. Ecosystem conservation and restoration

`XVIII/11.`Ecosystem conservation and restoration

The Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice

1.Takes note of the progress report provided by the Executive Secretary; ⁶¹

2.Notes with appreciation the progress made by the Executive Secretary in implementing paragraph 5 of decision XI/16 and paragraph 10 of decision XI/24, in particular the organization, in collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and other partners, of capacity-building workshops on ecosystem conservation and restoration to support Parties in achieving Aichi Biodiversity Targets 5, 11 and 15 and expresses its appreciation to the Governments of Canada, Germany, Japan (through the Japan Biodiversity Fund) and the Republic of Korea as well as the European Union and the host countries of workshops for supporting these activities;

3.Welcomes the work of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations to develop a forest and landscape restoration mechanism;

4.Also welcomes the steps being undertaken by the Republic of Korea to develop a forest ecosystem restoration initiative, to be launched at the twelfth meeting of the Conference of the Parties, to share lessons learned, identify best practices and contribute to the achievement of the Aichi Biodiversity Targets;

5.Takes note of the proposal made by the Republic of Korea to consider designating a “world national parks and protected areas day” and recommends that the Conference of the Parties consider the proposal at its twelfth meeting;

6.Welcomes the approval by the second Plenary of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services, as part of its Work Programme 2014-2018, ⁶² of the initiation of scoping for a thematic assessment of land degradation and restoration, for consideration by the Plenary at its third session;

7.Takes note of the work being done by the International Union for Conservation of Nature World Commission on Protected Areas and the International Union for Conservation of Nature Species Survival Commission on key biodiversity areas;

8.Notes the importance of involvement of indigenous and local communities, as appropriate, in restoration activities, or programmes;

9.Recommends that the Conference of the Parties at its twelfth meeting adopt a decision along the following lines:

The Conference of the Parties,

Recalling decisions IX/5, X/31, XI/16, and XI/24,

1.Notes, in the context of the ongoing discussions on the post-2015 United Nations development agenda, the contribution of ecosystem conservation and restoration, and related services, to sustainable development and poverty eradication;

2.Recognizes the contribution of private protected areas in the conservation of biodiversity, and encourages the private sector to continue its efforts to protect areas for the conservation of biodiversity;

3.Invites Parties and other Governments, intergovernmental organizations and other relevant organizations:

(a)To develop comprehensive land-use planning approaches to help to reduce habitat loss and to promote restoration;

(b)To promote cross-sectoral approaches, including with the private sector and civil society, to develop a coherent framework for ecosystem conservation and restoration;

(c)Taking into consideration that priority should be given, where possible, to avoiding or reducing ecosystem losses, to promote large-scale restoration activities that can contribute to biodiversity conservation, climate-change adaptation and mitigation, reducing desertification, and the conservation and sustainable use of aquatic resources and other ecosystem services in the context of sustainable development;

(d)To support indigenous and local communities in their efforts to conserve biodiversity via mechanisms such as inter alia indigenous and local community conserved areas (ICCAs) with a view to contributing to the achievement of Aichi Biodiversity Targets 11, 13, 14, 16 and 18;

(e)To give due attention to both native species and genetic diversity in conservation and restoration activities, while avoiding the introduction and preventing the spread of invasive alien species.

4.Requests the Executive Secretary, in consideration of the proposed thematic assessment on land degradation and restoration of the Intergovernmental Science-policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services and with a view to strengthening synergies and avoiding duplication of work, to share all relevant information and results with the Platform, to cooperate in the development of next steps, and to report on progress to the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice at a meeting to be held prior to the thirteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties.