Notification 2018-020

Dear Madam/Sir, I am pleased to invite you to nominate an expert for the Informal Advisory Group on the mainstreaming of biodiversity into economic sectors. The Conference of Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity decided that it will consider, at its fourteenth meeting, the mainstreaming of biodiversity in the following sectors: energy and mining, infrastructure, manufacturing and processing, and health (decision XIII/3, paragraph 103). The Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice (SBSTTA), at its twenty-first meeting, which took place on 11-14 December 2017, considered key scientific and technical matters relevant to the mainstreaming of biodiversity in these sectors, and adopted recommendation CBD/SBSTTA/REC/XXI/4. Paragraph 7(d)) of the recommendation XXI/4 requested the Executive Secretary to “convene a time-limited informal advisory group, regionally balanced, that will work electronically, with advice from the Bureau of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice, to assist the Executive Secretary in preparing for the discussions on the sectors of energy and mining, infrastructure, manufacturing and processing, and health at the second meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Implementation and the fourteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties”. For the specific tasks that are envisaged to be undertaken by the Informal Advisory Group, please kindly refer to the Annex. The expert should have practical experience and expertise on the mainstreaming of biodiversity in economic sectors, preferably with respect to one or several of the sectors mentioned above. The nominations should be submitted in the form of an official signed letter addressed to the Executive Secretary and should clearly identify the name and full contact information, including the e-mail address of the nominee. The nominations should also include a Curriculum Vitae (CV) indicating pertinent expertise and an indication of the national experiences to be shared. The nomination letter and CV can either be scanned and sent to the Secretariat at secretariat@cbd.int or faxed to + 1 514 288 6588, as soon as possible and no later than 22 February 2018. Please note that the experts will be selected among nominees, with the advice of the SBSTTA Bureau, on the basis of relevant expertise and experiences, taking into account geographical and gender balance. I look forward to receiving your nominations as soon as possible, and I thank you for your cooperation and continued support to the Convention. Please accept, Madam/Sir, the assurances of my highest consideration. Annex Task list for the Informal Advisory Group (i) Help to identify and obtain country case studies and practical examples of the mainstreaming of biodiversity into the sectors of energy and mining, infrastructure, manufacturing and processing, and health, and related information, as detailed in CBD notification [notification 2018-019]; (ii) Review and provide feedback to the Secretariat on the draft documentation for the second meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Implementation (SBI2), to be held from 9 to 13 July 2018 in Montreal, Canada, and in particular, the proposal for a long-term strategic approach and the draft elements of terms of reference for the ad hoc technical expert group on the mainstreaming of biodiversity, as per paragraph 7(c) of recommendation XXI/4; (iii) Any other relevant advice, such as on relevant meetings and other opportunities at the regional level to help further preparations for SBI 2 and COP14 with respect to the topic of mainstreaming of biodiversity in the aforementioned sectors.

Executive Secretary

To: CBD National Focal Points