Notification 2014-079

Dear Madam/Sir, At its tenth meeting, the Conference of the Parties (COP) to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) urged Parties to develop, revise and implement drought management plans taking into account the impact of drought and desertification on biodiversity, including through risk management and management of biodiversity for the prevention of drought and desertification (decision X/35). The COP also noted the role of biodiversity and ecosystems in providing services that reduce vulnerability to the impact of some natural disasters, in particular water-related impacts such as flooding and drought (decision X/28). In the same decision, the COP requested the Executive Secretary, among others, to strengthen capacity-support to assist Parties to improve the contribution of inland water biodiversity and ecosystem services to natural-disaster-risk reduction. In decision X/2, the COP requested the Executive Secretary to promote and facilitate, in partnership with relevant international organizations, activities to strengthen capacity for the implementation of the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020. I am pleased to inform you that the CBD Secretariat joined the UN-Water Initiative “Capacity Development to Support National Drought Management Policies”, established jointly by the World Meteorological Organization, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the UN-Water Decade Programme on Capacity Development and the Secretariat of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification. Thanks to the generous financial contribution from the Government of Japan, the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity is in the position to support the participation of a limited number of CBD-nominated experts to the Initiative’s regional workshop for the Eastern Africa region. I hereby invite your Government to nominate a representative to participate in the Eastern Africa Regional Workshop of the UN-Water Initiative “Capacity Development to Support National Drought Management Policies”, to be held from 5 to 8 August 2014, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. As this initiative is a partnership with a number of organizations, participants from the water, planning or agriculture sectors will receive separate invitation letters from the UN-Water Decade Programme on Capacity Development (UNW-DPC) on behalf of the organizers of the UN-Water Initiative “Capacity Development to Support National Drought Management Policies”. In submitting nominations, please note that the CBD Secretariat can only support the participation of a limited number of participants. Participants will be chosen taking into consideration the following criteria: (i) Experience in ecosystem management for disaster risk reduction, including drought management; (ii) Experience with updating and/or implementation of the National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP); (iii) After the workshop, the representative should be in a position to translate the knowledge gained into concrete actions; and (iv) Availability to prepare together with other participants from their country a preliminary synopsis on the status of drought and its management in their country (more information will be sent to selected participants in due course). Nominations should be made in the form of an official letter signed by the focal point or a senior government official, addressed to the Executive Secretary, by e-mail at secretariat@cbd.int or by fax at: +1 514 288 6588. The nominations must contain the names and full contact details of the nominees (including e-mail address), and be accompanied by their curriculum vitae clearly indicating the relevant areas of expertise. Kindly submit nominations as soon as possible but no later than 19 June 2014. Please note that the workshop will be held in English. I look forward to receiving your nominations and I thank you for your cooperation. Please accept, Madam/Sir, the assurances of my highest consideration.

Executive Secretary

To: CBD National Focal Points of the following countries: Botswana, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Rwanda, Uganda, United Republic of Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe