A guide to the process and issues at
the tenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties
to the Convention on Biological Diversity& Press Sheets

Aichi-Nagoya, Japan
October 2010

PartⅠ:
A guide to the process and issues at
the tenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to The Convention
on Biological Diversity

ＣＯＮＴＥＮＴＳ

I. The purpose of this guide ······················································ 1
II. Understanding COP-10 – The Processes ······························ 1
2.1 Institutions of the CBD ················································· 1
2.2 COP procedures, management and documents ············· 2III. Understanding COP-10 – The issues ································· 8
V. Acronyms············································································ 14
VI. Glossary of Terms ····························································· 15

A guide to process and issues

I. The purpose of this guide
The purpose of this guide is to provide participants in the tenth meeting of the Conference of theParties (COP-10) with background and introductory information on the CBD and the COP
process, and on the issues that will be considered there.

II. Understanding COP-10 – The Processes
2.1

Institutions of the CBD

The Conference of the Parties (COP) is the decision making body of the Convention on
Biological Diversity. The Convention establishes the standard institutional elements of a modern
environmental treaty: a governing body (the Conference of the Parties); a secretariat; a scientificadvisory body; a clearing- house mechanism and a financial mechanism. Collectively, thesetranslate the general commitments of the Convention into binding norms or guidelines, and assist
Parties with implementation.
The Conference of the Parties comprises all the Parties to the Convention and meets every two
years, or as needed, to review progress in the implementation of the Convention, consider
amendments and the adoption of Protocols to the Convention, and adopt programmes of work toachieve its objectives. It may establish subsidiary bodies as required. Meetings are also attended
by observers representing other governments (i.e. of countries that have not yet ratified theConvention), international, non-governmental and community organizations, representatives ofcivil society, indigenous and local communities, academia and the private sector.
Although the CBD is an international treaty, responsibility for its implementation resides witheach Party at the national level. Thus the decisions of COP constitute guidance to Parties on how
to proceed with their implementation of the Convention. The COP has held nine ordinary
meetings. It has also had an extraordinary meeting at which The Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety
was adopted (which was held in two parts, January 1999 in Cartagena, Colombia and January
2000 in Montreal, Canada).
The Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice (SBSTTA) is theprincipal subsidiary body of the COP. It is constituted of government representatives with
relevant specialist expertise, as well as observers from non-Party governments, the scientificcommunity and other relevant organizations. Its mandate is to provide assessments of the status of
biological diversity, assessments of the types of measures taken in accordance with the provisionsof the Convention, and advice on any questions that the COP may put to it. SBSTTA has met 14
times.
As the scope and workload of the CBD’s programme of work has expanded, SBSTTA has taken
on an increasingly important role in carrying out preparatory negotiations in advance of meetingsof the COP. Indeed, a great deal of SBSTTA’s work now consists of negotiating the text of draft

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A guide to process and issues
decisions to be put before the COP. SBSTTA is supported by ad hoc technical expert groups(AHTEG).
The CBD Secretariat is provided by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and islocated in Montreal, Canada. The principal functions of the Secretariat are to prepare for andservice meetings of the COP and other subsidiary bodies of the Convention, and to coordinate
with other international bodies. As a practical matter, a great deal of the Secretariat’s time isdevoted to preparing documentation for meetings of the COP and its subsidiary bodies, work that
requires considerable substantive as well as procedural expertise. In any given year, theSecretariat must organize dozens of international meetings –ranging from relatively small experts
meetings to the massive, two-week meetings of the COP –and to prepare all the documents
required for these meetings. To facilitate its work, the Secretariat has developed partnerships witha wide variety of UN agencies, environmental conventions and non-governmental organizations
to provide technical input and assistance.
Article 18 of the Convention provides for the establishment of a clearing-house mechanism(CHM), a collaborating network of partners to promote and facilitate technical and scientificcooperation. Following a pilot phase of the clearing-house mechanism that took place from 1996
to 1998, the COP approved a clearing-house mechanism strategic plan and a programme of work
until 2004. At the COP-8 in Curitiba, Brazil, in 2006, a strategic plan for the CHM was adopted
for 2005-2010. This plan was again discussed during COP-9 in Bonn, Germany. For more
information on the CHM, visit www.cbd.int/chm/.
Article 21 of the Convention provides for a financial mechanism for the provision of resources
to developing countries for the purposes of implementing its provisions. The mechanism isoperated by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and functions under the authority andguidance of the COP. GEF activities are implemented by the United Nations Development
Programme (UNDP), UNEP and the World Bank.
Under the provisions of the CBD, developed country Parties undertake to provide “new andadditional financial resources to enable developing country Parties to meet the agreed fullincremental cost of implementing the obligations of the Convention”(Article 20) and, in addition
to the provision of resources through the GEF, these Parties may also provide financial resources
through bilateral and multilateral channels. At its first meeting, the COP adopted comprehensive
guidelines for the financial mechanism, which have been refined and augmented at each of thesubsequent meetings of the COP.

2.2

COP procedures, management and documents

The conduct and management of CBD meetings of all types are governed by the rules ofprocedure. These are contained in COP decision I/1 and cover things such as the setting of theagenda, representation and credentials, officers of the meeting, conduct of business and voting.
As a result, most CBD meetings follow similar types of procedures, with meetings of the COP
being the most important and complex.
2.2.1

The Plenary

In order to improve efficiency, meetings of the COP are organized into different components (seefigure 1). The largest and most important is the Plenary. The Plenary is chaired by the Presidentof the meeting. The meeting of the COP in plenary decides upon organizational matters, such as

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the election of officers, considers the reports of subsidiary bodies, and adopts the report of themeeting along with the decisions taken. The meeting in Plenary is also directly responsible for thenegotiation of the budget and any “pending issues,” which refers to those issues that were notdecided at the previous meeting.
The COP usually only meets in Plenary at the beginning and end of COP meetings, although it
sometimes convenes briefly to review progress in the Working Groups (discussed below). The
present agenda for COP-10, for example, has the COP plenary meeting on the morning of the firstday, one afternoon mid-way through the meeting for a review of progress, a day and a half at theend of the meeting.

Figure 1: Timetable of COP-10 events
2.2.2

Working Groups

The main work of the COP is carried out in two parallel Working Groups, each of which takes up
a specific set of issues on the agenda. This mechanism is where most of the agenda items aretaken up and where Parties develop draft decisions for consideration in the final Plenary.
Typically an item is introduced by the chair of the working group or the Secretariat highlighting
the relevant document(s) for the item. Then Parties, followed by observers, make introductoryinterventions.
If there is general agreement on an issue the chair of the working group will then propose a draft
text that represents the various views expressed. If there are important differences in the views
expressed then the chair will use an informal negotiating process, usually called a “contact group”

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or “friends of the chair” group.
2.2.3

Contact groups and “friends of the chair”

Contact groups are generally established for issues where many Parties have intervened, there arediffering views, and the chair believes there will be significant participation in informal
negotiations. “In some cases, the Working Group chair may appoint two co-chairs for a contact
group, one from a developed country and one from a developing country. Friends of the chairgroups are generally used for issues where the differences expressed were not so great, or where
only a few Parties express interest in negotiating the issue.
There is no legal difference between the two mechanisms as both are informal and are establishedby the chair. Even though these mechanisms are informal, most of the negotiation at COP
meetings takes place in these informal groups, and it is in these arenas that most of the text ofdecisions is developed and agreed.
The chair may decide whether a contact or friends of the chair group is “open-ended”(open to all
Parties who wish to participate) or restricted to certain parties, or that decision may be left to theindividual or individuals that the chair asks to chair the informal group. Generally the COP
process has been fairly relaxed about allowing open-ended attendance in contact groups, andchairs have been generally relaxed about allowing interventions from NGOs, indigenous
representatives, and other observers –particularly where observers make useful suggestions thatmove the negotiations forward.
The COP plenary and Working Groups meet Monday-Friday from 10:00-13:00 and 15:00-18:00,
with simultaneous interpretation provided in all six official UN languages (Arabic, Chinese,
English, French, Russian and Spanish). Contact groups, regional group meetings, and otherinformal meetings generally meet outside of these hours, either early in the morning, during thelunch break, or in the evening, without benefit of interpretation. Occasionally if a working groupis not held a contact group may be held in its place. Contact groups on contentious issues haveoften extended late into the evening at previous COPs.
2.2.4

The High-Level Segment of the COP

In addition to the main meeting there are usually many satellite or side meetings. The mostimportant of these satellite meetings is the High-level or Ministerial Segment, where Ministers
meet together to consider some of the key political issues on the agenda of the COP. The
Ministerial Segment is organized and hosted by the host government, which also chooses theissues for discussion. At COP-10, the high-level segment will take place from 27-29 October andwill be presided by Mr. Ryu Matsumoto, Minister of the Environment of Japan.
The high-level segment will include a dialogue with stakeholder groups and statements by Heads
of Government and Ministers. Minister Matsumoto will present a summary of the event.
2.2.5

Side events CEPA fair and parallel events at the COP

Side events are a programme of seminars, debates and presentations that are officially part of the
COP, and are the responsibility of the CBD Secretariat. These numerous events are organized
and/or hosted by the COP host country, the CBD Secretariat, Parties, international organizations,NGOs, the private sector or indigenous communities. They take place during the course of the4

A guide to process and issues
COP, either during the lunch interval (between 13:00 and 15:00 hours) or in the evening, after the
closure of the official sessions at 18:00 hours. As they take place in rooms within the meetingvenue, they are accessible only to those who are registered for the COP (delegates or observers).
Side events address issues linked to the implementation of the Convention and have a
supranational focus. They provide good outreach and networking opportunities, the chance toaddress scientific and political questions and exchange views, and a chance to demonstrateprojects or other experiences relating to implementation of the CBD.
The CEPA fair is a series of events and activities presented by Parties and other organizations that
focus on implementation of the Programme of work for Communication, Education and Public
Awareness. The CEPA fair programme takes place through-out the day and into the evening in
the meeting venue.
Parallel events are not officially part of the COP. They include such events as the regional
preparatory meetings prior to the actual meeting itself. Parallel events at COP-10 include:
A Forum on South-South Cooperation (Sunday 17th October)
A Summit on Cities and Biodiversity
A Forum on Parliamentarians for biodiversity.
2.2.6

COP governance: The president and the bureau

There are numerous official bodies and officers that provide for the governance of COP meetings.
The most important of these is the President. In the past this post has generally been held by the
Minister of Environment from the host government. He or she acts in this capacity as an officialof the meeting and no longer participates in the meeting as a representative of his or her particulargovernment. The President opens and closes meeting, determines the order of speakers, and rules
on Points of Order.
The President relies upon the Bureau to help manage the meeting. The Bureau is made up of 10
Parties (“Vice-Presidents”) plus the President or his representative. Each UN Region elects two
representatives to the Bureau. In practice, the Bureau plays a similar role to an executive board.
The Rapporteur of the meeting is the member of Bureau who is responsible for preparing thereport. He or she discharges this function with the assistance of the Secretariat.
The Bureau has met regularly since COP-9 It will meet on the eve of COP-10 and frequently
during COP-10. Another 10 Parties, two from each of the five UN regions, will be elected toserve on the Bureau from the end of COP-10 until the end of COP-11 in 2012.
The term of office of the President of COP-9, Germany, will end at the opening session of COP10, when Minister Ryu Matsumoto will be elected President of COP-10.
2.2.7

Types of COP participants

There are various types of participants in COP meetings. The key one is Parties, because it is theyat the end of the meeting that adopt the report and its decisions. Since the relevant rules ofprocedure that would allow for voting have not yet been adopted by the COP, COP decisions aretaken by consensus of the Parties.

