secretariats of regional seas conventions and action plans and participating countries for coordinated implementation of multilateral environmental agreements, such as the Convention on Biological Diversity and the Basel Convention. UNEP cooperates with the International Maritime Organization (IMO), the secretariats of the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL), the Convention on the Prevention of Marine Pollution by Dumping of Wastes and Other Matter (London Convention), and also other bodies in tackling the environmental damage caused by oil spills and other hazardous substances 90. The Regional Seas Programme and the Global Programme of Action have been developing and implementing a number of activities on the management of marine litter, including: (a) (b) Publication in 2005 of a document entitled “Marine Litter: an analytical overview”; Publication in 2005 of a leaflet on marine litter entitled “Tightening the noose”; 15 UNEP/CBD/COP/8/INF/28 (c) Development of a series of regional actions on marine litter in the areas of several regional seas conventions and action plans (Northwest Pacific Action Plan; Black Sea; Mediterranean; Caribbean; South Asia Seas; Nairobi Convention and East Africa; Red Sea and Gulf of Aden; East Asian Seas; South East Pacific; and Caspian Sea). 91. The Regional Seas Programme has been developing activities relevant to the marine litter issue in consultation and, if appropriate, in cooperation with United Nations agencies, including IMO, the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO and FAO, and with the secretariat of the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and Their Disposal. Internal consultations were held and plans for cooperation were made with the Global Programme of Action and the UNEP Division of Technology, Industry and Economics. 92. The Regional Seas Programme is supporting the secretariat of the Basel Convention for a consultancy on assessing and improving interlinkages and cooperation between the Basel Convention and the Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment and the Coastal Region of the Mediterranean (Barcelona Convention), which will include the preparation of a review and assessment of the relationship and interface between the Basel Convention, the Barcelona Convention and its Hazardous Wastes Protocol, and also the development of a concept and outline for environmentally sound integrated waste management pilot projects in the Mediterranean Action Plan region. 93. In 2004, the Regional Seas Programme supported the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme and the secretariat of the Basel Convention for the preparation of a paper on the preliminary elements for the development of an integrated waste management strategy for the Pacific island States. The project aimed at reviewing information on the strategies for solid and hazardous waste management in the region and identifying, in detail, opportunities for a regional integrated waste management strategy taking into account the priority hazardous waste streams such as used oils, hospital waste, batteries and so on. (ii) Waste, pollution and destruction of habitat 94. UNEP develops guidelines in the areas of municipal wastewater and the physical alteration and destruction of habitats which set forth key principles and checklists for practices and procedures for all aspects of the management cycle, including the feasibility of wastewater emission targets at national and regional levels. E. Activities which contribute to maintaining goods and services from biodiversity to support human well-being Goal 8: Maintain capacity of ecosystems to deliver goods and services and support livelihoods Target 8.1: Capacity of ecosystems to deliver goods and services maintained (i) Ecosystem, services and livelihood research 95. The World Conservation Monitoring Centre prepared a paper for the United Kingdom Department for International Development on the value of biological diversity in ensuring the maintenance of ecosystem services which are important for supporting livelihoods. (ii) Ecosystem approach for oceans and seas 96. One of the six strategic directions for the UNEP Regional Seas Programme (2004–2007) calls for the development and promotion of a common vision and integrated management based on ecosystem approaches. UNEP has collaborated with a number of institutions to produce reports on ecosystem approaches for oceans and seas, including working with the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration of the United States of America, to produce a report entitled “Compilation and Analysis of Economic Data in Support of UNEP’s Regional Seas Programme and Regional Seas Conventions and Action Plans”. (a) (b) Target 8.2: Biological resources that support sustainable livelihoods, local food security and health care, especially of poor people, maintained (i) Poverty and environment 97. The UNEP poverty and environment project explores the linkages between environmental degradation and poverty eradication based on the thematic areas of water, energy, health, agriculture and biological diversity. 