. Agenda item 5: Scientific, technical and technological advice on forest biological diversity, taking account of research and technical priorities previously identified

AGENDA ITEM 5: SCIENTIFIC, TECHNICAL AND TECHNOLOGICAL ADVICE ON FOREST BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY, TAKING ACCOUNT OF RESEARCH AND TECHNICAL PRIORITIES PREVIOUSLY IDENTIFIED

Decision III/12, paragraph 6, of the Conference of the Parties requested the Executive Secretary to develop a focused work programme for forest biological diversity, focusing initially on research, cooperation and the development of technologies necessary for the conservation and sustainable use of forest biological diversity, and indicated that this programme should:

(a) Take account of the outcome of the Intergovernmental Panel on Forests and other forest-related forums;

(b) Facilitate the application and integration of the objectives of the Convention on Biological Diversity in the sustainable management of forests at the national, regional and global levels, in accordance with the ecosystem approach;

(c) Complement and not duplicate the work of relevant international forums, notably the Intergovernmental Panel on Forests;

(d) Complement existing national, regional or international criteria and indicator frameworks for sustainable forest management;

(e) Incorporate traditional systems of forest biological diversity conservation.

Paragraph 9 of the same decision also requested the SBSTTA to contribute advice on this draft focused programme of work for forest biological diversity and to report back to the fourth meeting of the Conference of the Parties. The SBSTTA, in providing this advice, was requested to bear in mind for possible future action, inter alia, the remaining forest research priority items listed in its recommendation II/8.

In paragraph 10 of that decision, the Conference of the Parties further directed the SBSTTA, in the light of the proposed work programme and taking account of the research and technical priorities already identified in its recommendation II/8, to advance its scientific, technical and technological consideration of forest biological diversity by focusing initially on the synthesis and development of scientific information in the following areas:

(a) Methodologies necessary to advance the elaboration and implementation of criteria and indicators for the conservation of biological diversity as part of sustainable forest management;

(b) Scientific analysis of the ways in which human activities, in particular forest management practices, influence biological diversity and assessment of ways to minimize or mitigate negative influences.

Paragraph 5 of the decision requests the Executive Secretary to explore ways and means to cooperate with the Intergovernmental Panel on Forests or any successor process on matters relating to biological diversity and forests, including intersessional work, with a view to developing common priorities for further consideration.

The SBSTTA

Recalling decisions II/8, paragraph 1, and III/12, paragraphs 1 and 5, of the Conference of the Parties and proposal 17a of the Final Report of the Ad Hoc Intergovernmental Panel on Forests, that encouraged countries, in accordance with their national sovereignty, specific country conditions and national legislation, to develop, implement, monitor and evaluate national forest programmes, which include a wide range of approaches for sustainable forest management, taking into consideration the following: consistency with national, sub-national or local policies and strategies, and - as appropriate -international agreements; partnership and participatory mechanisms to involve interested parties; recognition and respect for customary and traditional rights of, inter alia, indigenous people and local communities; secure land tenure arrangements; holistic, intersectoral and iterative approaches; ecosystem approaches that integrate the conservation of biological diversity and the sustainable use of biological resources; and adequate provision and valuation of forest goods and services,

Having examined the Draft Programme of Work for Forest Biological Diversity prepared by the Executive Secretary (UNEP/CBD/SBSTTA/3/5),

Taking note of the report of the meeting of the Liaison Group on Forest Biological Diversity, which took place from 25 to 28 May 1997 in Helsinki (UNEP/CBD/SBSTTA/3/Inf. 5) and other relevant information documents made available for the meeting,

Bearing in mind the interventions made by all participants;

Taking into account that the work programme should initially focus on research, cooperation and the development of technology, and that it should be time-bound in order to provide the Conference of the Parties with a more effective tool to review and monitor progress,

Noting a need for additional activities that focus on the synthesis of scientific information on decision III/12, paragraphs 10(a) and (b), and which are necessary to provide a comprehensive foundation for the SBSTTA to advance effective scientific programmes of work in these areas,

1. Recommends that the Executive Secretary consider initiating additional activities to further efforts in these areas. Guidance on the types of activities needed is provided in cells 1A, 2A, 3A and 4A of the organizational matrix in the Annex to the present recommendation;