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All delegates of Parties need to prove that they have been duly appointed by their government.
This is done by presenting their “credentials”. Credentials are issued by the Head of State or
Government or by the Minister for Foreign Affairs and reviewed by the Bureau to ensure that are
in order and comply with the rules of procedure.
Parties operate in many different groups. The official groups recognized in the rules of procedure
are the UN Regional Groups — Africa, Asia, CEE (Central and Eastern European group),
GRULAC (the Group of Latin America and Caribbean Countries) and WEOG (theWestern European and Others Group). Some of the other active groupings in the CBD
processes are:
 the G77+China; a group of 131 developing nations
 the European Union (EU); the Association of Small Island States (AOSIS); and the Group of Like-minded Megadiverse Countries (LMMC), a group of 17
biodiversity-rich countries.
Particularly in the COP setting, where many issues are being negotiated simultaneously and manysmaller delegations do not have the capacity to formulate their own detailed positions on eachissue, the positions of regional groupings are very important. Regional groupings generally
establish their initial positions in regional preparatory meetings held a month or two before the
COP. At the COP, more detailed group positions and negotiating strategies are worked out inclosed meetings of the relevant group, held outside of formal COP hours.
The term “observers” usually refers to governments who have not become Parties, but also
includes other types of participants. These other participants are categorized by the Secretariat as
UN bodies, inter-governmental organizations (IGOs), non-governmental organizations (NGOs),
indigenous communities and academic institutions.
The media is also an important participant to the COP meeting. Whether they are print journalists,
radio journalists or photographers, their work gives the public, who are not physically present at
the COP, a window on the discussions and explains the relevance of the COP to the lives ofcommunities thousands of kilometers away.
2.2.8

COP documents

The COP considers each item of the agenda on the basis of the documents before the meeting.
There are five basic classes of documentation. The first is the official documents of the meeting(known as ‘pre-session documents’). These are prepared by the Executive Secretary. They are
denoted by the code UNEP/CBD/COP/10/#. One is prepared for each item of the agenda.
Additional or supplementary information is sometime presented in a document whose number is
UNEP/CBD/COP/10/#/Add#. Sometimes a revised version of a document is distributed with thenumber UNEP/CBD/COP/10/#/Rev#. The pre-session documents for COP-10 are available on the
CBD website at http://www.cbd.int/cop10/doc/. There are 53 documents, including official
documents, information documents, notifications and others. The total volume of documents to bestudied by delegates as the basis for the discussions thus runs to several hundred pages and canrepresent a difficult burden for those countries with small delegations.

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These official documents provide the reason for the matter being on the agenda, a synthesis ofviews submitted on the item, other relevant information and where appropriate draft elements of adecision. The documents are presented in the six UN languages.
Another important set of documents are the draft decisions and draft reports produced during theprocess of the COP meeting. These include “L”(Limited) documents, which are given a number,
are translated, are referred to in the final report of the COP and represent the final version of atext. Conference Room Paper (CRP) documents are also given a number and translated, but are
not referred to in the final COP report, since they are only near-final versions of draft decisions.
Next there are “non-documents” or “non-papers”. These are not given a number code, and are nottranslated.
“Information” documents are officially provided to the COP by the Secretariat, and are generally
either background information on particular topics gathered by the Secretariat, reports ofsubsidiary bodies such as expert panels, or documents officially submitted by Parties andobservers. While not officially discussed in the COP, information documents often provide
important background information and, in some cases, illuminate the views of Parties onparticular issues before the COP. Information documents are numbered as
UNEP/CBD/COP/10/INF.#, but are not translated unless the translation is done by the Party orobserver providing the document.
In order to save money and reduce paper waste, and as the amount of papers and people at COP
meetings has grown, the Secretariat has stopped printing large numbers of the official documents.
Participants should bring their own copies for the meeting, including the information documents.
Only one set of documents will be provided per country delegation.
CD-ROMs with the pre-session documents, in the six United Nations official languages, and theinformation documents, will also be made available to delegates and participating organizations
who wish to reproduce on site, at their own expense, additional copies. The CD-ROMs will beavailable at the Documentation Counter. Participants can also access the CBD website at the
Cyber Café.
In order to follow the discussions, perhaps the three most important documents for COP-10 are:
 Document UNEP/CBD/COP/10/1 –“Provisional Agenda.” This document provides abrief, two- page summary of the meeting agenda.
 Document UNEP/CBD/COP/10/1/ADD1/ - “Annotations to the Provisional Agenda.”
This document explains the background to each item on the agenda, references theofficial documents to be considered for each issue, and reviews the meetings and reportsthat have been considered since COP-9. This annotated agenda also includes a list of the
documents that will be considered at COP-10, and an “organization of work”, which
explains which working groups will be addressing each issue on specific days during the
COP.
 Document UNEP/CBD/COP/10/1/ADD2 – “Draft Decisions for the Tenth Meeting of
the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity.” This
document lists the draft decisions that have been proposed by: the fourteenth meeting of
the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice (SBSTTA), thethird meeting of the Ad Hoc Open-ended Working Group on the Review of7

A guide to process and issues
Implementation of the Convention, the sixth meeting of the Ad Hoc Open-ended
Working Group on Article 8(j) and Related Provisions, and, where appropriate, additional
elements developed by the Executive Secretary in the light of previous decisions of theConference of the Parties or recommendations of its subsidiary bodies.
2.2.9

Other documents

In addition to the official documents prepared by the Secretariat, observers generally distribute
unofficial documents at COP meetings. These are generally displayed on tables outside of theprincipal meeting rooms.
Perhaps the most read of these informal documents are the daily bulletins prepared by theInternational Institute for Sustainable Development’s (IISD) Earth Negotiations Bulletin, a nonpartisan reporting service which provides a succinct daily summary of the negotiations theprevious day, as well as photos and audio and video footage on their website at www.iisd.ca . The
daily bulletins are produced in English, French and Spanish, and are generally distributed at theofficial documents desk as well as outside the meeting rooms. They are also available on thewebsite.

III.

Understanding COP-10 – The issues1

COP-10 will result in the adoption of important decisions arising out of the intensive preparatory
and negotiation processes that have taken place since COP-9. The main issues that will be
addressed by COP-10 are:Access and Benefit Sharing (Agenda item 3): The third objective of the Convention provides for“the fair and equitable sharing of the benefits arising out of the utilization of genetic resources…”
The negotiation of a new International Regime on Access and Benefit-Sharing (ABS) — which
will take the form of a Protocol to the Convention — is entering its final stage and will be
submitted for adoption at COP-10. The Protocol aims to provide a legal framework to ensure thatbiodiversity-rich developing countries get a fair and equitable share of benefits arising out of theuse of genetic resources from their territories — and that biodiversity-poor developed nations canreadily access those resources with the agreement of the host country. The International Regime
will also include measures to ensure that the utilization of traditional knowledge associated withgenetic resources is subject to the prior informed consent of, and the fair and equitable sharing of
benefits with, the indigenous and local communities which are the holders of such knowledge.
The International Regime will thus effectively prevent the unauthorized use of genetic resources
and associated traditional knowledge, often referred to as “biopiracy”. For more information see:www.cbd.int/abs
Progress toward the 2010 biodiversity target and the Global Biodiversity Outlook (Agenda
Item 4.1): In accordance with the multi-year programme of work the Conference of the Parties
will consider the progress made in implementing the Strategic Plan of the Convention on
Biological Diversity, including progress towards the 2010 Biodiversity Target. This review will
1

For more information on the issues that will be addressed at COP10, please refer Press Sheets inthe latter Part of this guidebook and Website of the Secretariat of CBD appeared at the last ofeach item.