16 UNEP/CBD/COP/8/INF/28 (ii) Impact of trade on biological diversity 98. The UNEP project on “Integrated Assessment of Trade-Related Policies in the Agricultural Sector – Supporting the Implementation of the Convention on Biological Diversity” supports the implementation of the Convention by building national capacities in developing countries for assessing, designing and implementing policies which maximize development gains from trade-related policies in the agricultural sector while minimizing the impact on agricultural biological diversity. The project will implement pilot projects in six developing countries in Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific and will be undertaken by national institutions in close cooperation with national government ministries and regional partners. (iii) Use of economic instruments 99. UNEP, in close consultation with the Convention on Biological Diversity secretariat, has been active in promoting and examining the use of economic instruments to implement biodiversity-related Conventions. In collaboration with its expert group on economic instruments and with the relevant secretariats, UNEP has recently published a study entitled “Economic Instruments in Biodiversityrelated Multilateral Environmental Agreements”.26 It investigates the current and future potential role of economic instruments in the context of the Convention on Biological Diversity, CITES and the Ramsar Convention. 100. In addition, UNEP is building the capacity of policy-makers on the application and use of economic instruments for sustainable development, in particular biological diversity. A user-friendly training resource manual on the application and use of economic instruments for sustainable development is being finalized which would assist in related environmental decision-making and capacity-building, especially at national and regional levels. F. Activities which contribute to protecting traditional knowledge, innovations and practices Goal 9: Maintain socio-cultural diversity of indigenous and local communities Target 9.1: Protect traditional knowledge, innovations and practices Review of traditional knowledge 101. Under contract to the Convention on Biological Diversity secretariat, the World Conservation Monitoring Centre provided major input to a review of traditional knowledge carried out for the Open-ended Working Group on Article 8 (j). (a) (b) Target 9.2: Protect the rights of indigenous and local communities over their traditional knowledge, innovations and practices, including their rights to benefit sharing Capacity-building on benefit sharing and traditional knowledge 102. UNEP develops reports of case studies on the sharing of benefits arising out of the use of genetic resources and traditional knowledge. UNEP also conducts workshops on access to and sharing of benefits arising from the use of genetic resources, and on traditional knowledge G. Activities which contribute to ensuring the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising out of the use of genetic resources Goal 10: Ensure the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising out of the use of genetic resources (a) Target 10.1: All transfers of genetic resources are in line with the Convention on Biological Diversity, the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture and other applicable agreements (i) Capacity-building for the development of an international regime 103. UNEP provides policy and legislative inputs and assistance, at the request of governments, for the possible development, within the framework of the Convention on Biological Diversity, of an international regime to promote and safeguard the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising out of the utilization of genetic resources. UNEP also organizes regional and subregional training workshops on legislation for access and benefit-sharing and provides substantive inputs and assistance to the establishment of a multidisciplinary, regionally balanced international advisory group on access and 26 http://www.unep.ch/etb/publications/EconInst/ecoInstBioMea.pdf. 17 UNEP/CBD/COP/8/INF/28 benefit-sharing and issues relevant to Article 8 (j) and related provisions of the Convention on Biological Diversity and the Cartagena Protocol. (ii) Capacity-building for access and benefit sharing 104. UNEP has convened an informal advisory group of experts on access and benefit-sharing to identify areas of focus for inputs in support of the work of relevant intergovernmental processes. (For information on other related activities, see sections F and L of chapter I.) (b) Target 10.2: Benefits arising from the commercial and other utilization of genetic resources shared with the countries providing such resources Intellectual property and research into access and benefit-sharing 105. UNEP and the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) have published the results of a study carried out to identify and explore the role of intellectual property rights in the sharing of benefits arising from the use of biological resources and associated traditional knowledge. The publication illustrated the lessons learnt from the use of existing intellectual property rights regimes with respect to benefit sharing. It focused on aspects of intellectual property and current benefit-sharing experiences in respect of biological resources and associated traditional knowledge. It has provided some lessons regarding the role of intellectual property rights in the implementation of Article 15 and other articles, especially Articles 8, 10 and 16, of the Convention on Biological Diversity. H. Activities that contribute to ensuring provision of adequate resources Goal 11: Parties have improved financial, human, scientific, technical and technological capacity to implement the Convention (a) Target 11.1: New and additional financial resources are transferred to developing country Parties, to allow for the effective implementation of their commitments under the Convention, in accordance with Article 20 Project development and implementation in developing countries 106. UNEP undertakes numerous projects which transfer resources to developing countries