DR

BirdLife International

Position on selected agenda items for the 14th Conference of the Parties of the Convention on
Biological Diversity (CBD COP14) Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, November 2018
This document sets out BirdLife International’s position for
the following select CBD COP14 agenda items and decisions,and gives examples of information, tools and activities tosupport CBD Parties and others in their implementation.

8. REVIEW OF PROGRESS IN THE IMPLEMENTATION OF
THE CONVENTION AND THE STRATEGIC PLAN FOR
BIODIVERSITY 2011-2020
BirdLife International is extremely concerned that the latest
review of the implementation of the 2011-2020 Strategic
Plan and Aichi Targets shows that despite some successes,
biodiversity continues to be lost, in some cases at anaccelerating rate. BirdLife’s 2018 State of the World’s Birds
report1 for example has found that: 40% of the world’s 11,000 bird species are declining.
 1 in 8 bird species is threatened with global extinction2.
 Even familiar species of birds such as the Snowy Owl Bubo
scandiacus, Atlantic Puffin Fratercula arctica andEuropean Turtle-dove Streptopelia turtur are now globallythreatened with extinction.
In addition, BirdLife’s 2018 State of Africa’s Birds3 hasrevealed that birds on the African continent are increasingly
under pressure – with some declines being drastic and fast,
such as in Ghana alone which has lost in the past two decades
an estimated 90-99% of its Grey Parrots Psittacus erithacus.
With birds being so widespread and a good indicator of
ecosystem health, as well as one of the most studied groupof species, this is just one stark example that current
implementation of the Aichi Targets is not going far enough.
Continuing biodiversity loss is particularly concerning as it istaking place even though some targets are set to be met by
2020, for example Target 11 with percentages of bothterrestrial and marine protected areas having risen
substantially in recent years. The continuing trends of species
population losses have been further corroborated by themost recent regional IPBES assessments4 as well.

We also strongly support the proposed options to accelerate
progress towards the achievement of the Aichi Biodiversity
Targets that are outlined in paragraph 14 of the draft
decision. In particular, BirdLife supports prioritising theprotection and conservation of areas important forbiodiversity such as Key Biodiversity Areas (KBAs), including
Alliance for Extinction (AZE) sites that hold the last-remaining
populations of Earth’s most threatened species, as a way toaccelerate implementation of Aichi Targets 11 and 12.
We further encourage Parties to ensure that they have an
action plan in place (e.g. through their NBSAPs) which
outlines national priorities to achieve the Aichi Biodiversity
Targets by 2020 using the possible options for accelerating
progress on implementation contained in the Annex to thedraft decision.

10. CAPACITY-BUILDINGSCIENTIFIC COOPERATIONANDTECHNICALAND

BirdLife very much supports the proposal of the draft
decision for this agenda item to create a long-term post2020 capacity development strategic framework, to support
implementation of the post-2020 biodiversity framework.
This agenda item also relates to agenda item 9 on resource
mobilisation, which invites Parties and others to provide
financial resources for capacity-building and technicalassistance.
BirdLife further welcomes the proposed establishment of an
informal advisory committee on technical and scientificcooperation for CBD COP15 to support the effective
implementation of the Convention, and is poised tocontribute to its work.

BirdLife thus strongly supports paragraph 8 of this draft
decision which urges Parties to ‘significantly accelerate theirefforts to implement the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity
2011-2020’, in particular through their national biodiversity
strategies and action plans (NBSAPs).

As a global partnership of 120 national conservation
organisations, BirdLife works with its Partners on capacity
building at national, regional and international levels. This
includes monitoring the implementation of conservation
projects that contribute to the Aichi Targets and working
with governments and companies to mainstream
biodiversity in sectors such as energy, agriculture andforestry. In this regard, BirdLife would like to see moreregional and international collaboration on capacity-building,such as south-south partnerships. BirdLife’s contributions tocapacity building will be profiled at CBD COP14 in side events

1

3

https://www.birdlife.org/sites/default/files/attachments/BL_ReportENG_V11_spreads.pdf
2#2773 The Road Ahead: Toyota and the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species

https://www.birdlife.org/sites/default/files/soab_2017-english_final.pdf

4

https://www.ipbes.net/document-library-categories/assessment-reports-andoutputs

focusing on capacity building and evaluation5 and also on
capacity building and mainstreaming of biodiversity6.

the global “Coastal Forum” focused on coastal wetland
conservation;