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be based upon several key sources of information including the fourth national reports, the third
edition of the Global Biodiversity Outlook, and relevant recommendations from the fourteenthmeeting of SBSTTA and the third meeting of the Working Group on Review of Implementationof the Convention. COP will also consider strengthening its work on biodiversity anddevelopment under this agenda item. For more information see: www.cbd.int/cop10
The Strategic Plan for the Convention on Biological Diversity (Agenda Item 4.2): At COP 10,
Parties will adopt a new strategic plan for the period of 2011 to 2020, which will also provide
vision to guide actions that will extend to the middle of the 21st century. Building on the lessonsof the previous strategic plan, and following extensive regional consultations and discussions by
Parties, the new Strategic Plan creates a framework for governments to create their own national
biodiversity targets. The Strategic plan will have a series of interim goals and milestones, as wellas capacity-development elements including resource mobilization to ensure that the global
community achieves the target. Many of the components of the Strategic Plan, such as the targets,will be relevant to many of the other issues being discussed during COP. COP-10 will also
consider a recommendation to establish a UN decade for biodiversity. For more information see:www.cbd.int/cop10
Operations of the Convention (Agenda items 4.3 and 6.9): During COP-10 several issues
related to the operation of the Convention will be discussed in light of the new Strategic Plan on
the Convention. These items include the consideration of new and emerging issues, a multi-year
programme of work for the period 2011-2022, and the periodicity of meetings of the Conferenceof the Parties. For more information see: www.cbd.int/cop10,
Strategy for resource mobilization and the financial mechanism (Agenda item 4.4 and 4.10):
The lack of adequate financial resources and the under-development of relevant financial
mechanisms contributed to the failure to achieve the 2010 Biodiversity Target. However where
financial resources were available, true differences were made. Globally official development
assistance has grown in the recent years however the year 2008 saw a sharp decline in official
development assistance for biodiversity. COP-10 will be critical in terms of the Convention’s
ability to mobilize financial resources for implementing its 2011-2020 Strategic Plan andachieving its three objectives. Six major ideas will be discussed during the Conference: Whether
to establish measurable funding targets, to what extent will the Convention make use of thecatalytic role of the Global Environment Facility in mobilizing resources, to what extent will
Governments want to take up the Convention’s strategy for resource mobilization at the country
level, innovative financial mechanisms, will Governments agree to undertake rapid national
economic assessments of biodiversity and ecosystem services, and how will Governments financethe agreed concrete activities under the Convention’s Strategy for Resource Mobilization. For
more information see: www.cbd.int/financial/
Scientific and technical cooperation and the clearing-house mechanism (Agenda item 4.5):
The Convention on Biological Diversity’s clearing-house mechanism facilitates scientific andtechnical cooperation. It also serves as the information exchange platform of the Convention andhas evolved into a global network of websites consisting of national clearing-house mechanisms,
partners' websites, and the central node hosted by the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological
Diversity. During COP-10 Parties will consider the progress in developing the clearing housemechanis as well as discuss recommendations for its further development. For more information
see: http://www.cbd.int/chm/
Technology transfer and cooperation (Agenda item 4.6): Both access to and transfer oftechnology among contracting Parties are essential elements for attaining the objectives of the9A guide to process and issues
Convention. As part of their discussions at COP-10 Parties will further consider a proposed
biodiversity and technology initiative as a means of promoting and supporting the effective accessto and transfer of technology among Parties to the Convention. For more information see:
http://www.cbd.int/tech-transfer/
Communication, education and public awareness (CEPA) and the International Year of
Biodiversity (Agenda item 4.8): The Programme of Work on Communication, Education andPublic Awareness (CEPA) aims to assist Parties, educators and civil society to communicate thescientific and technical work of the Convention in a language that is accessible to many different
groups, to integrate biodiversity into education systems in all Parties to the Convention and toraise public awareness of the importance of biodiversity to our lives, as well as its intrinsic value.
During COP-10 Parties will discuss the celebrations held for the International Year of
Biodiversity and ways to build on the momentum generated by these celebrations. For more
information see: http://www.cbd.int/cepa/
Cooperation with other conventions and international organizations and initiatives, andengagement with other stakeholders (Agenda item 4.9) COP will consider a Multi-Year Plan of
Action on South-South Cooperation. In addition at COP10 Parties will discuss and negotiate a
new Plan of Action on Cities, Local Authorities and Biodiversity. The City Biodiversity Summit
2010, to be held as an associated event to COP10, will contribute to this plan, as it brings together
hundreds of local and international authorities and organizations worldwide. For more
information see: www.cbd.int/cop10, www.cbd.int/authorities/ andwww.cbd.int/cooperation/SouthSouthcooperation.shtml
Global Strategy for Plant Conservation (Agenda item 4.7): Plants are a vital part of the world’s
biological diversity and an essential resource for the planet. However many plant species are indanger of extinction. In 2002, the Conference of the Parties adopted the Global Strategy for Plant
Conservation, with the long tem goal of halting the loss of plant diversity. During COP-10 Parties
will discuss the further development and implementation of the Strategy beyond 2010, taking into
account current and emerging environmental challenges on plant diversity and in light of the newStrategic Plan for the Convention on Biological Diversity. For more information see:
http://www.cbd.int/gspc/
Article 8(j): Traditional knowledge, innovations and practices (Agenda item 6.7): The
traditional knowledge, innovations and practices of indigenous and local communities can makesignificant contributions to sustainable development and to the conservation of biodiversity. But
such knowledge is at risk of disappearing or being unfairly exploited. At COP-10 as well as
focusing on issues of customary sustainable use of biodiversity, Parties are also expected to adopt
a code of ethical conduct to ensure respect for the cultural and intellectual heritage of indigenous
and local communities as well as two additional indicators for the status of traditional knowledge
relating to land use-change in traditional territories of indigenous and local communities and in
the practice of traditional occupations. COP-10 will also address the more effective engagementof local communities in the work of the Convention. Parties will also consider tasks related to theimplementation of the International Regime on Access and Benefit Sharing and whether the firstin depth dialogue conducted at the next meeting of the Working Group on Article 8(j) will be on
Climate Change, Protected Areas or on the modalities of benefit sharing (arising from ABS). For
more information see: www.cbd.int/traditional
Inland Water Biodiversity (Agenda item 5.1): Fresh water is the most important natural resourceon the planet. Inland water ecosystems provide a multitude of benefits to humanity, the most10

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important of which is fresh water. However despite the importance, these ecosystems are
declining faster than that of any other habitat type. COP-10 will consider the recommendations of
its Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice, which reviewed the CBD
Programme of Work on the biological diversity of inland water ecosystems in 2010. The
recommendations centre on increasing the attention to water across all activities of the CBD
including making it more explicit in the revised Strategic Plan, which is due to be adopted at
COP-10. Parties will also be urged to consider appropriate action in relation to wetlands, water,
biodiversity and climate change, while improving synergy and collaboration between the Ramsar
Convention (on wetlands protection) and the Convention on Biological Diversity in their work on
climate change. For more information see: www.cbd.int/waters/
Mountain Biodiversity (Agenda item 5.3): Mountainous areas often host species that are foundnowhere else on Earth. This diversity is important for many vulnerable human populations
however it also faces special threats, not least of which are the impacts of climate change. At
COP-10, Parties will be encouraged, among other things, to consider the new national andregional targets that address the direct drivers of biodiversity loss. These targets will include
moves to reduce pressures on — and to protect and restore — mountain biodiversity and related
ecosystem services. Parties will also be invited to consider the adoption of a long-term vision andecosystem approaches to the conservation and sustainable use of mountain biodiversity. This
would entail developing specific actions, timetables and capacity-building needs for the
implementation of the CBD’s programme of work on mountain biodiversity. Where appropriate,
these would need to be integrated into revised national biodiversity strategies and action plans inline with the CBD’s new Strategic Plan. For more information see: www.cbd.int/mountain
Marine and Coastal Biodiversity (Agenda item 5.2): Oceans include highly diverse habitats —such as coral reefs, mangrove forests, sea-grass beds, estuaries, open-ocean and deep-sea habitats— that are both ecologically and economically important. However ocean and coastal areas face
many threats from a range of pressures. COP-10 will undertake an in-depth review of the progress
made to implement the programme of work on marine and coastal biological diversity.
Governments will note the efforts to date and discuss the progress towards achieving the 2012target of establishing marine protected areas linked through representative networks. The
importance of marine and coastal biodiversity in the mitigation of, and adaptation to, climatechange will also be discussed as will the impacts of ocean acidification. Building on the decisions
at the last meeting of the COP, governments will seek to advance efforts on identifying
ecologically or biologically significant areas (EBSAs) in need of protection in marine areas
beyond national jurisdiction. Likewise, COP 10 will discuss the need for a joint expert meeting
to address the impacts of destructive fishing practices, unsustainable fishing, and illegal,
unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing. For more information see: www.cbd.int/marine
Protected areas (Agenda item 5.4): Nearly 13% of the Earth’s land and over 6% of its territorial
waters are protected by law. Despite the importance of protected areas they are greatly
undervalued, and as a result often do not receive adequate financing or resources, making theireffective management a challenge. At COP-10 parties will discuss how to strengthen the CBD
programme of work on protected areas at national, regional, and global levels and how to address
issues that need greater attention. The COP will consider inviting Parties to both enhance thequality and coverage of their protected areas, and to actively explore potentially suitable areas fortrans-boundary protected area cooperation. To face climate change, the integration of protectedareas into wider landscapes and seascapes and sectors, and the restoration of degraded areas will
be discussed. Parties will consider for adoption a new online framework for reporting on thenational implementation of the CBD’s programme of work on protected areas. COP-10 will also
discuss ways to integrate the provisions of a new protocol on access and benefit sharing in the11A guide to process and issues
governance of protected areas, and to recognize the role of indigenous and local community
conserved areas in biodiversity conservation. COP-10 could see new decisions on how to source
the large amounts of sustainable financing that will be needed to achieve targets in the newstrategic plan. Parties may be invited to develop and implement sustainable finance plans forprotected area systems by 2012 and to use these plans to access funding from the Global
Environment Facility and other sources. For more information see: www.cbd.int/protected/
Sustainable Use of Biodiversity (Agenda item 5.5): The sustainable use of biodiversity is one of
the CBD’s three objectives and is an essential contributor to the broader goals of poverty
reduction and sustainable development. In light of this, in 2004 the parties to the CBD adopted
the Addis Ababa Principles and Guidelines for the Sustainable Use of Biodiversity. At COP-10,
Parties, amongst other things, are expected to implement the recommendations of the CBD
Liaison Group on Bushmeat. For more information see: www.cbd.int/sustainable
Climate change and biodiversity (Agenda item 5.6): Biodiversity is both highly vulnerable toclimate change and a key means for humanity to address this global challenge. At COP-10,
Parties will discuss proposals on ways to implement ‘win-win’ activities that have benefits forboth biodiversity and efforts to address climate change. Parties will also consider proposals that
aim to better integrate biodiversity and traditional or local knowledge within actions for climatechange adaptation and mitigation. Finally, COP-10 will consider a proposal for a joint work
programme between it and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and the UN
Convention to Combat Desertification. For more information see: www.cbd.int/climate/
Dry and sub-humid lands biodiversity (Agenda item 6.2): Dry and sub-humid lands encompass
approximately 47% of the Earth's terrestrial area and include many fragile environments that may
warrant priority attention to avoid irreversible loss of biological diversity. During COP-10 Parties
will discuss the further development of the programme of work. For more information see:
http://www.cbd.int/drylands/
Forest biodiversity (Agenda item 6.3): Forests contain an immense variety of life which provides
many vital services to human beings. However each year 13 million hectares of forest areconverted to other uses or lost through natural causes. At COP-10, governments and otherrelevant organizations will discuss ways to ensure that any actions for reducing emissions fromdeforestation and forest degradation (REDD-plus) support the implementation of the CBD
Programme of Work on Forest Biological Diversity. To this end, Parties will discuss the role of
the CBD in developing REDD-plus1 biodiversity safeguards and mechanisms to monitor the
impacts of REDD-plus on biodiversity. Parties will furthermore discuss how REDD-plus efforts
could best provide benefits not only for forest biodiversity, but also to indigenous and local
communities while respecting their rights. For more information see: www.cbd.int/forest
Agricultural Biodiversity (Agenda item 6.1): Nearly one third of the world's land area is used
for food production and while agriculture contributes significantly to conservation and sustainable
use of biodiversity, it is also a major driver of biodiversity loss. Further agricultural biodiversity
is being lost at an alarming rate, jeopardizing the sustainability of agriculture and ecosystemservices. During COP-10 Parties will address several issues related to agricultural biodiversity
including how to appropriately evaluate how the implementation of the programme of work on
1

With reference to decision 5/CP.15 of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), REDD-plus refers
to “policy approaches and positive incentives on issues relating to reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation indeveloping countries; and the role of conservation, sustainable management of forests and enhancement of forest carbon stocks indeveloping countries”. The acronyms REDD and REDD-plus are used for convenience only, without any intention to pre-empt
ongoing or future negotiations under the UNFCCC.