and assist in the effective implementation of their commitments under the Convention, in accordance with Article 20, including some of the projects listed above. (b) Target 11.2: Technology is transferred to developing country Parties, to allow for the effective implementation of their commitments under the Convention, in accordance with its Article 20, paragraph 4 Bali Strategic Plan 107. The Bali Strategic Plan aims at a more coherent, coordinated and effective delivery of environmental capacity-building and technical support at all levels and by all actors, including UNEP, in response to well-defined country priorities and needs. It complements and enhances the more traditional activity areas of UNEP such as assessment, environmental policy and law, environmental institution-building and promotion of cleaner production systems. It brings the technology support and capacity-building currently being carried out by UNEP into line with activities in function of well-defined country priorities and needs. III. UNEP contribution to the agenda items before the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity at its eighth meeting 108. The first chapter of the present report responds to decisions of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity at its sixth and seventh meetings which were of direct relevance to UNEP. In preparation for the eighth meeting of the Conference of the Parties, UNEP has proactively reviewed the upcoming agenda items and, where relevant, communicated to the Parties what it is doing and how it can offer support to the implementation of the biological diversity commitments. Even without direct requests, UNEP has developed several initiatives which could benefit biological diversity stakeholders, and at the eighth meeting of the Conference of the Parties, UNEP aims to communicate more effectively with the Parties to ensure that they are well aware of what UNEP has to offer to assist them in fulfilling their Convention commitments. 18 UNEP/CBD/COP/8/INF/28 A. 1. Issues for in-depth consideration Item 14 of the provisional agenda: Island biological diversity 109. The Coordination Office of the Global Programme of Action for the Protection of the Marine Environment from Land-based Activities continues to urge governments to further the application of the ecosystem approach to coast, ocean and island management. In addition, governments are encouraged to strengthen national, regional and global cooperation so as to meet the target of the application of the ecosystem approach by 2010 set forth in the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation. 110. The Coordination Office of the Global Programme of Action for the Protection of the Marine Environment from Land-based Activities, through the Caribbean Regional Coordinating Unit and the secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme, is providing technical assistance to several small island developing States which are presently developing and implementing their national programmes of action. The national programmes of action provide a comprehensive yet flexible framework to assist countries in preserving and protecting marine and coastal environments from land-based sources of pollution. In the long run, improved coastal and marine areas will ensure a healthier habitat for fauna and flora, thereby contributing to the conservation of biological diversity. 111. In addition, a memorandum of understanding was signed with the Ministry of Tourism of the Bahamas at the end of 2005 to incorporate appropriate Global Programme of Action and Convention on Biological Diversity sustainable tourism principles into policies and legislation at the national and local community levels. Based on the Global Programme of Action and on Convention on Biological Diversity guidelines, national policies and strategies will be developed to protect and enhance the environmental resource base to serve as a foundation for future sustainable tourism development while preserving biological diversity. 112. Other Global Programme of Action activities which contribute to the conservation of biological diversity include the training of wastewater experts from the Pacific island States the Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, the Solomon Islands and Tuvalu in wastewater management under the UNESCO Institute for Water Education (UNESCO-IHE)/United Nations Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea/UNEP Global Programme of Action Train-Sea-Coast partnership. 2. Item 15 of the provisional agenda: Biological diversity of dry and sub-humid lands. 113. UNEP will continue its activities in relation to the biological diversity of dry and sub-humid lands in providing assistance to governments in policy development for environmentally sustainable land use and soil conservation. 114. In the 2006–2007 biennium, UNEP activities will include production of guidelines for use by governments on ecosystem approaches to sustainable management of dryland environments and also a web-based tool and database for policy evaluation by national policy-makers using environmental accounting for the sustainable management of dryland environments. In addition, UNEP intends to organize subregional training courses for national policy-makers in policy evaluation and environmental accounting for that purpose. 115. In November 2005, UNEP received a request from the secretariats of the Convention on Biological Diversity and the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification asking for assistance in implementing their joint work programme on dry and sub-humid lands. UNEP is working with both secretariats to implement the first two items in the work programme (status and trends of biological diversity in dry and sub-humid lands – activities A1.1 and A1.2), and the report on the results of those activities will be made available to the Conference of the Parties at its eighth meeting. 