We have launched a new section on Global Goals and MEA Strategic Plans-Mapping Linkages. Click here to visit.➜
14/24

Capacity-building and technical and scientific cooperation

Date: 17-11-2018
Treaty
Convention on Biological Diversity
Meeting
Fourteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity
Type
Decision
Status
Active

Skip to full text

Visit on MEA website

Share meeting

Keywords
Reporting, Conventions, Implementation, Indigenous peoples and local communities, Evaluation, Developing countries, Subsidiary body on implementation, Clearing-house mechanisms, Intergenerational equity, Advisory bodies

From the same meeting

14/1
Updated assessment of progress towards selected Aichi Biodiversity Targets and options to accelerate progress
14/2
Scenarios for the 2050 Vision for Biodiversity
14/3
Mainstreaming of biodiversity in the energy and mining, infrastructure, manufacturing and processing sectors
14/4
Health and biodiversity
14/5
Biodiversity and climate change
14/6
Conservation and sustainable use of pollinators
Browse all decisions

Other meetings

Sixteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity
Fifteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (Part Two)
Browse all meetings
The Conference of the Parties,
A. - Capacity-building
Recalling decisions XIII/23 and XIII/24,
Taking note of the progress report on the implementation of the short-term action plan (2017-2020) to enhance and support capacity-building for the implementation of the Convention and its Protocols supported and facilitated by the Executive Secretary in collaboration with various partners,11CBD/COP/14/INF/10.
Noting with appreciation the support provided by Parties, other Governments and relevant organizations for capacity-building activities and technical and scientific cooperation activities to assist developing country Parties, in particular the least developed countries, small island developing States and countries with economies in transition, including countries that are centres of origin and diversity of genetic resources, indigenous peoples and local communities, women and youth,
Emphasizing the importance of careful prioritization of capacity-building needs in alignment with the post-2020 global biodiversity framework,
Stressing the need for systemic and intersectoral approaches to capacity-building,
Recalling decision XIII/23, paragraph 14, in which it invited Parties, other Governments and relevant organizations in a position to do so to provide financial, technical and human resources to support capacity-building and technical and scientific cooperation for developing country Parties, in particular the least developed countries, small island developing States and countries with economies in transition, and indigenous peoples and local communities,
1.Requests the Executive Secretary, subject to the availability of resources:
(a)To commission a study to provide an information base for the preparation of the long-term strategic framework for capacity-building beyond 2020 in accordance with the terms of reference contained in the appendix to the annex hereto;
(b)To include, in the independent evaluation of the impacts, outcomes and effectiveness of the short-term action plan (2017-2020) requested in decision XIII/23, paragraph 15(g), monitoring and evaluation of the outcomes and effectiveness of ongoing capacity-building activities supported and facilitated by the Secretariat in the light of the contribution to the achievement of the Aichi Biodiversity Targets;
(c)To organize, in conjunction with the preparatory process for the post-2020 global biodiversity framework, regional and stakeholder-specific consultative workshops and online discussion forums to enable Parties to the Convention and Parties to its Protocols, as well as indigenous peoples and local communities and relevant organizations, including women’s and youth organizations, to contribute to the preparation of the draft long-term strategic framework for capacity-building beyond 2020, taking into account the synthesis of views and information received;
(d)To submit a draft long-term strategic framework for capacity-building beyond 2020 aligned with the draft post-2020 global biodiversity framework and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development2 for consideration by the Subsidiary Body on Implementation at its third meeting and for subsequent consideration by the Conference of the Parties at its fifteenth meeting;2See General Assembly resolution 70/1 of 25 September 2015.
2.Invites Parties, other Governments and relevant organizations, as appropriate, to provide financial and technical support for the organization of the regional consultative workshops and online discussion forums referred to above;
3.Requests the Executive Secretary to continue to identify synergies and areas of cooperation with the Rio Conventions and biodiversity-related conventions in order to support joint capacity-building activities for consideration in the development of the post-2020 global biodiversity framework;
B. - Technical and scientific cooperation
Recalling decisions XIII/23, XIII/31, XII/2, X/16, IX/14, VIII/12 and VII/29 regarding technical and scientific cooperation and technology transfer,
Taking note of the report on the progress made to promote and facilitate technical and scientific cooperation, including the achievements made under the Bio-Bridge Initiative,33CBD/COP/14/INF/23
Recognizing the importance of taxonomy, remote sensing, scenario analyses and modelling to the provision of scientific underpinnings for actions under the post-2020 global biodiversity framework in support of the 2050 Vision, and taking note of the report of the proceedings of the Global Taxonomy Initiative Forum,44CBD/COP/14/INF/12/Add.1.