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A guide to process and issues
agricultural biodiversity contributes to the three objectives of the Convention and its Strategic
Plan. For more information see: http://www.cbd.int/agro/
Biofuels and Biodiversity (Agenda item 6.4): Biofuels are being promoted as part of the global
response to climate change but there are concerns that their production and use could havesignificant impacts on biodiversity, livelihoods, food supply and energy security. In May 2010,
COP-10, in line with a recommendation from the CBDs’ Subsidiary Body on Scientific,
Technical and Technological Advice (SBSTTA), will take action to develop and implement
policies to promote the positive and minimize, or avoid, the negative impacts of biofuels on
biodiversity. COP-10 will also examine the impacts of biofuel production and use on biodiversitythat would affect related socio economic conditions and food and energy security. For more
information see: www.cbd.int/agro/biofuels
Invasive alien species (Agenda item 6.5): Invasive alien species are among the top threats tobiodiversity worldwide. In addition they cause billions of dollars worth of damage annually andcan have serious impacts on food security and the health of people, plants and animals. COP-10
will address gaps in the international regulatory framework that relate to the risks invasive species
pose. For more information see: http://www.cbd.int/invasive/
Global Taxonomy Initiative (Agenda item 6.6): Effective conservation and management of
biodiversity depends in large part on our understanding of taxonomy. Unfortunately, limited
taxonomic information and infrastructure, coupled with declining taxonomic expertise, hinders
our ability to make informed decisions about conservation, sustainable use and sharing of thebenefits derived from genetic resources. Parties have acknowledged the existence of this"taxonomic impediment" and have developed the Global Taxonomic Initiative to address it.
During COP-10 Parties will assess the progress made as part of the Global Taxonomic Initiativeand discuss ways of addressing implementation gaps. For more information see:
http://www.cbd.int/gti/
Incentive Measures (Agenda item 6.8): Economic incentives can play a key role in promoting
the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity, but they can also have the opposite effect.
Under the CBD, parties should identify and remove or mitigate the effects of perverse incentives,and develop other incentive measures that ’internalize’ the value of biodiversity into market
prices. COP-10 will review the work on the CBD’s work programme on incentive measures. In
this context, COP will also consider, and take note of the work undertaken by partnerorganizations in supporting implementation of incentive measures. For more information see:
http://www.cbd.int/incentives/13

A guide to process and issues

V.
ABS
AHTEG
AOSIS
BSWG
CBD
CHM
CEE
COP
CRP
EC
EIA
EU
FAO
G77+China
GEF
GTI
GMOs
GRULAC
GSPC
GURTs
IA
IGO
IMO
IPRs
ISOC
ITPGRFAJUSCANZ
LMMC
LMOs
MYPOW
NBSAP
NGO
ODA
PGRFA
POW
SBSTTA
SCBD
SEA
TRIPS
UNDP
UNEP
WEOG
WGRI
WTO

Acronyms

Access and Benefit Sharing
Ad Hoc Technical Experts Group
Association of Small Island States
Ad Hoc Working Group on Biosafety
Convention on Biological Diversity
Clearing-House Mechanism
Central and Eastern European Group (an official UN regional group)
Conference of the Parties
Conference Room Paper
European Community
Environmental Impact Assessment
European Union
United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization
The Group of 77 + China (the grouping of all developing countries)
Global Environment Facility (financial mechanism of the CBD)
Global Taxonomy Initiative
Genetically Modified Organisms
Latin America and Caribbean Group (an official UN regional group)
Global Strategy for Plant Conservation
Genetic use restriction technologies
Impact Assessment
Intergovernmental Organization
International Maritime Organization
Intellectual Property Rights
Inter-sessional Meeting on the Operations of the Convention
International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture
Japan, US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand Grouping
Like-minded Group of Mega-Diverse Countries
Living Modified Organisms
Multi-Year Programme of Work
National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan
Non-governmental organization
Official Development Assistance
Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture
Programme of Work
Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice
Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity
Strategic Environmental Assessment
WTO Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights
United Nations Development Programme
United Nations Environment ProgrammeWestern Europe and Others Group (an official UN grouping)
Working Group on Review of Implementation
World Trade Organization

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A guide to process and issues

VI.

Glossary of Terms

2010 Biodiversity Target - The Parties to the Convention have committed to achieving by 2010
a significant reduction of the current rate of biodiversity loss at the global, regional and national
levels. The target has been incorporated into the Millennium Development Goals.
Akwé:Kon Guidelines: The Akwé:Kon voluntary guidelines were adopted in 2004 to guide theconduct of cultural, environmental and social impacts of proposed developments likely to impact
lands and waters traditionally occupied or used by indigenous or local communities.
Agenda 21: Adopted in 1992 at the United Nations Conference on Environment andDevelopment (UNCED), Agenda 21 is a comprehensive plan of action to be taken globally,nationally and locally by organizations of the United Nations system, governments, and majorgroups in every area in which humans impact the environment.
Article 8(j): This article of the Convention text addresses the relationship between theconservation and sustainable use of biological diversity and indigenous and traditional knowledge,
innovations and practices.
Article 10(c): This article of the Convention text requires Parties to protect and encourage
traditional uses of biological diversity that are compatible with sustainable use.
Biological Diversity: Biological diversity, or biodiversity, is the variety of life on Earth. It
comprises the variability within species, among species, and of ecosystems. It also refers to thecomplex relationships among living things, and between living things and their environment.
Biosafety: The safe transfer, handling and use of any living modified organism resulting frombiotechnology that may have an adverse effect on the conservation and sustainable use of
biological diversity.
Bonn Guidelines: These guidelines were adopted at COP-6 to assist Parties, governments andother stakeholders in developing overall strategies on access to genetic resources and the fair andequitable sharing of the benefits arising from their use.
Clearing-House Mechanism (CHM): a collaborating network of partners to promote andfacilitate scientific and technical cooperation.
Cross-Cutting Issues: These issues cut across different thematic areas of the Convention.
Current cross-cutting issues include: 2010 Biodiversity Target, Access to Genetic Resources andBenefit- sharing, Climate Change and Biodiversity, Communication, Education and Public
Awareness, Economics, Trade and Incentive Measures, Ecosystem Approach, Global Strategy for
Plant Conservation, Global Taxonomy Initiative, Impact Assessment, Identification, Monitoring,
Indicators and Assessments, Invasive Alien Species, Liability and Redress, Protected Areas,
Sustainable Use of Biodiversity, Technology Transfer and Cooperation, Tourism and Biodiversity,
Traditional Knowledge, Innovations and Practices.
Ecosystem Approach: A strategy for the integrated management of land, water and living
resources that promotes conservation and sustainable use in an equitable way.
Environmental impact assessment (EIA): Environmental impact assessment is an assessmentof the likely positive and/or negative influence a particular project may have on the environment.

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A guide to process and issues

Ex-Situ Conservation: the conservation of components of biodiversity outside of their natural
habitats.
Genetic material: The CBD defines “genetic material” as “any material of plant, animal or otherorigin containing functional units of heredity.”
Genetic resources: The CBD defines genetic resources as “genetic material of actual or potential
value.”
Global Taxonomy Initiative (GTI): The Global Taxonomy Initiative was established by the
COP to address the lack of taxonomic information (the identification and classification oforganisms) and of specialists in many parts of the world, as a means of improving decision
making on matters relating to biodiversity.
Impact assessment (IA): see Environmental impact assessment and Strategic environmental
assessment.
In-Situ Conservation: The CBD defines “in-situ” conservation as “the conservation of
ecosystems and natural habitats and the maintenance and recovery of viable populations ofspecies in their natural surroundings and, in the case of domesticated or cultivated species, in thesurroundings where they have developed their distinctive properties.”
Living Modified Organism (LMO): any living organism that possesses a novel combination ofgenetic material obtained through the use of modern biotechnology.
Programme of Work: The CBD divides different issues related to biodiversity into themes.
Current Thematic Programmes are: Agricultural Biodiversity, Dry and Sub-humid Lands
Biodiversity, Forest Biodiversity, Inland Waters Biodiversity, Island Biodiversity, Marine andCoastal Biodiversity and Mountain Biodiversity.
Strategic environmental assessment (SAE): Strategic environmental assessment is a process ofidentifying and evaluating the environmental consequences of proposed policies to ensure thatthey are fully integrated into plans and programmes.
Sustainable Development: The Brundtland Commission of 1987 coined the phrase and defined
it as development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future
generations to meet their own needs.
Sustainable use: Sustainable use is defined in the Convention as: “the use of components ofbiological diversity in a way and at a rate that does not lead to the long-term decline of biologicaldiversity, thereby maintaining its potential to meet the needs and aspirations of present and future
generations.”

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Acknowledgments:
Section II of this guide, and the glossary, are abridged and updated from “The Convention on
Biological Diversity: understanding and influencing the process” prepared by the United Nations
University Institute of Advanced Studies (2008). Section III has been prepared by staff of the
CBD Secreatriat. The guide was compiled by Kieran Noonan-Mooney, Mike Shanahan, Manon
Genouille and David Ainsworth. Printing is courtesy of the Government of Japan.

17PartⅡ:
Press Sheets
The tenth meeting of the Condenence of Parties
to the Convention or Biological Diversity

ＣＯＮＴＥＮＴＳ
THE STRATEGIC PLAN FOR THE CBD∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙ 1
RESOURCE MOBILIZATION ∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙ 2
ACCESS AND BENEFIT SHARING ∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙ 4
ARTICLE 8 (J): TRADITIONAL KNOWLEDGE, INNOVATIONS & PRACTICES ∙∙∙∙ 6
PROTECTED AREAS ∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙ 8
CLIMATE CHANGE AND BIODIVERSITY ∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙ 10
FOREST BIODIVERSITY ∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙ 12
CITIES, LOCAL AUTHORITIES AND BIODIVERSITY ∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙ 14
INCENTIVE MEASURES ∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙ 15
INVASIVE ALIEN SPECIES∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙ 16
SOUTH‐SOUTH COOPERATION∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙ 17
MARINE AND COASTAL BIODIVERSITY ∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙ 18
BIOFUELS AND BIODIVERSITY ∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙ 20
SUSTAINABLE USE OF BIODIVERSITY ∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙ 21
MOUNTAIN BIODIVERSITY∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙ 22
BIODIVERSITY FOR DEVELOPMENT ∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙ 24
INLAND WATERS∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙ 26

Press Sheets

THE STRATEGIC PLAN FOR THE CBD
Why is this Important?
The global community acknowledged earlier in 2010 that it had failed to achieve the 2010 Biodiversity
Target Agreed at Johannesburg. Global Biodiversity Outlook 3, provided evidence that despite theefforts made, pressures on biodiversity increased overall. The failure to stop biodiversity loss has
serious consequences for humanity for the future, including the loss of ecosystem services needed toprovide for the well‐being of our populations, and the resources we will need to combat the impacts ofclimate change. A new Strategic Plan will provide a framework for National Governments to combat
biodiversity loss. It will address the underlying causes or indirect drivers of biodiversity loss, such as
patterns of consumption, the impacts of increased trade and demographic change. Ending harmful
subsidies would also be an important step. A new Strategic Plan for the CBD would allow mainstreamingof biodiversity considerations into national planning. The continued loss of biodiversity would no longer
be seen as an issue separate from the core concerns of society. Realizing objectives such as tacklingpoverty and improving the health, wealth and security of present and future generations will be greatly
strengthened if we finally give biodiversity the priority it deserves.

What news to expect in Nagoya?
At COP 10, Parties will adopt a new strategic plan for the period of 2011 to 2020, which will also provide
vision to guide actions that will extend to the middle of the 21st century. Building on the lessons of theprevious strategic plan, and following extensive regional consultations and discussions by Parties, the
new Strategic Plan creates a framework for governments to create their own national biodiversity
targets.
‐
Through efforts to mainstream biodiversity across decision making, the Strategic plan willaddress the underlying causes of biodiversity loss.
‐
The Strategic Plans’s focus on promoting sustainable use of biodiversity will reduce directpressures on biodiversity.
‐
Increased coverage of protected areas on terrestrial and marine areas will provide safeguards
for ecosystems, species and genetic diversity. Governments will decide the level or protection which
could be as great as 20% of terrestrial areas.
‐
The benefits of ecosystem services to all populations will be enhanced through programmes ofrestoration, and a focus on those areas that provide crucial ecosystem services to humans, with a focus
on the poor. A new protocol on access and benefit sharing will also provide for conservation,
sustainable use and development.
The Strategic plan will have a series of interim goals and milestones, as well as capacity‐development
elements including resource mobilization to ensure that the global community achieves the target.
Learn more: www.cbd.int/cop10

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Press Sheets

RESOURCE MOBILIZATION
Why is this Important?
The lack of adequate financial resources and the under‐development of relevant financial mechanisms
contributed to the failure to achieve the 2010 Target. But where financial resources were available, true
differences were made. Financing for biodiversity is facing new realities.
The severe global financial crisis in the past two years led to a considerable reduction of available
financial resources to biodiversity at the national and international levels. Major international
conservation organizations have been forced to cut their spending on biodiversity programmes.
Globally speaking, official development assistance has grown in the recent years, and resources destinedfor biodiversity conservation benefited from this increasing trend. However, the year 2008 saw a sharp
decline in official development assistance for. Official development assistance marked for climatechange has increased much faster than those addressing both climate change and biodiversity while theassistance marked for biodiversity declined.
The benefits of conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity and ecosystem services far outstrip thecost of action. Nevertheless, innovative thinking is required to translate these economic benefits into
financial terms, such as through innovative financial mechanisms including payment for ecosystemservices and biodiversity offsetting mechanisms.
The financial mechanism of the Convention on Biological Diversity has been under‐utilized incomparison with the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. Over the past few
years, governments have established several additional funds to mobilize resources by the Global
Environment Facility as an operational entity of the financial mechanism of the climate change
convention. The catalytic role of the Global Environment Facility as the financial mechanism of thebiodiversity convention has not been utilized to the same extent.

What news to expect in Nagoya?
COP‐10 will be critical in terms of the Convention’s ability to mobilize financial resources for
implementing its 2011‐2020 Strategic Plan and achieving its three objectives. Six major ideas are being
circulated for the Conference:•
Whether or not to establish measurable funding targets. The proposed targets on the table
include: a doubling of international flows destined to biodiversity objectives; a tenfold increase infinancial capacity; or a 100 fold increase in financial resources.
•
To what extent will the Convention make use of the catalytic role of the Global Environment
Facility in mobilizing resources? The feasibility of several new trust funds being proposed will bedemonstrated by the willingness of donors to come forward with commitments.

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Press Sheets•
To what extent will Governments want to take up the Convention’s strategy for resource
mobilization at the country level? The strategy for resource mobilization suggests that Governments
elaborate country‐specific resource mobilization strategies, perhaps as part of the update of theirnational biodiversity strategies and action plans.
•Innovative financial mechanisms. Many concepts of such mechanisms have been developed in
the past few years, but more research and further discussions are still needed. Governments alreadyagreed to a global discussion on payment for ecosystem services and other innovative financial
mechanisms but should provide more clarity on the basic parameters of this, including required
voluntary contributions for funding.
•Will Governments agree to undertake rapid national economic assessments of biodiversity andecosystem services? The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity (TEEB) has undertaken an
assessment of the values of biodiversity and ecosystem services to support decision‐making at theinternational level. But the economics of ecosystems and biodiversity has been much less developed at
the national level.
•
How will Governments finance the agreed concrete activities under the Convention’s Strategy
for Resource Mobilization? The list of concrete activities recently agreed upon by Governments to
support the Convention’s strategy for resource mobilization requires enhanced support capacity of the
global secretariat.
Learn more: www.cbd.int/financial/3

Press Sheets

ACCESS AND BENEFIT SHARING
Why is this important?
The third objective of the Convention provides for “the fair and equitable sharing of the benefits arisingout of the utilization of genetic resources…” The Convention, in its article 15, sets out principles andobligations of Parties related to this objective, on the basis of prior informed consent and mutuallyagreed terms.
The Convention establishes that a person or institution seeking access to the genetic material of abiological resource in a foreign country should seek the prior informed consent of the country in which
the resource is located. Moreover, the person or institution must also negotiate and agree on the terms
and conditions of access and use of this resource. This includes the sharing of benefits arising from theuse of this resource, with relevant authorities in the provider country, in order to obtain permission toaccess the genetic resource and to use it.
Conversely, countries, when acting as providers of genetic resources, should try to create conditions tofacilitate access to their genetic resources for environmentally sound uses and not to impose restrictions
that run counter to the objectives of the Convention. Genetic resources, whether from plant, animal or
micro‐organisms, are used for a variety of purposes ranging from basic research to the development of
products. Users of genetic resources may include research institutes, universities and private companies
operating in various sectors such as pharmaceuticals, agriculture, horticulture, cosmetics andbiotechnology.
Benefits derived from genetic resources may include the results of research and development carriedout on genetic resources, the transfer of technologies which makes use of those resources, participationin biotechnological research activities, or monetary benefits arising from the commercialisation of
products based on genetic resources.

What news to expect in Nagoya
The negotiation of a new International Regime on Access and Benefit‐Sharing (ABS) — which will takethe form of a Protocol to the Convention — is entering its final stage and will be submitted for adoption
at COP10.
The Protocol aims to provide a legal framework to ensure that biodiversity‐rich developing countries geta fair and equitable share of benefits arising out of the use of genetic resources from their territories —and that biodiversity‐poor developed nations can readily access those resources with the agreement of
the host country.
The successful adoption and subsequent entry into force of the Protocol will therefore benefit bothusers and providers of genetic resources.

4Press Sheets
Indeed, fair and equitable benefit‐sharing with providers will take various forms, ranging from royalties
to joint ventures, technology transfer, capacity‐building, etc. It will thus contribute to poverty reduction
and sustainable development in developing countries.
In return for these benefits, the providers of biodiversity will enable access to their genetic resources forresearch or other purposes. This can contribute to the advancement of science and to human well‐being
through the use of genetic resources in pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, agriculture and other sectors.
The International Regime will also include measures to ensure that the utilization of traditional
knowledge associated with genetic resources is subject to the prior informed consent of, and the fairand equitable sharing of benefits with, the indigenous and local communities which are the holders ofsuch knowledge
The International Regime will thus effectively prevent the unauthorized use of genetic resources andassociated traditional knowledge, often referred to as “biopiracy”.
Learn more: www.cbd.int/abs

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ARTICLE 8 (J): TRADITIONAL KNOWLEDGE, INNOVATIONS & PRACTICES
Why is this important?
The traditional knowledge, innovations and practices of indigenous and local communities can makesignificant contributions to sustainable development and the conservation of biodiversity. But suchknowledge is at risk of disappearing or being unfairly exploited. Most indigenous and local communities
are situated in areas where the vast majority of the world's genetic resources are found. They havecultivated and used biodiversity in a sustainable way for hundreds or thousands of years, andtransmitted their collectively‐owned knowledge of the natural world orally from generation to
generation.
Traditional knowledge is valuable not only to those who depend on it in their daily lives, but to modern
industry and agriculture, fisheries and environmental management as well. Many widely used products,
such as plant‐based medicines, health products and cosmetics, are derived from traditional knowledge.
Other valuable products based on traditional knowledge include agricultural and non‐wood forest
products as well as handicrafts. Some traditional practices of indigenous and local communities — suchas customary laws, cultural values, agricultural practices and use of natural medicines — have been
proven to enhance biodiversity and promote healthy ecosystems.
However, the contribution of such communities to the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity
goes far beyond their role as natural resource managers. Their skills and techniques provide valuable
information to the global community and a useful model for biodiversity policies. Furthermore, as on‐site communities with extensive knowledge of local environments, indigenous and local communities
are most directly involved with conservation and sustainable use.

What news to expect in Nagoya
At COP 10 as well as focusing on issues of customary sustainable use of biodiversity, Parties are also
expected to adopt a code of ethical conduct to ensure respect for the cultural and intellectual heritageof indigenous and local communities; as well as two additional indicators for the status of traditional
knowledge relating to land use‐change in traditional territories of indigenous and local communities andin the practice of traditional occupations.
COP 10 will also address the more effective engagement of local communities in the work of theConvention. The programme of work for article 8(j) will also consider tasks related to theimplementation of the International Regime on Access and Benefit Sharing which include: Guidelines forbenefit sharing, and prior and informed consent; identification of obligations of providers and users ofgenetic resources and associated traditional knowledge; Guidelines for reporting and preventing theunlawful appropriation of traditional knowledge; Guidelines to assist Parties in developing legislation to
implement 8(j) which requires that TK is respected, preserved and promoted with the approval of theknowledge holders.