3. Item 16 of the provisional agenda: Global Taxonomy Initiative Item 17 of the provisional agenda: Access and benefit-sharing (Article 15) 116. UNEP provided environmental law input and assistance to governments within the framework of the Convention on Biological Diversity for the development of an international regime to promote and safeguard access to genetic resources and the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from their utilization. For other activities in relation to the above items of the provisional agenda, see sections F and L of chapter I and section G of chapter II. 117. In 2006–2007, UNEP intends to provide technical advisory services in the implementation of priority initiatives in the Latin American and Caribbean region, such as the Mesoamerican Biological Corridor and the Inca Trail, protected areas, energy and sustainable tourism, access and benefit-sharing, land degradation and desertification, and activities related to the Global Programme of Action. 19 UNEP/CBD/COP/8/INF/28 4. Item 18 of the provisional agenda: Article 8 (j) and related provisions 118. UNEP activities in the area of Article 8 (j) and related provisions, which concern traditional knowledge, innovations and practices, included production of reports of case studies on sharing of benefits arising from the use of genetic resources and traditional knowledge; UNEP intends to continue supporting the organization of workshops on access to and sharing of benefits arising from the use of genetic resources and on local and traditional knowledge. The output from those workshops will generate information on the use of traditional and indigenous knowledge which may be used as a basis for assisting countries or regions in improving their ability to prevent, prepare for and respond to environmental emergencies. 5. Item 19 of the provisional agenda: Communication, education and public awareness (Article 13) 119. In decision VI/19 of November 2005, UNEP was requested by the Conference of the Parties to enhance activities related to communication, education and public awareness in a number of ways. Information on proposed UNEP activities is given in section C of chapter I. B. 1. Strategic issues for evaluating progress or supporting implementation Item 20 of the provisional agenda: Progress towards implementation of the Convention and its Strategic Plan, including the 2010 targets, and the Convention’s contribution to the relevant Millennium Development Goals 120. In 2006–2007, UNEP intends to continue its activities to assist in the implementation of the Convention on Biological Diversity, in particular by providing technical support and input to workshops and producing reports and guidelines on various thematic areas, including control of invasive alien species of animals and plants, in partnership with the Convention and other multilateral environmental agreements. Other activities in relation to implementation of the three objectives of the Convention will include substantive organization of consultative meetings and joint programming initiatives; coordination of joint activities between regional seas conventions and action plans and relevant environmental conventions on biological diversity, chemicals, and atmosphere; and global and regional programmes on matters of mutual interest. (a) Item 20.1 of the provisional agenda: Review of implementation 121. UNEP projects on national biodiversity strategies and action plans will ensure cross-sectoral integration of biodiversity concerns and offer options for the provision of increased technical support. Consequently, UNEP will support subregional and national workshops, training and other advisory services to countries in Eastern Europe for the implementation of the Convention on Biological Diversity and its Biosafety Protocol, the Convention on Access to Information, Public Participation in Decision-making and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters (Aarhus Convention) and other relevant multilateral environmental agreements. In addition, UNEP will support national biodiversity strategies, in particular in the areas of environmental legislation, sustainable consumption, transportation and environment. 122. The World Conservation Monitoring Centre provided substantial support to the secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity in planning for and implementing the second edition of the Global Biodiversity Outlook. For further information, see sections N and O of chapter I. (b) Item 20.2 of the provisional agenda: Implementation of national biodiversity strategies and action plans, cross-sectoral integration of biodiversity concerns, and options for the provision of increased technical support 123. Information on related UNEP activities in the above area is given in paragraphs 33 and 34 of section G of chapter I. 2. Item 21 of the provisional agenda: Implications of the findings of the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment 124. UNEP provided programmatic support to the development and implementation of regional and subregional environmental action plans and strategies and other relevant sector-specific programmes. Other activities included the production of a millennium assessment report for the Arab region with emphasis on mountain forests and a synthesis report entitled “Marine and Coastal Ecosystems and Human Well-being”, which summarizes the