Taking note of the initiative to establish an alliance for biodiversity knowledge among stakeholders with a common commitment to better connect communities, systems and processes handling biodiversity information,55https://www.biodiversityinformatics.org/en/shared-ambitions/
1.Invites Parties, other Governments and relevant organizations in a position to do so to register as providers of technical assistance through the clearing-house mechanism;
2.Also invites Parties, other Governments and relevant organizations, pursuant todecision XIII/31, paragraph 4, to further promote open access to biodiversity-related data that facilitates capacity-building as well as technical and scientific cooperation;
3.Invites developing country Parties, pursuant to /decision XIII/23, paragraph 6, to identify and communicate to the Executive Secretary their technical and scientific needs and priorities;
4.Invites providers of and strategic partners for technical and scientific assistance, including the Consortium of Scientific Partners, to communicate to the Executive Secretary through the clearing-house mechanism the priority themes, geographic coverage and types of services that they are able to offer to other Parties;
5.Decides to consider establishing, at its fifteenth meeting, an informal advisory committee on technical and scientific cooperation, to be operational at the end of the mandate of the current Informal Advisory Committee to the Clearing-house Mechanism in 2020, to provide the Executive Secretary with advice on practical measures, tools and opportunities to promote technical and scientific cooperation for the effective implementation of the Convention;
6.Requests the Executive Secretary to seek advice from the Informal Advisory Committee to the Clearing-house Mechanism on matters relating to technical and scientific cooperation in accordance with Article 18 of the Convention for the duration of its current mandate;
7.Takes note of the key needs and priorities, which could be addressed through technical and scientific cooperation, identified during the regional Bio-Bridge Initiative round tables,6 and requests the Executive Secretary, in collaboration with partners and subject to the availability of resources, to facilitate cooperation initiatives to respond to the needs identified;6See CBD/COP14/INF/23.
8.Also requests the Executive Secretary, in collaboration with partners and subject to the availability of resources, to further promote and facilitate technical and scientific cooperation, in particular the promotion of cooperation on areas such as remote sensing, scenario analyses and modelling, values of biodiversity and ecosystem functions and services, and training in DNA technologies, such as DNA barcoding for rapid species identification in countries and regions concerned within the context of the Global Taxonomy Initiative, as well as promotion of cooperation through the Bio-Bridge Initiative and to submit a progress report for consideration by the Subsidiary Body on Implementation at its third meeting and by the Conference of the Parties at its fifteenth meeting;
9.Further requests the Executive Secretary, subject to the availability of resources, to prepare proposals for an inclusive process to review and renew technical and scientific cooperation programmes, including the Bio-Bridge Initiative, the Forest Ecosystem Restoration Initiative and the Global Taxonomy Initiative, in order to support the development of the post-2020 global biodiversity framework, and to submit these proposals for consideration by the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice and the Subsidiary Body on Implementation at their meetings prior to the fifteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties.
AnnexElements of the process for the preparation of a long-term strategic framework for capacity-building beyond 2020
A. - Introduction
1.At its thirteenth meeting, the Conference of the Parties requested the Executive Secretary to initiate a process for preparing a long-term strategic framework for capacity-building beyond 2020, ensuring its alignment with the follow-up to the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020 and the work of the Protocols, and ensuring its coordination with the timetable for the development of the post-2020 global biodiversity framework, with a view to the timely identification of the priority capacity-building actions.
2.In paragraph 15(n) of decision XIII/23, the Conference of the Parties requested the Executive to prepare terms of reference for a study to provide the knowledge base for the preparation a long-term strategic framework for capacity-building beyond 2020, for consideration by the Subsidiary Body on Implementation at its second meeting and subsequently by the Conference of the Parties at its fourteenth meeting, ensuring that the study takes into account, inter alia, the implementation of the short-term action plan for capacity-building and relevant experiences reported by Parties in their national reports.
3.Under the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety, the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Protocol at its sixth meeting adopted a Framework and Action Plan for Capacity-Building for the Effective Implementation of the Protocol and agreed to review it at its eighth meeting (decision BS-VI/3). Following that review, Parties to the Protocol decided to maintain the Framework and Action Plan until 2020 (decision CP-VIII/3).
4.Similarly, the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Nagoya Protocol, in its decision NP-1/8, adopted a strategic framework for capacity-building and development to support the implementation of the Nagoya Protocol covering the period until 2020. In the same decision, the Executive Secretary was requested to prepare an evaluation of the strategic framework in 2019 and submit a report for consideration by the meeting of the Parties to the Nagoya Protocol in 2020 to facilitate the review and possible revision of the strategic framework in conjunction with the review of the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020.