14. COOPERATION WITH OTHER CONVENTIONS,INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS AND INITIATIVES

15. Requests the Executive Secretary, subject to theavailability of resources, to further coordinate theimplementation of the “Caring for Coasts” initiative with theSecretariat of the Convention on the Conservation ofMigratory Species of Wild Animals60, the Secretariat of theConvention on Wetlands of International Importance andother relevant partners, in order to advance synergies in theirwork on the management and restoration of coastal
ecosystems worldwide;

Strengthening synergies is critical between the CBD, otherbiodiversity-related conventions such as the Convention on
Migratory Species (CMS) and Ramsar Convention as well as
the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)
and processes such as the 2030 Agenda on Sustainable
Development, as per this draft decision to ensure efficiencies
in implementation, leverage joint aspects of work anddevelop a truly UN-wide post-2020 biodiversity framework.
BirdLife is very supportive of activities to facilitate
cooperation among the conventions, other processes andamong organisations too, including through the work of theinformal advisory group in identifying opportunities forcollaboration, and identifying specific mechanisms that canprogress implementation of the multiple conventions.
In this regard, BirdLife is particularly supportive ofparagraphs 14 and 15 of this draft decision, which call forfurther support to the “Caring for Coasts” initiative and across-convention, multi-stakeholder global “Coastal Forum”
to mainstream biodiversity in coastal infrastructure,industry, shipping and fishing as well as government planningand development. This has been further reflected in the
recently adopted Ramsar COP13 Resolution 18.22 onintertidal wetlands7, in addition to CMS Resolution 12.25 onintertidal and other coastal habitats for migratory species8.
We thus suggest the following amendments to theseparagraphs:
14. Calls upon Parties, in accordance with national priorities
and capacity, in the light of the results of the consultation
process conducted under the “Caring for Coasts” initiative,
the resulting work plan presented in the information
document issued by the Executive Secretary and the related
resolutions adopted by the Conference of the Parties to theConvention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild
Animals at its twelfth meeting9 and the Ramsar Convention
on Wetlands of International Importance at its thirteenthmeeting10, to provide further support for the implementationof the activities of the proposed work plan, if
possibleincluding as part of the proposedamong other things,

5#2915 Building capacity for evidence-based evaluation of conservation
activities – tools to help assess progress on the Aichi Targets and beyond
6#2911 Building capacity for civil society to support mainstreaming of
biodiversity at local and national levels
7
https://www.ramsar.org/event/13th-meeting-of-the-conference-of-theparties
8
https://www.cms.int/en/document/promoting-conservation-criticalintertidal-and-other-coastal-habitats-migratory-species-1

Coastal areas are among the most important habitats
worldwide to both people and biodiversity but they are also
equally threatened and, as a consequence, many species that
depend on them are at risk of global extinction, andcommunities vulnerable. The ability to safeguard theseareas via a mechanism such as the global coastal forum,
across multiple international conventions, is critical to ensurethat both time and financial resources are used in a way thatare efficient and effective, accomplishing multiple goals
benefiting biodiversity conservation. This will be discussed
further in a side event11 at the COP and more information is
also available in a briefing developed by BirdLife.

16. SECOND WORK PROGRAMME OF THE
INTERGOVERNMENTAL PLATFORM ON BIODIVERSITY
AND ECOSYSTEM SERVICES
BirdLife is a contributor to regional and global IPBES
assessments and supports proposals in the draft decision
for IPBES’s 2nd programme of work to, in particular: ‘Undertake methodological assessments on theeffectiveness of various policy instruments … and quantify
successful approaches and cases of the conservation andsustainable use of biodiversity, and their impacts’.
BirdLife is supportive of this research helping to determine
what policy-related actions could be leveraged post-2020(e.g. as a scenario-modelling exercise) as well as where gaps
in activities to achieve conservation success exist.
BirdLife also welcomes the focus on collaborating with theIntergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) as
reflected in the decision text.