findings of the millennium assessment for marine and coastal ecosystems. For further information, see also paragraph 66 in section A of chapter II. 125. In addition, UNEP will continue to consult with governments, scientific institutions and other organizations on the GEO-4 process. Additional information is given in section O of chapter I and 20 UNEP/CBD/COP/8/INF/28 paragraph 65 in section A of chapter II. Also, a modular approach to assessment with a focus on ecosystem goods and services and human vulnerability to environmental change is now being undertaken as follow-up to the Global International Waters Assessment and the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment. 3. (a) Item 22 of the provisional agenda: Refining mechanisms to support implementation Item 22.1 of the provisional agenda: Review of the effectiveness and impacts of Convention bodies, processes and mechanisms Item 22.2 of the provisional agenda: Scientific and technical cooperation and the clearing-house mechanism 126. For the past six years, UNEP has been a partner in the international and inter-agency ECOinformatics initiative,27 which aims to forge collaboration and international cooperation in the application of information and communications technologies for environmental data and information sharing to support decision-making. In that context, the provision of access to biodiversity data and the exchange of information in the area should be given priority in the implementation of the Convention on Biological Diversity. Strengthening the capacities of biodiversity data custodians in signatory countries to share scientific and technical data on biodiversity and contribute to global initiatives such as the Global Biodiversity Information Facility,28 the Convention on Biological Diversity global clearing-house mechanism29 on biodiversity and others is essential. 127. The clearing house mechanism activities should collaborate with and build on global and regional efforts contributing to ecoinformatics initiatives including the Global Biodiversity Information Facility, the World Data Center for Biodiversity and Ecology,30 the World Conservation Monitoring Centre and regional initiatives. 128. Similarly, the Bali Strategic Plan provides an excellent opportunity to build capacity in the above areas and signatories are encouraged to identify country-driven needs which will contribute to the implementation of the Convention on Biological Diversity. (b) Item 22.3 of the provisional agenda: Technology transfer and cooperation 129. In the area of UNEP activities on technology transfer and cooperation between multilateral environmental agreements, UNEP intends to follow up on the recommendations of a study on the efficacy of financial mechanisms, technology transfer and economic incentives under existing multilateral environmental agreements. The recommendations are contained in a report on facilitative means of implementation of and compliance with international environmental law on the efficacy of financial mechanisms, technology transfer and economic incentives under existing multilateral environmental agreements. The above are in addition to the activities which are being planned withint the context of the Bali Strategic Plan. (c) Item 22.4 of the provisional agenda: Financial resources and mechanism 130. UNEP continues to provide support, upon the request of governments, for the establishment of new regional programmes, including regional conventions where appropriate, and in supporting the amendment of existing conventions and institutional mechanisms to enhance compliance and enforcement, efficacy and implementation rate through mobilizing the political will and financial commitment of governments. UNEP will explore modalities for the further development of national mechanisms, regional coordinating units, efficient and lean institutional arrangements, legal instruments, technical and scientific capabilities and financial mechanisms for the implementation of regional seas programmes and action plans; it will also coordinate and implement capacity-building activities, in particular at the national level, in conjunction with GEF and the Global Programme of Action. 4. Item 23 of the provisional agenda: Monitoring progress and reporting processes, including integration of targets into the thematic programmes of work, national reporting and the Global Biodiversity Outlook 131. Through national pilot projects and workshops, UNEP and the World Conservation Monitoring Centre have provided substantial input to the development of a harmonized approach to national reporting to the biodiversity-related conventions. UNEP, in close collaboration with multilateral 27 28 29 30 http://ecoinfo.eionet.eu.int/. http://www.gbif.org/. http://www.biodiv.org/chm/. http://wdc.nbii.gov/. 21 UNEP/CBD/COP/8/INF/28 environmental agreement secretariats, will explore the possibility and feasibility of developing joint reporting questionnaires on thematic issues such as inland waters and protected areas. 132. 5. See chapter I, section D, and section N, paragraph 48. Item 24 of the provisional agenda: Cooperation with other conventions and international organizations and initiatives, and engagement of stakeholders in the implementation of the Convention 133. In the above area, UNEP carried out various activities as outlined in section D of chapter I. In 2006–2007, UNEP intends to continue providing substantial support and input to intergovernmental processes and conventions, including the Convention on Biological Diversity, the United Nations Open-ended Informal Consultative Process on Oceans and the Law of the Sea and the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. In implementing the Global Programme of Action, UNEP, in consultation with the secretariats of the relevant multilateral environmental agreements, their conferences of the Parties and scientific and subsidiary bodies, will encourage and promote effective collaboration in building efficient synergies between the agreements through regular consultation at the global and bilateral levels. 