2. Further recommends that the draft programme of work be organized in a matrix structure based on this format;

3. Recommends also that, in developing and implementing the draft programme of work, the following ways and means be considered, inter alia, workshops, regional meetings, the clearing-house mechanism, and scientific meetings;

4. Recommends, in addition, that the draft programme of work reflect a rolling three-year planning horizon, subject to periodic review by the SBSTTA;

5. Recommends that the draft programme of work contain a section documenting and highlighting the linkages between the activities of the draft programme of work and the work being conducted in other intergovernmental forums with a view, inter alia, to improving the effective and efficient allocation of resources;

6. Further recommends:

(a) That the activities identified in the draft work programme be demand-oriented and selected according to the interests expressed by the countries;

(b) That, in the selection of activities of the draft work programme, due care is taken to minimize duplication with similar ongoing activities in other forums;

(c) That the activities in the draft programme of work be consistent with the proposals for action of the Intergovernmental Panel on Forests, and in close cooperation with the Intergovernmental Forum on Forests and other related forums, taking into account the decisions of the United Nations General Assembly in June 1997;

(d) That the activities of the draft work programme, where appropriate, reflect the following issues, inter alia:

(i) capacity-building;

(ii) forest management;

(iii) land-use management;

(iv) equitable sharing of benefits;

(v) good national practices;

(vi) harmonization of ecosystem and socio-economic considerations.

7. Recommends to the Conference of the Parties that it recommend that Parties and countries and international funding institutions, including GEF, give priority to the allocation of resources to aid progress towards achieving the objectives of the Convention with regard to forest biological diversity.

Annex to recommendation III/3

		1	2	3	4	5
		Holistic and intersectoral ecosystem approaches that integrate the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity as well as socio-economic considerations	Scientific analysis of the ways in which human activities, in particular forest management practices, influence biological diversity (decision III/12, paragraph 10(b))	Assessment of ways to minimize or mitigate negative influences (decision III/12, paragraph 10(b))	Methodologies necessary to advance the elaboration and implementation of criteria and indicators (decision III/12, paragraph 10(a))	Remaining research and technological priorities identified in the SBSTTA Recommendation II/8
A	Research -Approach -Activities -Ways and Means -Collaborative efforts and capacity-building -Outcomes	1A	2A	3A	4A
B	Cooperation -Approach -Activities -Ways and Means -Capacity-building -Outcomes
C	Development of Technologies -Approach -Activities -Ways and Means -Collaborative efforts and capacity-building -Outcomes

* The following research and technological priorities identified in SBSTTA Recommendation II/ 8 will be taken into consideration as future work is developed: analysing the role of biological diversity in ecosystem functioning; analysing measures for mitigating the underlying causes of biological diversity loss; advancing scientific and technical approaches to (i) rehabilitating degraded and deforested ecosystems and (ii) enriching biological diversity in forest plantations; identifying gaps in knowledge in the areas of fragmentation and population viability, to include mitigation options such as corridors and buffer zones; assessing ecological landscape models, the integration of protected areas in the ecosystem approach to sustainable forest management and the representativeness and adequacy of protected areas networks; and developing assessment and evaluation methodologies for the multiple benefits derived from forest biological diversity.

Annex to recommendation III/3 (cont.)

The following paragraphs refer to the numbered cells in the table above: These provide examples of activities according to which a programme of work could be organized.

1A - Foster activities to synthesize existing knowledge of holistic and intersectoral ecosystem approaches and socio-economic considerations to set the context for the development of a science programme and identify and prioritize remaining research needs.

2A - Foster activities to assemble management experiences and scientific information at the national level to provide for the sharing of approaches and tools that lead to improved forest practices with regard to forest biological diversity.

Ways and means: inter alia, electronic information network, clearing-house mechanism, case studies

3A - Foster activities to synthesize existing knowledge to set the context for the development of a science programme and identify and prioritize remaining research needs.

Ways and means: inter alia, regional workshops that bring together experts in forest management and science from the forestry sector with experts on biological diversity.

4A - Foster activities to determine and advance methodology for implementing the indicators of forest biological diversity that have already been developed or require further development, in coordination with the IPF/IFF, and drawing upon existing and ongoing work to synthesize criteria and indicators. This includes measurement protocols and statistical sampling theory to allow for the expression of national trends.