9

Resolution 12.25 on promoting conservation of critical intertidal and othercoastal habitats for migratory species
10 Resolution 18.22 on promoting the conservation and wise use of intertidal
wetlands and ecologically-associated habitats
11
Connected solutions for a connected world: mainstreaming biodiversity
conservation across conventions, landscapes and sectors through migratory
flyways17. LONG-TERM STRATEGIC DIRECTIONS TO THE 2050
VISION FOR BIODIVERSITY, APPROACHES TO LIVING IN
HARMONY WITH NATURE AND PREPARATION FOR THE
POST-2020 GLOBAL BIODIVERSITY FRAMEWORK
BirdLife welcomes the work that has been done so far to
elucidate a process for developing a post-2020 biodiversity
framework and collate initial ideas on its content. We aresupportive of the proposed process endorsed by theSubsidiary Body on Implementation in July 201812 being
open, transparent and consultative and involving thecontribution and engagement of all stakeholders including
Parties, observers, civil society organisations, the private
sector and scientific institutions.
Regarding the substantive content of the post-2020
framework, BirdLife agrees with the initial principles thathave been communicated so far in both the draft decision13
and information document by the Executive Secretary which
synthesizes initial views on scope and content14, namely that: The 2050 Vision remains relevant and should be part of apost-2020 biodiversity framework, but needs review.
 A science-based and actionable 2030 mission, or
milestone goal, should be developed as a stepping stone
towards the 2050 Vision, and also for 2040.
 The post-2020 global biodiversity framework needs tosupport and be integrated into the 2030 Agenda for
Sustainable Development.
 New and / or revised targets for the post-2020 global
framework should be ‘SMART’ - specific, measurable,
ambitious, realistic and time-bound - and developed at
the same time as, and their approval dependent upon
indicators to assess their degree of implementation.
 Post-2020 targets should focus on similar themes as the
2011-2020 Strategic Plan, for example on preventing
species extinctions, protecting habitats, maintaining
ecosystem services and ensuring the sustainability ofdevelopment and industrial activities but be more
ambitious and also allow for new ideas.

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In addition, BirdLife calls for consideration of: New and / or revised targets based on science-based
evidence, including social science. In this regard, BirdLife
has been working with the CBD Secretariat and a numberof other science-based organisations to develop thinking
on the evidence needed for a post-2020 biodiversity
12

https://www.cbd.int/doc/recommendations/sbi-02/sbi-02-rec-19-en.pdf

13

https://www.cbd.int/doc/c/2822/5119/ab7fef04c258c730c3bb43f3/cop-1402-en.pdf
14
https://www.cbd.int/doc/c/09c0/0f53/a4cef3e6647ba15a68aec411/cop-14inf-16-en.pdf
15
https://www.cbd.int/doc/c/5ec1/d94f/60fb5937bc06b92013ec09dd/sbi-02inf-33-en.pdf

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16framework15 and an updated area-based target (e.g.
building on Target 11)16. Side events will take place at
COP14 to highlight this work on both science-based
evidence17 and area-based targets18.
Targets realigned into a hierarchical theory of change anda measurable biodiversity outcome such as a headline
1.5°C Paris Agreement-type 2030 milestone goal.
Milestone goals for 2030 and 2040, as well as 2050, toreduce the rate of biodiversity loss (e.g. measured bytrends in population abundance and extinction risk) by
2030, stabilise it by 2040 and restore it to an agreed
baseline by 2050.
Post-2020 targets being better linked to each other andto targets set by other international conventions andpolicy processes.
An updated or new area-based target (building on Aichi
Target 11) focusing on documenting and retaining thebiodiversity value of all Key Biodiversity Areas and othersites of global significance for biodiversity throughprotected areas and other effective area-based
conservation measures (OECMs).
Updated or new target(s) aimed at retaining intact
ecosystems and restoring degraded ecosystems tomaintain ecosystem services such as clean water and air,maximising nature’s contributions to people.
Updated or new target(s) to manage the rest of the planet
sustainably, supported by responsible production andconsumption and the equitable distribution of resources.
Gaps addressed, such as better consideration of climatechange (e.g. nature-based solutions for adaptation andmitigation, as well as incorporating climate change
adaptation into species conservation efforts).
Pledges / voluntary commitments for post-2020 andbeyond (e.g. through National Biodiversity Strategies andAction Plans, Nationally Determined Contributions andother national planning processes), with appropriatemonitoring, reporting and verification.
In addition to more ambitious targets, efforts must be
made to improve implementation, and confirm a systemto ‘add up’ national targets to the global level andsimilarly use global indicators that can be disaggregatedto the national level.
A simple, common and compelling narrative about theimportance and urgency of biodiversity conservation forthe post-2020 framework.