6. Item 25 of the provisional agenda: Guidance to financial mechanism 134. See paragraph 131 above. C. 1. (a) Other substantive issues arising from decisions of the Conference of the Parties Item 26 of the provisional agenda: Thematic programmes of work Item 26.1 of the provisional agenda: Forest biological diversity: implementation of the programme of work Item 26.2 of the provisional agenda: Biological diversity of inland water ecosystems: criteria for site designation, and reporting processes 135. See paragraph 79 above, on the issue-based modular approach to policy-making. (b) Item 26.3 of the provisional agenda: Marine and coastal biological diversity: deep-seabed genetic resources, and integrated marine and coastal area management 136. UNEP has been instrumental in providing comprehensive terrestrial and marine biological diversity policy, assessment and information services to multilateral environmental agreements, governments and other clients. UNEP is also monitoring progress in attaining the biological diversity targets set by chapter IV of the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation, including through establishing collaborative arrangements with regional or national centres providing biodiversity services. For other related activities, see section A of chapter I. 137. Outputs from UNEP activities in the above area include a report of results from the assessment of ecosystems and their associated biological diversity, including inputs to global reporting and assessment process for the marine environment. In addition, UNEP, through the Environmental Law Branch of its Division of Policy Development and Law, has provided environmental law input and assistance to governments for the development of two protocols for the protection of the marine and coastal environment from land-based activities under the Abidjan (Western Africa) and the Nairobi Conventions (Eastern Africa). As a consequence, the Marine Mammal Action Plan has been updated using UNEP resources, in accordance with the country submissions given to UNEP and FAO by the Governments concerned, taking into account the Digital Atlas on Marine Mammals published by UNEP and partners in 2003 and also the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation in relation to marine biological diversity. 138. With regard to integrated coastal area (zone) management, one of the priority activities in the Global Programme of Action work programme is physical alteration and destruction of habitats, and in the preparatory process for the second Intergovernmental Review of the Global Programme of Action, which is to take place in Beijing from 16 to 20 October 2006, UNEP is focusing on the close relation between physical alteration and destruction of habitats and integrated coastal area (zone) management, preparing for discussion on the issue with the intention of clearly linking the two: implementing integrated coastal area (zone) management is playing a major role in the implementation of the Global Programme of Action. 139. The UNEP Global Programme of Action Coordination Office provides overall coordination of UNEP programmatic delivery to small island developing States. As part of its support to such States, 22 UNEP/CBD/COP/8/INF/28 UNEP is backing workshops and training courses to build their capacities so as to enable them to develop and implement strategies for the sustainable development and management of their marine and coastal areas. 140. The UNEP Regional Seas Programme continues to provide a comprehensive institutional framework for regional and global cooperation on issues pertaining to the coasts, oceans and seas and to engage governments in efforts to protect the coastal and marine environment. Currently, the Regional Seas Programme covers 18 regions, which are provided with support either through a regional convention or a regional action plan. 141. Other UNEP activities in the area of marine biological diversity conservation and management will include support for the organization and co-servicing of intergovernmental meetings in the European region, including the ministerial-level sixth “Environment for Europe” Conference, to be held in Belgrade in 2007, and its preparatory process, which includes the Pan-European Biological and Landscape Diversity Strategy and the Intergovernmental Biodiversity in Europe Conference, UNEP will also provide such support for meetings of the Framework Convention on the Protection and Sustainable Development of the Carpathians and of the Framework Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Caspian Sea. 142. UNEP will provide substantial input to follow-up to the Millennium Declaration and the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation, to the Governing Council/Global Ministerial Environment Forum and to the Commission on Sustainable Development at its fourteenth session, in the areas of the environmental dimensions of water and sanitation and the incorporation of both sanitation and coastal area management into integrated water resource management. 