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Finally future meetings of the Working Group on Article 8(j) will include a new agenda item, in depth
dialogue and Parties will consider at COP 10 whether the first in depth dialogue should be on Climate
Change, Protected Areas or on the modalities of benefit sharing (arising from ABS).
Learn more: www.cbd.int/traditional

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PROTECTED AREAS
Why is this important?
Nearly 13% of the Earth’s land and over 6% of territorial waters are protected by law. These protectedareas can provide many benefits to society whilst also conserving biological diversity, but only if they are
well funded and managed.
Globally, protected areas meet the basic needs of millions of people by providing food, fresh water, fueland medicines. Additional benefits flow to local communities when protected areas also foster ruraldevelopment, research, conservation, education, recreation and tourism.
Protected areas can also maintain the environmental stability of surrounding regions, reduce theimpacts of environmental disturbances and provide flexibility that enables local communities andecosystems to adapt to new realities, such as climate change.
Nonetheless, the importance of protected areas is greatly undervalued, despite their significant
monetary and non‐monetary values. As a result, protected areas often do not receive adequate
financing or resources, making their effective management a challenge.
To address this and strengthen financing to enable protected areas to sustain biodiversity, secure
livelihoods and address climate change, the LifeWeb Initiative was created in 2008. It provides anelectronic clearing‐house of funding priorities in developing countries and facilitates cost‐sharing among
private and public donors.

What news to expect in Nagoya
At COP10 parties will discuss how to strengthen the CBD programme of work on protected areas atnational, regional, and global levels and how to address issues that need greater attention.
The CBD’s new strategic plan, to be adopted at COP10, includes a target to increase the global coverageof protected areas by 2020 to 15–20% for terrestrial and inland water areas — and to a percentage to benegotiated in Nagoya for coastal and marine areas.
The COP will consider inviting Parties to both enhance the quality and coverage of their protected areas,
and to actively explore potentially suitable areas for trans‐boundary protected area cooperation. To
face climate change, the integration of protected areas into wider landscapes and seascapes and sectors,
and the restoration of degraded areas will be discussed.
Parties will consider for adoption a new online framework for reporting on the national implementationof the CBD’s programme of work on protected areas.
COP10 will also discuss ways to integrate the provisions of a new protocol on access and benefit sharing
in the governance of protected areas, and to recognize the role of indigenous and local community
conserved areas in biodiversity conservation.

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COP10 could see new decisions on how to source the large amounts of sustainable financing that will beneeded to achieve targets in the new strategic plan. Parties may be invited to develop and implement
sustainable finance plans for protected area systems by 2012 and to use these plans to access funding
from the Global Environment Facility and other sources. Developing country parties may be invited touse these action plans as the basis for expressing their funding needs via the LifeWeb Initiative.
Learn more: www.cbd.int/protected/

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CLIMATE CHANGE AND BIODIVERSITY
Why is this important?
Biodiversity is both highly vulnerable to climate change and a key means for humanity to address thisglobal challenge. The climate is changing because concentrations of greenhouse gases in theatmosphere are rapidly increasing. This is leading to rising temperatures, glacial melt, changes inprecipitation patterns and increases in the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events.
Impacts of these changes include rising sea levels, flooding and drought, the potential spread of vector‐
borne diseases and habitat change. Some areas may benefit from climate change while others, including
least developed countries and small island developing states, may suffer greatly.
Climate change is already forcing organisms to change their habitats or life cycles, or develop new traits.
The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment said climate change would become the main direct driver of
biodiversity loss by the end of the century.
This will affect vital ecosystem services for all humans, such as air and water purification, pollination,
food production, decomposition, and global nutrient and carbon cycles.
Biodiversity can, however, also help reduce the effects of climate change. The diversity of crops andtheir wild relatives can help farmers to adapt to climate change by switching to drought or flood
resistant varieties. The conservation of habitats such as forests can reduce the amount of carbon
dioxide released into the atmosphere.
If we act now to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions and identify ecosystems‐based adaptation priorities,
we can reduce the risk of species extinctions and limit damage to ecosystems. We can preserve intact
habitats, especially those sensitive to climate change; improve our understanding of the climate change‐
biodiversity relationship; and view biodiversity as a solution to climate change.

What news to expect in Nagoya
At COP 10, Parties will discuss proposals on ways to implement ‘win‐win’ activities that have benefits forboth biodiversity and efforts to address climate change. Target 15 of the new strategic plan will requireParties to enhance the contribution of biodiversity to carbon stocks, through a mix of conservation andrestoration (of forests for instance) by 2020.
It also states that Parties should restore at least 15% of degraded ecosystems, thereby contributing toclimate‐change mitigation and adaptation, by that year. Target 13 calls on parties to halt the loss ofgenetic diversity of cultivated plants, livestock and their wild relatives by 2020. This too will be a key
step in ensuring that agriculture can adapt to a changing climate.
Under Target 10 of the strategic plan, by 2020 at the latest, Parties should minimize pressures on coral
reefs and other vulnerable ecosystems that are impacted by climate change or ocean acidification.

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Parties will also consider proposals that aim to better integrate biodiversity and traditional or local
knowledge within actions for climate‐change adaptation and mitigation.
Finally, COP10 will consider a proposal for a joint work programme between it and the UN Framework
Convention on Climate Change and the UN Convention to Combat Desertification.
Such a work programme would increase the effectiveness of the three ‘Rio Conventions’ to addresscommon issues related to biodiversity, climate change and land degradation, in an effort to boost
sustainable development ahead of the Earth Summit in 2012.
Learn More: www.cbd.int/climate/

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FOREST BIODIVERSITY
Why is this important?
Forests contain an immense variety of life forms, which provide many vital services to human beings.
They play significant economic, social, and cultural roles in the lives of about 1.6 billion people,
especially those of indigenous and local communities. These benefits are under great threat as humans
are destroying forest biodiversity at an alarming rate. Each year 13 million hectares of forest areconverted to other uses or lost through natural causes.
Forests offer much more than just timber. Along with food, fibre and other natural products, they
provide the plants that are the basis of many traditional medicines and Western pharmaceuticals. They
help to limit climate change by preventing vast amounts of carbon from reaching the atmosphere.
Forests also regulate local temperatures, protect drinking water supplies and alleviate land degradationand desertification.
Over two thirds of all known terrestrial species live in forests. This great diversity of trees, plants,
animals, fungi and micro‐organisms, and the complex interactions among them, are what makes forests
so valuable to humanity.
Yet many human activities greatly weaken forests and reduce the services they provide to us. They
include: the conversion of forests to agricultural land, overgrazing, unsustainable management,
introduction of invasive alien species, infrastructure development, mining and oil exploitation, man‐made fires, pollution and climate change.
Biodiversity plays an important role for effective and long‐term carbon storage in forests. Therefore, it is
crucial that biodiversity is appropriately considered in the forthcoming efforts for reducing emissions
from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD‐plus) under the UN Framework Convention on Climate
Change. 1 The potential to simultaneously address the biodiversity crisis and climate change isunprecedented. At the same time, poorly designed REDD‐plus efforts could damage forest biodiversity
and in the process threaten the continued provision of ecosystem services for human well‐being.

What news to expect in Nagoya
COP10 should adopt a new strategic plan with revised targets for forest biodiversity to be achieved by
2020. These may include targets to:•halve [or bring close to zero] the rate of loss, degradation, and fragmentation of forests•

manage all areas under forestry sustainably•
protect at least 15% of terrestrial areas, including forests, through comprehensive, ecologically
representative and well‐connected systems of effectively managed protected areas

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enhance the resilience of forests and other ecosystems, and the contribution of biodiversity tocarbon stocks, through conservation and restoration, including restoration of at least 15% of degradedecosystems.
To achieve such targets the collaboration of the forest sector will be critical.
At COP 10, governments and other relevant organizations will discuss ways to ensure that any actions
for reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD‐plus) support theimplementation of the CBD Programme of Work on Forest Biological Diversity. To this end, Parties will
discuss the role of the CBD in developing REDD‐plus biodiversity safeguards and mechanisms to monitor
the impacts of REDD‐plus on biodiversity.
Parties will furthermore discuss how REDD‐plus efforts could best provide benefits not only for forest
biodiversity, but also to indigenous and local communities while respecting their rights.
During COP 10, on 26 October, a high level meeting on Forest Conservation and Climate Change will beheld. The outputs of this meeting are expected to have a significant impact on the forest‐related COP
decisions.
Learn More: www.cbd.int/forest
1.

With reference to decision 5/CP.15 of the United Nations Framework Convention on
Climate Change (UNFCCC), REDD-plus refers to “policy approaches and positive
incentives on issues relating to reducing emissions from deforestation and forest
degradation in developing countries; and the role of conservation, sustainable
management of forests and enhancement of forest carbon stocks in developing
countries”. The acronyms REDD and REDD-plus are used for convenience only, without
any intention to pre-empt ongoing or future negotiations under the UNFCCC.

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CITIES, LOCAL AUTHORITIES AND BIODIVERSITY
Why is this important?
More than half of the world’s population lives in cities, and it is estimated that this will rise to 70% by2030. For biodiversity, this trend can bring both threats and solutions, and this means local authorities
have a vital role to play. Urbanization can have major impacts on biodiversity, as when natural habitats
are cleared to make way for housing and infrastructure or are polluted by urban industry or households.
At the same time, cities are the source of many policies, processes and technologies that can serve as
solutions to biodiversity‐related problems in urban settings.
Sustainable urbanization, through the creation of compact and ecologically‐friendly cities, could
promote the more efficient use of natural resources, and reduce consumption of water, energy and —ultimately —impacts on biodiversity.
To help achieve this, Parties to the CBD can facilitate collaboration between all levels of government andsupport local authorities in implementing the Convention locally.
Indeed, local authorities can play a crucial – and growing – role in bringing biodiversity back into theurban agenda. Their awareness raising activities are generally most effective since they are the closest
public authority to citizens and interact with them daily.