https://www.cbd.int/doc/c/b0ad/2d72/c89c5d360d03e57c246e6977/sbstta22-inf-36-en.pdf
17#2848 Effective use of knowledge for developing a post-2020 global
biodiversity framework18#2947 Safeguarding space for nature, securing our future: perspectives froman international science-policy symposium on area-based conservation post2020

BirdLife also acknowledges the importance of thedevelopment of the post-2020 biodiversity framework, aswith the current 2011-2020 Strategic Plan, to indigenous
peoples, whom many of our BirdLife Partners work with. We
will be consulting accordingly, for example regarding on theirpriorities and views in terms of how traditional knowledge(article 8j) and natural resource management (article 10c) areto be included in the post-2020 biodiversity framework.

20. SUSTAINABLE WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT
BirdLife welcomes the voluntary guidance for a sustainable
wild meat sector in this decision and encourages Parties andothers to incorporate the guidance, and for there to becapacity building on this issue which can be facilitatedthrough the sharing of best practices and lessons learned.
However, we note that the guidance provided is limited to
the wild meat of terrestrial vertebrates in tropical andsubtropical habitats used for food only, as opposed to othertypes of animals and species, other types of habitats andother types of uses.
This is a concern given that other types of species, in otherareas, are being exploited in unsustainable ways, both forfood and other purposes. For example, illegal killing of birds
is increasing in a number of areas of the world, withunsustainable exploitation now a significant threat for anumber of species, including some that were previously very
common such as the Common Quail Coturnix coturnix andHouse Sparrow Passer domesticus19 (both globally Least
Concern but with decreasing populations).
Consideration should thus be given to guidance on othertypes of taxa in other habitats, in particular on assessing thelevel of legal versus illegal exploitation at the national level.
It was recently acknowledged at the Arctic Biodiversity
Congress for example that illegal killing of birds in northern
regions is a major issue needing to be further assessed andquantified through undertaking an inventory of bird harvestin the circumpolar region. BirdLife believes that these typesof regional analyses would support the ability of the CBD tosupport sustainable wildlife management efforts at thenational and international level in the future.

to climate change adaptation and disaster risk reductionin the associated decision, which BirdLife helped develop.
To limit global temperature rise, it is not only important torapidly reduce the production of greenhouse gas
emissions through the development of biodiversityfriendly renewable energy, but also to simultaneously
remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere using
nature-based solutions. Conserving and restoring natural
habitats such as forests, wetlands and grasslands could
provide much of the mitigation needed by removing
carbon from the atmosphere and storing it in the soil andvegetation. Numerous biodiversity, water and livelihoods
co-benefits are also derived from nature-based solutions,which, in turn, work to increase social and culturalresilience to climate change impacts. Community-based
adaptation approaches should also be considered.
BirdLife thus also supports the decision’s call for Parties tointegrate climate change and related national priorities
into national biodiversity strategies and action plans.
22. MAINSTREAMING OF BIODIVERSITY WITHIN ANDACROSS SECTORS
BirdLife supports the proposed long-term strategic
approach for mainstreaming biodiversity and theestablishment of an Informal Advisory Group to steer thiswork forward and also integrate it into the post-2020
framework, noting its further relevance to the 2030 Agenda
on Sustainable Development. We particularly support thewording under paragraph 6(b) of the proposal for theAdvisory Group to:‘Undertake research and analysis on the extent to whichmainstreaming approaches are being used by Parties, andidentification of major gaps, obstacles and challenges’

BirdLife supports the development and adoption of the
proposed voluntary guidelines for the design andeffective implementation of ecosystem-based approaches

We feel that the CBD’s work on mainstreaming and its
activities could be more ambitious though, for example
through working directly with businesses to encourage
mainstreaming activities to be undertaken but also byidentifying those circumstances and best practices where
mainstreaming is successful and can even be incentivised forthe business sector as a whole (e.g. where multi-sector
benefits can be achieved, such as retaining / maintaining
biodiversity while benefiting agricultural yields / quality andalso water quality). Related to this, we feel that more work
could also be done with mainstreaming relating to trade,with supply chains and trade itself potentially impacting
biodiversity. This could be facilitated through work withtrade treaties as well.

19

20

BirdLife has been working closely with its Partner in Egypt on
the topic of illegal and / or unsustainable hunting of birds,
which will be discussed at a side event during CBD COP1420.