2. (a) Item 27 of the provisional agenda: Cross-cutting issues Item 27.1 of the provisional agenda: Protected areas: consideration of the recommendations of the Working Group on Protected Areas 143. In line with the recommendations of the Ad Hoc Open-ended Working Group on Protected Areas, UNEP intends to enhance cooperation with other organizations, such as FAO and regional fisheries bodies, in areas such as fisheries, land-based activities, integrated coastal and river basin management, marine litter, coral reefs, marine protected areas, marine mammals and others. UNEP will assist in the provision of up-to-date databases with targeted scientific and technical information on and for assessments, early warning of emerging issues, environmental indicators, monitoring, observing systems and analyses at the global and regional levels. 144. ICRAN, the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO and the Regional Seas Programme have jointly initiated a project to analyse the current status of network development of marine and coastal protected areas at the regional level, to identify gaps in the establishment of marine and coastal protected areas networks and to provide recommendations for improving the networks at the regional level. Marine and coastal protected areas are important tools for implementing the principles of the ecosystem approach and in promoting conservation and sustainable use of the marine and coastal environment. 145. (b) See also section I of chapter I. Item 27.2 of the provisional agenda: Incentive measures: development of proposals on the removal or mitigation of perverse incentives; on positive incentives and on valuation tools 146. In 2005, UNEP developed a proposal on enhancing the capacity for sustainable forest management in developing countries: integrated policy assessment, valuation, pro-poor payments and markets for forest ecosystem services. The overarching objective of the proposal is to promote sustainable management of forests in six developing countries, to be achieved by the integration of sustainable forest management into local and national economic planning processes and poverty reduction strategies. The proposal envisages the development of pilot markets or payments for forest ecosystem services – i.e., markets for ecosystem services and payments for environmental services – as financing mechanisms for forest conservation and management which deliver pro-poor outcomes and contribute to the implementation of forest-related multilateral environmental agreements. (c) Item 27.3 of the provisional agenda: Alien species that threaten ecosystems, habitats or species: gaps and inconsistencies in the international regulatory framework 147. The joint work programme on marine and coastal invasive species, which was the outcome of the Regional Seas Programme, Convention on Biological Diversity and Global Invasive Species Programme workshop held in the June 2005 in Montreal, Canada, provides a detailed overview of gaps 23 UNEP/CBD/COP/8/INF/28 and inconsistencies in the international regulatory framework in relation to marine and coastal invasive alien species and provides recommendations for filling those gaps and for future action. It was submitted to the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice at its eleventh meeting as an information document. 148. (d) See paragraph 79 above, on the issue-based modular approach to policy-making. Item 27.4 of the provisional agenda: Impact assessment: refinement of guidelines for biodiversity-inclusive impact assessment 149. In the above area, UNEP has developed guidelines and manuals for cleaner production, environmental impact assessment and environmental management systems which have been tested through pilot projects in the West Asia region. 150. As part of its initiative on assessing the impact of agricultural trade-related policies on biodiversity, UNEP will be developing a biodiversity assessment reference manual which will include guidance on assessment methodologies, impact analysis and development of biodiversity indicators. 151. In 2006–2007, UNEP intends to continue activities in the above area by supporting expert group activities under the atmospheric brown cloud project (impact assessment on health, agriculture and water budget; Asia-Pacific climate model and policy linkages), and activities in support of the glacial lake outburst flooding project (preparation of an inventory of all glacial lakes and mitigation measures), and on e-waste project activities. Other activities include support to meetings and training on environmental impact assessment in a transboundary context in the Caspian Sea region. 152. UNEP will provide environmental law input and assistance to governments for the development and strengthening of regional and subregional legal regimes in areas such as ecosystems and environmental management, environmental impact assessment, transboundary water resources, air pollution, marine pollution, wildlife, forestry and waste management, which will include assistance to governments for strengthening the regional seas agreements and for the further development of protocols and other related legal matters. (e) Item 27.5 of the provisional agenda: Liability and redress: consideration of the recommendations of the Group of Legal and Technical Experts Item 27.6 of the provisional agenda: Biological diversity and climate change: guidance to promote synergy among activities for biodiversity conservation, mitigating or adapting to climate change and combating land degradation 153. On guidance to promote synergy among activities for biodiversity conservation, mitigating or adapting to climate change and combating land degradation, see section D of chapter II, paragraphs 84−88. 154. See also paragraph 79 above, on the issue-based modular approach to policy-making. _______________ 24