What news to expect in Nagoya
At COP10 Parties will discuss and negotiate a new Plan of Action on Cities, Local Authorities andBiodiversity. If adopted, it would significantly enable different levels of government to collaborate in the
successful implementation of the CBD.
Supportive CBD Parties are collaborating with the Global Partnership on Cities and Biodiversity to submit
and adopt the Plan.
The City Biodiversity Summit 2010, to be held as an associated event to COP10, will contribute to thisplan, as it brings together hundreds of local and international authorities and organizations worldwide.
Encouragingly, some CBD Parties have already started mobilizing their local authorities. For example, aA
local government network in Spain (La Red de Gobiernos Locales + Biodiversidad 2010), in cooperation
with the Spanish Federation of Municipalities, promotes local policies aimed at the conservation andsustainable use of biodiversity.
Meanwhile, the European Union has financed the European Capitals of Biodiversity award, whose
winners will be announced at COP 10.
Learn More: www.cbd.int/authorities/

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INCENTIVE MEASURES
Why is this important?
Economic incentives can play a key role in promoting the conservation and sustainable use of
biodiversity, but they can also have the opposite effect. Biodiversity provides natural goods and services
that are essential for human well‐being and economic development. Agriculture, for example, would be
impossible without the contribution biodiversity makes to the development of seed and livestock
varieties, as well as through the species that interact with agriculture, such as pollinators or organismsthat maintain soil quality. The tremendous economic value of biodiversity is not reflected in existing
market prices. This means markets will provide insufficient, if any, incentives to individuals, companies
and governments to use biodiversity and the services it provides in a sustainable way.
To make matters worse, many policies in other sectors are unintentionally harmful to biodiversity.
Examples include public subsidies that promote unsustainable farming, forestry or fishery. Under the
CBD, parties should identify and remove or mitigate the effects of these perverse incentives, anddevelop other incentive measures that ’internalize’ the value of biodiversity into market prices.
Positive incentives encourage activities that benefit biodiversity. Examples include the certification andlabelling of goods that are produced in a sustainable way, or payments to landowners who set aside
agricultural land as natural habitat or manage watersheds in ways that benefit downstream users andbiodiversity. Disincentives aim to discourage harmful or unsustainable activities through measures suchas user fees or pollution taxes.

What news to expect in Nagoya
At COP10, Parties will be asked to adopt a new strategic plan, which includes a target of eliminating,phasing out of reforming incentives that harm biodiversity by 2020. The target could go further with an
explicit reference to subsidies and by also promoting positive incentives for conservation andsustainable use of biodiversity — but these additions are still up for negotiation in Nagoya.
Another of the new strategy’s targets would require parties to integrate the values of biodiversity into
national and local development and poverty reduction strategies and plans — and, if Parties agree, into
national accounts too. COP10 will also review the work on the CBD’s work programme on incentive
measures, which since COP9 has compiled case studies of good practices and lessons learnt about both
the removal and mitigation of perverse incentives, and the promotion of positive ones.
In this context, COP will also consider, and take note of, the work undertaken by partner organizations in
supporting implementation of incentive measures, such as the important study on The Economics of
Ecosystems and Biodiversity (TEEB), prepared under the aegis of UNEP’s Green Economy Initiative. As
the new strategic plan will require parties to revise their National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plans,
the COP will plan regional capacity‐building activities on incentives.
Learn more: http://www.cbd.int/incentives/

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INVASIVE ALIEN SPECIES
Why is this important?
Invasive alien species are among the top threats to biodiversity worldwide as, outside their natural
habitats, they can cause local extinctions of native species and disturb the natural balance of wild or
cultivated ecosystems. They cause billions of dollars worth of damage annually and can have serious
impacts on food security and the health of people, plants and animals — all of which can have major
consequences for people’s wellbeing and hinder the development of countries.
Non‐native species are especially problematic if they reproduce rapidly, compete strongly with native
species for food and habitat, or directly feed upon or parasitize local species. The negative effects ofinvasive alien species on biodiversity can be intensified by climate change, habitat destruction andpollution. Isolated ecosystems such as islands are particularly affected.
Human actions can spread non‐native plants, animals, fungi and microorganisms to over long distancesand beyond natural boundaries both deliberately (e.g. fish farming) and unintentionally (throughtransport, travel, trade. biological pest control, etc.)
However, in many parts of the world, border controls on alien species are not in place.
Once invasive species are established, eradication is the most desirable solution, but it can be very
expensive, so prevention is still the best answer. Target 9 of the new strategic plan that Parties to the
CBD will be asked to adopt at COP10 focuses on invasive alien species. It states that by 2020 suchspecies will be identified, prioritised and controlled or eradicated — and that there will be measures inplace to control their introduction and establishment.

What news to expect in Nagoya
COP10 will also address gaps in the international regulatory framework that relate to the risks invasive
species pose — such as when they are introduced intentionally as pets, aquarium species, live bait andlive food.
This will require the development of practical guidelines that countries (especially developing nations)
can use to control and manage the pathways by which invasive species can be introduced to new areas.
An Ad Hoc Technical Expert Group, set up by the CBD in 2010, will develop these guidelines incollaboration with different governmental sectors, the private sector, international organizations, andstandard‐setting organizations.
To implement such guidelines, some Parties will need greater capacity and appropriate legislation. This
includes early warning systems to prevent invasions and capacity to conduct risk and impact
assessments before allowing alien species to be introduced.
Learn more: http://www.cbd.int/invasive/16

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SOUTH‐SOUTH COOPERATION
Why is this important?
International transfers of knowledge and technology can help control and halt the loss of biodiversity,
but the urgency of this challenge demands new ways to transfer these resources — and a greater rolefor biodiverse developing nations.
Most transfers of technology, knowledge and funds related to biodiversity have been from developed
countries (also known as “the North”) to developing countries (“the South”) — with agendas, to a large
extent, defined by the North.
This traditional North‐South cooperation model, although essential, is not sufficient to achieve theobjectives of the CBD. Now, like never before, developing nations increasingly have the experience andcapacity to use biodiversity in a sustainable way.
This means that North‐South cooperation can be complemented with South‐South and triangularcooperation, in which technologies are transferred from South to South with combined funds andagendas set equitably by the North and the South. A platform through which countries are empowered
to exchange knowledge, technology and lessons learned on biodiversity and its potential fordevelopment, will create incentives for developing countries to protect it, while contributing to poverty
alleviation.
This is critical because most biodiversity is located in developing countries, in which poverty is still amajor concern. This could be put to better service in eradicating poverty, contributing to national
development and improving the quality of life of lower‐income populations.

What news to expect in Nagoya
At COP10, Yemen (chair of the G77 group of 130 developing nations) will submit a Multi‐Year Plan of
Action on South‐South Cooperation for the consideration of the Parties.
The Plan adopted by COP‐10 will be submitted to the United Nations General Assembly, ultimately toprovide a framework for cooperation among developing countries at regional, national and international
levels, and to promote triangular cooperation, which also involves and benefits Parties from the North.
Regional agencies and commissions will also be involved in this process since their role is significant intaking the plan to regional and sub‐regional levels.
The plan aims to ensure that greater cooperation will benefit both the environment and development.
In particular, it seeks to enhance the implementation of CBD and its Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety,
and contribute to achieving the UN Millennium Development Goals (especially Goals 1 and 7).
Learn More: www.cbd.int/cooperation/SouthSouthcooperation.shtml

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MARINE AND COASTAL BIODIVERSITY
Why is this important?
Oceans include highly diverse habitats — such as coral reefs, mangrove forests, sea‐grass beds, estuaries,
open‐ocean and deep‐sea habitats — that are both ecologically and economically important.
Oceans cover 70% of our planet but their tremendous wealth of biodiversity and ecosystem services are
not infinite. More than just a valuable source of food, the oceans play a key role in regulating the global
climate as they store over 15 times more carbon dioxide than the terrestrial biosphere and soils.
Meanwhile, the rich variety of life on deep‐sea habitats, such as sea mounts, hydrothermal vents,
coldwater corals, etc., play a major role in global fishery production and provide a valuable source ofmarine genetic resources.
The oceans and coastal areas, however, face many threats from overfishing, destructive fishing practices,
pollution and waste disposal, agricultural runoff, invasive alien species, and habitat destruction. Climatechange will only make the situation worse.
Concerns are also being raised on the impacts of ocean acidification, as a direct consequence ofincreased carbon dioxide concentration in the atmosphere. Increasing acidity of sea water will reduces
the availability of carbonate minerals in seawater, important building blocks for marine plants andanimals, thereby potentially disrupting large components of the marine food web.
Yet, the oceans are seriously under‐protected, with still less than 1 per cent of the ocean surface isdesignated as protected areas, compared to nearly 15 per cent of protected‐area coverage on land.

What news to expect in Nagoya
COP 10 will undertake an in‐depth review of the progress made to implement the programme of workon marine and coastal biological diversity. Governments will note that efforts to date at all levels havenot been able to prevent the serious decline in marine and coastal biodiversity and ecosystem services.
Governments will also discuss the slow progress towards achieving the 2012 target of establishing
marine protected areas linked through representative networks.
The importance of marine and coastal biodiversity in the mitigation of, and adaptation to, climatechange will be highlighted and governments will call for more research. The impacts of ocean
acidification, a potential consequence of increased atmospheric carbon dioxide emissions, on marine
and coastal biodiversity, discussed by the previous COP will be reaffirmed. COP 10 will also reaffirm its
previous decision that recognized the impacts of ocean fertilization on marine and coastal biodiversity.
Building on the decisions at the last meeting of the COP, governments will seek to advance efforts on
identifying ecologically or biologically significant areas (EBSAs) in need of protection in marine areas
beyond national jurisdiction.

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Likewise, COP 10 will emphasize the need for a joint expert meeting to address the impacts ofdestructive fishing practices, unsustainable fishing, and illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing.
Learn More: www.cbd.int/marine

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BIOFUELS AND BIODIVERSITY
Why is this important?
Biofuels are being promoted as part of the global response to climate change but there are concernsthat their production and use could have significant impacts on biodiversity that could affect livelihoods,
food supplies and energy security.
Biofuels include substitutes for fossil fuels that are derived from biomass — such as alcohols, biogas,
fuel wood, vegetable oil and animal fats. For instance, ethanol is produced from sugar cane and maize
while rapeseed and palm oil are used to make biodiesel. Many other crops are also used.
Liquid transport fuels like ethanol and biodiesel have promoted heavily in recent years as a means ofincreasing energy security, supporting domestic agricultural producers, generating income and reducing
greenhouse gas emissions.
Yet the energy yield, greenhouse gas emissions and environmental impacts of biofuels vary greatly
depending on the type of crop, and where and how it is produced, processed and used. As many current
biofuels are based on agricultural products, there are additional concerns about the use of fertilizers,
pesticides and water, and the possible invasiveness of some biofuel crops.
Concerns over increased deforestation and the drainage of wetlands for the expansion of agriculturalland are also emerging.
In terms of socio‐economic impacts, the demand for biofuel could potentially increase rural incomes andcreate employment opportunities. On the negative side, increased commodity prices resulting from thediversion of agricultural products from the food to the energy sector, as well as trade distorting
subsidies and import tariffs, can pose serious consequences for developing countries with implications
for agricultural production and food security.