21. BIODIVERSITY AND CLIMATE CHANGE

https://www.birdlife.org/campaign/stop-illegal-bird-killing#2775 Managing Hunting & Trapping of Migratory Birds in Egypt ThroughResearch, Policy and OutreachBirdLife thus urges a focus on strengthening cross-sectoralcollaboration and coordination for mainstreaming work andproposes that successful examples of mainstreaming can betaken from other conventions and multi-stakeholder
processes. This includes the Convention on Migratory
Species’ Energy Task Force, which BirdLife coordinates, andworks to reconcile renewable energy developments with theconservation of migratory species, as acknowledged in thedraft decision text for this agenda item. A side event
describing the work of the Energy Task Force and the role of
flyways in connecting and mainstreaming biodiversity acrosscountries, scales, sectors, stakeholders and conventions willtake place at the COP21.
The BirdLife Partnership is engaged in a diverse range ofmainstreaming initiatives around the world with industry,
governments and communities, with case studies illustrating
sustainable solutions to conservation challenges22. BirdLife
would be pleased to share lessons learned from theseexperiences working in partnership with governments andother stakeholders to date, and thus contribute to theinformal advisory group, although we note that currently
Annex II states that experts must be ‘nominated by Parties’and hope that self-nomination may be considered.
With very few NBSAPs including a specific focus on theenergy and mining, infrastructure, and manufacturing andprocessing sectors, BirdLife strongly supports inviting Parties
to integrate mainstreaming relating to these sectors into
national biodiversity strategies and action plans andnational sustainable development plans, which should bereflected in the recommendations to Parties in the same way
as under health, and also under the proposed long-term
strategic approach to mainstreaming.
As such, a revised paragraph 5 under ‘Mainstreaming of
biodiversity in the energy and mining, infrastructure,
manufacturing and processing sectors’ could be as follows:
5. Recognizes that, while policies and tools exist to address
the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity, there
are still opportunities to mainstream biodiversity in the
sectors of energy and mining, infrastructure, manufacturing
and processing, including in relation to national biodiversity
strategies and action plans (NBSAPs), national sustainable
development plans, other strategic planning, decisionmaking and economy-wide and sector-wide policies;
For paragraph 11(b) of the draft decision, BirdLife
encourages strategic environmental assessments to takeplace at the planning stage and before awarding concessions/ projects, so a suggested amendment to the text would be:11(b) ‘To include approaches to conserve, enhance andsustainably use biodiversity and ecosystem functions andservices in upstream decisions on investments in these
sectors, through such available tools as strategic
environmental assessments, cumulative impact assessments
and integrated spatial planning, including the evaluation ofalternatives to such investments, to be undertaken at theplanning stage or before awarding concessions and projects;’
BirdLife further highlights that the Integrated Biodiversity
Assessment Tool (IBAT)23 and Soaring Bird Sensitivity
Mapping Tool24 are tools that can be used to support thesestrategic and spatial planning activities.
For 11(d) of the draft decision, we suggest the following
amendment:
11(d) ‘To apply the mitigation hierarchy when planning anddesigning new projects and plans, with an emphasis on
avoidance of potential risks to biodiversity;
For 11(f) of the draft decision, we suggest:
11(f) ‘To provide, where appropriate, effective incentives, andeliminate harmful subsidies in order to mainstream
biodiversity in the energy and mining, infrastructure,
manufacturing and processing sectors, consistent withinternational obligations;’
Regarding paragraph 13 inviting multilateral developmentbanks, insurance companies, the business sector, financial
institutions and others to increase and improve theimplementation of best practices for conservation andsustainable use of biodiversity, we suggest that thisparagraph also encourage reporting on the implementationof mainstreaming practices. This could be supported forexample through the development of integrated sciencebased indicators, metrics and progress measurement tools
for mainstreaming, to be coherent across all sectors. BirdLife
also encourages the private sector to identify what casestudies exist and are effective as best practices in conserving
biodiversity, and are transferable to other countries, sectors
and situations – this kind of information exchange within andamongst the business sector would be invaluable.
BirdLife is very supportive of seeing increased engagementof the private sector in CBD processes, for example via
voluntary commitments and mainstreaming champions.
Other side events focusing on approaches to mainstreamingthat BirdLife is either leading on or involved in at the CBD COP

21#2824 Connected solutions for a connected world: mainstreaming
biodiversity conservation across conventions, landscapes and sectors throughmigratory flyways22

http://datazone.birdlife.org/info/mainstream

23

https://www.ibat-alliance.org/

24

http://migratorysoaringbirds.undp.birdlife.org/en/sensitivity-map

include one focusing on conservation options at windfarms25
and one on flyway conservation in Egypt’s energy sector26.

