Notification 2015-068

Dear Madam/Sir, In decision XII/2 B, paragraph 15, the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity requests the Executive Secretary to propose, in collaboration with the informal advisory committee to the clearing-house mechanism (CHM-IAC), a process to grant, at the thirteenth, fourteenth and fifteenth meetings of the Conference of the Parties, subject to the availability of resources, an award to the Parties that have made the most significant progress in the establishment or further development of their national clearing-house mechanisms. Through the same paragraph, Parties are also strongly encouraged to accelerate the establishment and development of their national clearing-house mechanisms where they have not done so. In response to this decision, and further to consultations with the CHM-IAC, please find in annex I the modalities for granting such an award at the thirteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties. Please also find in annex II, an overview of the expected role of a national clearing-house mechanism and in annex III, a questionnaire to collect information about the status of your national clearing-house mechanism as well as your plans to improve it. You are kindly requested to return this questionnaire by email to secretariat@cbd.int by 31 July 2015 under the subject "CHM Award". Kindly note that this will be followed by another questionnaire in a year’s time to assess the progress made in the development of their national clearing-house mechanisms between 1 July 2015 and 30 June 2016. This will allow the jury to complete the evaluation process in time before the thirteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties. Pursuant to paragraph 17 of decision XII/2 B in which the Conference of the Parties invites Parties and donors to continue to provide financial support to establish and strengthen their national clearing-house mechanisms, I would like to take this opportunity to invite interested Parties to sponsor this initiative for instance by financially rewarding the winners, with the understanding that this sponsoring will have no influence on the jury’s decisions. Should you need any further information on this initiative, please do not hesitate to contact the CHM team by email at chm@cbd.int, especially if your country has not yet established its national clearing-house mechanism and wishes to do so in a near future. I look forward to a stimulating competition and wish good luck to all Parties.

Executive Secretary

To: CBD and CHM National Focal Points