What news to expect in Nagoya
In May 2010, the CBDs’ Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice (SBSTTA)
recommended that COP10 takes action to develop and implement policies to promote the positive andminimize, or avoid, the negative impacts of biofuels on biodiversity.
In particular, SBSTTA called for policies that would assess both direct and indirect impacts on
biodiversity of the production and use of biofuels in their full life cycle as compared to the effects ofother types of fuels.
SBSTTA also recommended COP10 to examine impacts of biofuel production and use on biodiversitythat would affect related socio economic conditions and food and energy security.
Learn more: www.cbd.int/agro/biofuels

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SUSTAINABLE USE OF BIODIVERSITY
Why is this important?

What news to expect in Nagoya

Unless we use biodiversity in sustainable way that prevents its long‐term decline, we will deprive
ourselves and future generations of many benefits that are essential to our wellbeing and security.
As well as providing people food and other resources for immediate subsistence needs, biologicalresources either directly or indirectly form the basis of 40% of the world's economy, according to the
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
For these reasons, the sustainable use of biodiversity is one of the CBD’s three objectives and is an
essential contributor to the broader goals of poverty reduction and sustainable development.
However, many biological resources are being used unsustainably. For instance, the unsustainablehunting of wild animals (bushmeat) in tropical and sub‐tropical forests for food and for non‐foodpurposes (including for medicinal use) represents an especially alarming threat to forest biodiversity.
Sustainable use is one of the strongest assurances for the protection of biological resources. It implies
healthy ecosystems that result in economic and other benefits to people, helping to secure their long‐term survival. Lessons from efforts to promote sustainable use can be applied to all economic activities,
including agriculture and livestock management, forestry, fisheries, biofuels production or
bioprospecting.
In light of this, in 2004 the parties to the CBD adopted the Addis Ababa Principles and Guidelines for the
Sustainable Use of Biodiversity. This is a framework for advising stakeholders on how they can ensurethat their use of biodiversity will not lead to its long‐term declines, but will instead promoteconservation and alleviate poverty.
Sustainable use is central to the new strategy that Parties will
be asked to adopt at COP10 – with specific targets (6 and 7) and measurable indicators for sustainable
forestry, fisheries (and overfishing) and agriculture.
The strategic plan would also require parties to integrate the values of biodiversity and ecosystemservices into their national policies and plans (Target 2) — which would enable them to promotesustainable over unsustainable use.
Target 4 of the strategy will demand that governments, businesses and other stakeholders haveachieved or implemented plans for sustainable production and consumption by 2020, and have kept the
impacts of their use of natural resources well within safe ecological limits.
Parties might also agree on text that will commit them to developing and applying positive incentives forthe conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity under Target 3, though this is still up for negotiationin Nagoya.

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At COP10, Parties are also expected to implement the recommendations of the CBD Liaison Group on
Bushmeat.
The Liaison Group recommends that national policies and plans take account of bushmeat harvests andconsumption, and that forest certification schemes consider the conservation and sustainable use of
bushmeat.
The group also recommends that extractive industries should regard wildlife management as essential inbusiness planning; and that local stakeholders receive rights to sustainably manage these resources.
Learn more: www.cbd.int/sustainable

MOUNTAIN BIODIVERSITY
Why is this important?

What news to expect in Nagoya

Mountainous areas often host many more species than adjacent lowlands — including many that arefound nowhere else on Earth. This diversity is important for many vulnerable human populations but it
also faces special threats, not least from climate change.
Mountainous regions are particularly biodiverse because in just a small area they can include a range ofdifferent altitudes, habitats and climatic conditions, and the different groups of life‐forms that thrive
best in each of these. They also often provide islands of suitable habitat, isolated from unfavourable
surrounding lowlands, competing species or environmental threats.
These ecosystems are found worldwide and cover some 27% of the world’s land surface, and directly
support the 22% of the world’s people. The benefits of mountain environments also reach other people
living in distant lowlands, and include: water, energy, timber, and opportunities for recreation andspiritual renewal.
Mountains are also home to a significant number of distinct ethnic groups, with distinct cultural
traditions, environmental knowledge and habitat adaptations. As a result mountains host some of theworld’s most complex agricultural diversity and traditional management practices.
Mountain species with narrow habitat tolerance, particularly those that live at high elevations or cannot
disperse far are at high risk from climate change. Changes in land‐use can also drive biodiversity loss.
Flower‐rich alpine meadows are an important cultural heritage that is increasingly threatened as
traditional grazing practices decline.
Therefore the challenge is to sustainably manage mountain regions to avoid degradation and avoid
subsequent increases in poverty and hunger. At COP10, Parties will be encouraged, among otherthings, to consider the new national and regional targets that address the direct drivers of biodiversity
loss.

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These targets will include moves to reduce pressures on — and to protect and restore — mountainbiodiversity and related ecosystem services.
Parties will also be encouraged to consider the adoption of a long‐term vision and ecosystemapproaches to the conservation and sustainable use of mountain biodiversity.
This would entail developing specific actions, timetables and capacity‐building needs for the
implementation of the CBD’s programme of work on mountain biodiversity.
Where appropriate, these would need to be integrated into revised national biodiversity strategies andaction plans in line with the CBD’s new Strategic Plan.
Learn more: www.cbd.int/mountain23

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BIODIVERSITY FOR DEVELOPMENT
Why is this important?
Biodiversity is crucial to development and poverty reduction. The natural goods and services it provides
are a key source of food, water, shelter, incomes and livelihoods for billions of people, especially therural poor who depend on biological resources for up to 90% of their daily needs.
Biodiversity also provides broader benefits beyond providing for people’s immediate needs. These
include flood and disease control; spiritual and recreational benefits; and supporting services such as
nutrient cycling that maintain the conditions for life on Earth.
Biodiversity also generates income and helps sustain the economy, both locally and globally, and with it
our security. For example, when agricultural ecosystems are degraded, extreme poverty and hunger are
more difficult to address and to overcome.
In the long term, the loss of crop and livestock genetic diversity and decreased availability of wild
biological resources can threaten food security for large populations.
The threats to biodiversity are therefore threats to development, just as unsustainable development is athreat to biodiversity. The CBD invites countries to “integrate, as far as possible and as appropriate, theconservation and sustainable use of biological diversity into relevant sectoral or cross‐sectoral plans,
programmes and policies”.
This is often referred to as ’biodiversity mainstreaming’ and should be implemented through the
National Biodiversity Strategies and Actions Plans. Both are essential to the successful implementationof the Convention and to the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity.

What news to expect in Nagoya
At COP10, Parties to the CBD will be presented with a new ten year strategy, which – if adopted – would
have far‐reaching and fundamental impacts on the development of nations worldwide.
Target 14 of the strategic plan would require parties to protect and/or restore – by 2020 ‐‐ ecosystems
that provide essential services and contribute to health, livelihoods and well‐being.
The new strategy calls on parties to ‘mainstream’ biodiversity into every aspect of policy, planning andpublic life by 2020 (Target 2).
This means that all government departments, strategies and decisions should take full account of theimportance of biodiversity to society and should minimise any harmful impacts on biodiversity.
This would allow countries to make use of their biodiversity in a sustainable way so that it cancontribute to national development and poverty alleviation.

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As well as having a target for governments to mainstream biodiversity by 2020, the new strategy calls on
parties to ensure that all people are aware of the values of biodiversity and how to conserve it by thatyear at the latest (Target 1).
COP10 could also see the creation of a new legally binding set of rules on how countries can access eachother’s biological resources, and share the benefits of this with fairly.
Most biodiversity is in developing nations, and equitable benefit‐sharing could include payments,
technology transfer and capacity‐building. This means the new ‘protocol’ would contribute to poverty
reduction and sustainable development in developing countries.
Learn more: www.cbd.int/development/

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Press Sheets

INLAND WATERS
Why is this important?
Fresh water is the most important natural resource on the planet. Inland water ecosystems provide thisand many other benefits to humanity, but the biodiversity of such ecosystems is declining faster thanthat of any other habitat type.
These ecosystems include fresh or saline water bodies, as well as groundwater. They support all
terrestrial biodiversity and are essential for sustainable development.
However, half of wetlands worldwide have already been destroyed due to unsustainable practices suchas construction, land conversion for agriculture and pollution. Unsustainable water use and invasive
alien species also harm biodiversity. Most alarmingly, by 2030, close to half of the world population will
be living in areas of high water stress.
The goods and services inland waters provide include food, fibre, medicine, climate regulation, flood andnatural disaster mitigation, nutrient recycling, and purification of drinking water. These ecosystems arealso essential for production of energy, transport, recreation, tourism as well as being habitat foranimals and plants.
These services are taken for granted but can be expensive to replace. For instance, building andmaintaining water treatment plants often costs more than maintaining ecosystems to provide cleanwater.
Wetlands also contain one‐fifth of the world’s carbon and by some estimates twice the carbon stored inforests, which means they have a key role to play in limiting climate change. Inland water ecosystems
will also help people cope with the impacts of climate change, in particular through flood regulation andproviding water in areas where rainfall declines.
For these reasons, it is important to halt or reverse the decline in inland water biodiversity, raiseawareness of its importance, and apply the ecosystem approach when managing both land and water.

What News to Expect in Nagoya
COP10 will consider the recommendations of its Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical andTechnological Advice, which reviewed the CBD Programme of Work on the biological diversity of inland
water ecosystems in 2010.
The recommendations centre on increasing the attention to water across all activities of the CBD
including making it more explicit in the revised Strategic Plan, which is due to be adopted at COP10.
Target 8 of that plan will call upon Parties to the CBD to bring level of pollution, including from excess
nutrients, down to levels that do not harm biodiversity and ecosystem function.
This is critical to ensuring that inland waters continue to function naturally and support human needs.

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The new strategic plan also calls for an increase in the coverage of protected areas, which for land areas
could include large areas of wetland and inland waters.
At COP10 Parties will be urged to consider appropriate action in relation to wetlands, water, biodiversity
and climate change, while improving synergy and collaboration between the Ramsar Convention (onwetlands protection) and the Convention on Biological Diversity in their work on climate change.
Learn More: www.cbd.int/waters/

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Press Sheets* Thie is a consolidated version of press sheets prepared by the CBD Secretariat for COP10.

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