24. SPATIAL PLANNING, PROTECTED AREAS AND OTHER
EFFECTIVE AREA-BASED CONSERVATION MEASURES
BirdLife supports the adoption of this draft decision and the:
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Voluntary guidance on integration of protected areas
and other effective area-based conservation measures
into the wider land- and seascapes and on
mainstreaming these into sectors - Annex I
Voluntary guidance on governance and equity - Annex II
Scientific and technical advice on other effective areabased conservation measures (OECMs) - Annex III
Considerations in achieving Target 11 in marine andcoastal areas – Annex IV

We welcome the agreement on the definition of OECMs andtheir associated principles and consider that this willcontribute significantly to progress in achieving Target 11.
However, BirdLife notes with concern the language inparagraph 3 of the draft decision which ‘Welcomes thescientific and technical advice on other effective area-based
conservation measures, contained in annex III to the present
draft decision, to be applied in a flexible way and on a caseby-case basis’. Flexibility is necessary for implementation indifferent national and ecological contexts but we cautionthat the same flexibility could also lead to there being a highdegree of variation in the quality and quantity of biodiversity
being conserved, particularly without more detailed
information about how the criteria are applied. For
example, we would anticipate that areas designated forintensive and industrial forestry, mining, or agriculture use
should not be considered as OECMs given the criteria.
With a view that OECMs are meant to effectively deliverbiodiversity conservation objectives, we believe that clarity
is needed on the use of the Criteria for Identification as
outlined in Annex III, Section B and suggest that additional
guidance is incorporated into this section. BirdLife urges a
discussion on this at CBD COP14 and for new protected areas
and OECMs to focus on the quality of the land / freshwater /sea that they conserve and associated biodiversity outcomesover solely increasing percentages.

C ‘Achieves sustained and effective contribution to in situ
conservation of biodiversity’, and under ‘In situ conservationof biological diversity’, BirdLife welcomes reference to Key
Biodiversity Areas, which include Important Bird andBiodiversity Areas27, as being an attribute for which OECMs
would be designated. Alliance for Zero Extinction (AZE)
sites28, as a subset of KBAs that hold the last-remaining
populations of Earth’s most threatened species, should beprioritised in particular. BirdLife will jointly host a side event
on KBAs and AZE sites at the COP29.
BirdLife manages the World Database of KBAs on behalf ofthe KBA Partnership and has undertaken a recent study in 10
countries showing that almost 80% of unprotected KBAs inthese countries have management systems in place thatappear to meet some of the suggested criteria of OECMs.
Thus KBAs appear to be a useful starting point for
identifying OECMs for the purpose of reporting against
global biodiversity targets.
There is also a need for increased land/ seascape-scaleplanning and connectivity, linking with other Aichi Targets
that involve area-based considerations, such as 5, 7, 14 and15, and those under other conventions and processes, suchas the Sustainable Development Goals. This will be outlined
in a side event30 at the COP and was further explored during
a joint BirdLife, IUCN, UNEP-WCMC, CBD international
symposium on ‘Safeguarding space for nature, securing our
future: developing a post-2020 strategy’ in February 2018,
hosted by the Zoological Society of London and the National
Geographic Society31. The meeting reviewed both evidence
and options for area-based conservation in the post-2020
biodiversity framework.
Key results from the meeting support the principles in theannexed guidelines for this agenda item, such as:

For the various Annexes and Annex III in particular on the‘Criteria for Identification’ table for OECMs, under Criterion

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25

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#3023 Shutdown on Demand (SOD) Implementation in wind farm projects at
Gabel El Zayt bottle neck area: efficient conservation measures, minimum risks
and low energy loss
26
#3030 Mainstreaming Flyway Conservation into Egypt’s Energy Sector
27

http://www.keybiodiversityareas.org/home28

http://zeroextinction.org/

The current protected area target is not adequate interms of quantity or quality - there is a need toeffectively conserve at least 30% of land and sea toprevent / slow down species loss;
Further expansion of protected areas and OECMs needs
to take place in sites important for biodiversity such as
Key Biodiversity Areas to ensure their conservation;
Conserving ecosystem services often requires areabased approaches in different locations;
Addressing biodiversity loss also depends on people
everywhere living more sustainably;#2954 Saving sites for species: protecting Alliance for Zero Extinction sites as
an urgent priority for Aichi Targets 11 and 12 and the post-2020 biodiversity
framework and Key Biodiversity Areas as sites for ensuring the persistence of
biodiversity post-2020
30#2638 Bridging Aichi Targets 5, 11 and 15 with the Digital Observatory forProtected Areas (DOPA) and the World Atlas of Desertification (WAD)31
CBD/SBSTTA/INF/22/36