B. - Scope of the process for preparing the framework
5.The process will encompass the following tasks:
(a)Conduct a study to provide the knowledge base for the preparation the long-term strategic framework for capacity-building beyond 2020 in accordance with the terms of reference in the appendix below;
(b)Preparation of draft elements of the long-term strategic framework for capacity-building beyond 2020, taking into account information contained in the report on the above study, including the needs and circumstances of developing countries, in particular the least developed countries and small island developing States, and countries with economies in transition. The draft elements will include, inter alia, an overall vision and a theory of change defining bold long-term capacity development benchmarks and outcomes to support the transformational change towards achieving the 2050 Vision of “living in harmony with nature”, general guiding principles, possible pathways to achieve effective and impactful capacity development; and a monitoring and evaluation framework, including possible measurable intermediate and long-term capacity outcome indicators;
(c)Organization of regional consultative workshops and online discussion forums, carried out in conjunction with the preparatory process for the post-2020 global biodiversity framework.
6.Subject to the availability of funding, a consultancy firm will be engaged to conduct the study and prepare a draft study report as well as draft elements of the long-term strategic framework for capacity-building beyond 2020. The drafts will be discussed during the regional consultative workshops and online discussion forums to be organized by the Secretariat and relevant organizations in conjunction with the preparatory process for the post-2020 global biodiversity framework. The consultancy firm will integrate the input received through consultative workshops and online discussion forums into the final draft long-term strategic framework for capacity-building beyond 2020, which will then be submitted for consideration by the Subsidiary Body on Implementation at its third meeting and ultimately by the Conference of the Parties at its fifteenth meeting.
C. - Indicative schedule of activities
7.The process for preparing a long-term strategic framework for capacity-building beyond 2020 will include the following activities, to be aligned with the timetable for the development of a follow-up to the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020:
Activity/TaskTimeframeResponsibility
1. Invitation of Parties, indigenous peoples and local communities, women and youth and relevant organizations to submit information on capacity development needs and priorities, relevant experiences and lessons learned, as well as views/suggestions on possible elements of the long-term strategic framework for capacity-building beyond 2020, complementing information provided through the national reportsAug-Nov 2018Secretariat; Parties, indigenous peoples and local communities and relevant organizations
2. Submission of the national reportsDec 2018Parties
3. Independent evaluation of the outcomes and effectiveness of the short-term action plan (2017-2020) to enhance and support capacity-building for the implementation of the Convention and its ProtocolsJun-Dec 2019Consultant
4. Conduct of the study to provide the knowledge base for the preparation the long-term strategic framework for capacity-building beyond 2020, including a desk review of relevant reports and documents; synthesis of the information received from Parties, indigenous peoples and local communities, and relevant organizations; and surveys/interviews with key stakeholders, including women’s and youth organizationsJan-April 2019Consultant
5. Preparation of a draft study report based on the submissions received from Parties, indigenous peoples and local communities, women’s and youth and relevant organizations and stakeholders and the review of the national reports and other relevant documentsApril-May 2019Consultant; Secretariat
6. Contribution from the Liaison Group on Capacity-Building for Biosafety, the Informal Advisory Committee on Capacity-building for the Implementation of the Nagoya Protocol, the Liaison Group of Biodiversity-related Conventions and other relevant platforms on capacity-building, such as the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES), to the development of the draft long-term strategic framework for capacity-building beyond 2020March-May 2019Liaison Group on Capacity-Building for Biosafety; Informal Advisory Committee on Capacity-building for the Implementation of the Nagoya Protocol; Liaison Group of Biodiversity-related Conventions; IPBES; Secretariat
7. Preparation of draft elements of the long-term strategic framework for capacity-building beyond 2020May-June 2019Consultant; Secretariat
8. Regional consultation workshops and online discussion forums on the draft study report and associated discussion papers and the draft elements of the long-term strategic framework for capacity-building beyond 2020 (in conjunction with the preparatory process for the post-2020 global biodiversity framework)Jan-Nov 2019Secretariat; consultant
9. Submission of the revised study report and the revised draft elements of the long-term strategic framework for capacity-building beyond 2020Aug 2019Consultant;
10. Consultation workshop(s) on the revised draft elements of the long-term strategic framework for capacity-building beyond 2020Sept-Oct 2019Experts nominated by governments and relevant organizations
11. African regional consultation on the draft long-term strategic framework for capacity-building beyond 2020, prior to the SBSTTA meeting in 2019Oct/Nov 2019Experts nominated by governments and relevant organizations
12. Preparation of the final draft long-term strategic framework for capacity-building beyond 2020, taking into account, inter alia, inputs from consultation workshops, relevant information provided in the fourth national reports under the Cartagena Protocol and relevant information provided in the interim national reports under the Nagoya ProtocolNov 2019Secretariat; consultant
13. Notification inviting views on the final draft long-term strategic framework for capacity-building beyond 2020Dec 2019 - Feb 2020Parties, indigenous peoples and local communities and relevant organizations
14. Consideration of the final draft long-term strategic framework for capacity-building beyond 2020 by the Subsidiary Body on Implementation at its third meetingMay/June 2020Subsidiary Body on Implementation, third meeting
AppendixTerms of reference for a study to provide an information base for the preparation of the long-term strategic framework for capacity-building beyond 2020
A. - Scope of the study and the process for preparing the framework
1.The study will encompass the following tasks:
(a)Take stock of the status of capacity development related to the implementation of the Convention and its Protocols, including major existing capacity development initiatives/­programmes, tools, networks and partnerships;
(b)Identify and map the main providers of capacity-building support for the implementation of the Convention and its Protocols in various regions, including their competencies and strengths;
(c)Review the emerging experiences and lessons learned with the various capacity development delivery modalities and approaches used and assess their relative effectiveness and limitations;
(d)Identify the Parties’ main capacity development and technological needs and gaps, including at the regional level;
(e)Analyse what has been done and the types of capacity development activities that have contributed to advancements made;
(f)Make recommendations on the general direction for the long-term framework for capacity-building beyond 2020 and the priority capacity-building actions to be taken to achieve the goals and targets of the follow-up to the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020.
B. - Methodology and sources of information
2.The study will use the following data collection methods and will draw on a range of data sources:
(a)Desk review of relevant documents, including:
(i)The sixth national reports for the Convention;
(ii)Outcomes of the first Assessment and Review of the Nagoya Protocol;
(iii)The second (as baseline) and fourth national reports for the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety;
(iv)The second edition of the Local Biodiversity Outlooks;
(v)National capacity-building strategies and action plans;77As noted in CBD/SBI/2/2/Add.1, paragraph 12, 18 out of the 154 revised national biodiversity strategies and action plans submitted to the Secretariat include a national capacity development plan.
(vi)Reports of the evaluations of the strategic frameworks for capacity-building of the Nagoya Protocol and the Cartagena Protocol;
(vii)Report of the independent evaluation of the impacts, outcomes and effectiveness of the short-term action plan (2017-2020) to enhance and support capacity-building for the implementation of the Convention and its Protocols;
(viii)Reports of relevant studies, surveys and needs assessments conducted by relevant organizations;88Including the survey of national capacity development related to the implementation of biodiversity-related conventions conducted by the International Union for Conservation of Nature on behalf of the United Nations Environment Programme and the United Nations Development Programme report based on the analysis of over 140 national biodiversity strategies and action plans and the regional assessments carried out by Intergovernmental Science/Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services.
(ix)Evaluation reports of relevant capacity-building projects;
(x)Reports on assessments of capacity-building under other international treaties regarding biodiversity;
(xi)Regional assessments by the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services.
(b)Survey of Parties and key partners, including indigenous peoples and local communities, and women’s and youth organizations, to identify, among other things, their priority capacity needs and required capacities over the next decade as well as potential offers of assistance and other capacity development opportunities, tools and services;
(c)Analysis of capacity-building needs and priorities and other relevant information made available through the clearing-house mechanism and the clearing-houses of the Protocols;
(d)Interviews with a representative sample of stakeholders, including staff of the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity and representatives of Parties, indigenous peoples and local communities, partner organizations and other actors from different regions, including technical and scientific institutions and women’s and youth organizations. The interviewees will be invited to share, inter alia, information and views regarding the observed strengths and weaknesses of various capacity development approaches and delivery modalities under difference circumstances, relevant experiences and lessons learned, examples of good practices that could be leveraged as well as views on possible drivers of transformational change for future capacity development.