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Land/seascape and national level land and marine-use
planning are needed to safeguard, buffer and connect
important areas for both species and ecosystemservices (also relating to the work of other conventions,processes and outcomes such as CMS, Ramsar and the
Global Flyways Summit32).

The outcomes of the ‘Safeguarding Space for Nature’symposium will be presented in a side event at CBD COP1433.
Synergies with the CMS in particular will be explored inanother side event34.
The latter relates to guidance, e.g. in Annex I, under section
II of Voluntary Guidance for identifying:A(b) Key species, ecosystems and ecological processes
for which fragmentation is a key issue;
A(c) Important areas to improve connectivity.

25. MARINE AND COASTAL BIODIVERSITYThe CBD-led exercise to describe EBSAs has enabled the mostextensive process to date to generate agreement over areasof greatest ecological and biological value in the marine
environment.

global peer reviewed process that is consistent and alignedwith the current scientific process to describe EBSAs.
The credibility and future use of the EBSAs network to inform
various area-based measures could be strengthened byfurther developing the criteria to describe EBSAs,
particularly through the use of quantitative thresholds
applied to the existing criteria, such as those used to identify
Key Biodiversity Areas (KBAs). The Informal Advisory Groupwould support Parties in developing such thresholds.
Valuable scientific information of the EBSAs process has
been provided by non-governmental organisations (NGOs).
An example of such contributions can be demonstrated
through the broad use of data on marine Important Bird andBiodiversity Areas (mIBAs) – a large subset of KBAs – toinform the description of current EBSAs to date.
Parties are therefore invited to recognize the valuable
scientific information being provided by these knowledge
holders into the EBSAs process, to continue to cooperatewith them, and to call for their active contribution to theprocess in Annex II, Section C, paragraph 5.

BirdLife therefore supports the continuation of thisinitiative and calls for the adoption of the draft decision on
Marine and Coastal Biodiversity – EBSAs with its Annexes,
with considerations outlined in this position.
BirdLife calls for other relevant regional and globalorganisations, such as Regional Seas Conventions and Action
Plans, Regional Fisheries Management Organisations, theInternational Seabed Authority and the International
Maritime Organisation to make use of EBSAs in theirrespective area-based management efforts, with a view tocollectively contributing to achieving global biodiversity
conservation and sustainable development goals.
BirdLife welcomes the reports of the regional workshops Black Sea and the Caspian Sea and the Baltic Sea - and calls
for the summary reports to be included in the EBSAs
repository.
In regards to the Annex ‘Options for modifying existing EBSAs
and for describing new areas, and for strengthening thescientific credibility and transparency of the EBSAs process’,
BirdLife stresses that:
The proposals for modification of existing EBSAs, bothwithin and beyond national jurisdiction, should have astrong technical and scientific basis and follow a regional or

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https://www.birdlife.org/worldwide/news/summit-flyways-our-declaration#2947 Safeguarding space for nature, securing our future: perspectives froman international science-policy symposium on area-based conservation post2020

BirdLife International is the world’s largest conservation
partnership, with 120 national Partners, and the pre-eminentinternational authority on bird conservation.
For more information, visit www.birdlife.org or contact:
Melanie Heath, Director of Science Policy and Information+44 (0) 7796 130394, melanie.heath@birdlife.org
Dr Noëlle Kümpel, Head of Policy+44 (0) 7989 036901, noelle.kumpel@birdlife.org
Dena Cator, Global Conservation Policy Coordinator+44 (0) 7934 865969, dena.cator@birdlife.org
Carolina Hazin, Global Marine Policy Coordinator+44 (0) 7501 882439, carolina.hazin@birdlife.org
Ashton Berry, Global Climate Change Programme Coordinator+44 (0) 7895 652859, ashton.berry@birdlife.org

34#2932 CMS - COP 13, 2020 in India