1.Welcomes the signing of memoranda of cooperation with the following organizations since December 2003: BioNET International; the International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology; the International Plant Protection Convention; the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture; the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development; the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations; the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands; the World Heritage Centre of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), and the Global Environment Facility Small Grants Programme implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP);
2.Recognizes the contribution of scientific research and assessments to the work of the Convention, including by the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment, DIVERSITAS, FAO/Land Degradation Assessment in Dry Lands, the Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network, the Global Inland Waters Assessment, the Sea Around Us Project (University of British Columbia), the World Conservation Monitoring Centre of the United Nations Environment Programme, the United Nations University, and the World Water Assessment Programme;
3.Notes the report of the third meeting of the liaison group of biodiversity-related conventions (the "Biodiversity Liaison Group") (UNEP/CBD/WGRI/1/INF/7) and expresses gratitudeto the executive heads of the secretariats of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, the Convention on Migratory Species of Wild Animals, the Convention on Wetlands (Ramsar) and the World Heritage Convention for their support to this process;
4.Notes the report of the Workshop on Promoting CITES-CBD Cooperation and Synergy (UNEP/CBD/WGRI/1/INF/9), held on the Isle of Vilm, Germany, from 20 to 24 April 2004, and requests the Executive Secretary to further promote cooperation with the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, including through participation in meetings under that Convention.
5.Requests the Executive Secretary to consider further means to improve cooperation in implementation of the Convention at the global, regional and national levels, in addition to those referred to in the present recommendation, including with respect to promoting the sustainable use of biodiversity and the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising out of the utilization of genetic resources, with a view to developing a systematic approach to cooperation, and to report thereon to the Conference of the Parties at its eighth meeting;
6.Welcomes the contribution made by the following initiatives and networks to the work of the Convention: Countdown 2010, the Global Invasive Species Programme, the Global Partnership for Plant Conservation, the International Coral Reef Initiative, the International Initiative for the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Pollinators, the River Basin Initiative, and the Collaborative Partnership on Protected Areas;
7.Welcomes the Countdown 2010 initiative in Europe and the IUCN proposals to expand the initiative to other regions;
8.Suggests that the Executive Secretary in relation to
decision VII/26, paragraph 3, undertake consultations with relevant organizations and initiatives, and with representatives of indigenous and local communities, in order to provide proposals for consideration by the Conference of the Parties at its eighth meeting for a flexible framework among all relevant actors, such as a global partnership on biodiversity, noting that:
(a)A bottom-up, partner-driven process should be used in developing proposals for a global partnership;
(b)A global partnership should address all three objectives of the Convention in a balanced way;
(c)A global partnership should facilitate on-the-ground action, particularly implementation of national biodiversity strategies and action plans;
(d)A global partnership should enable results of scientific assessments of biodiversity to be translated into effective responses;
(e)A global partnership should facilitate the development of issue-based networks without attempting to direct these networks;
(f)A global partnership should be a voluntary alliance;
(g)Organizational and servicing options should be explored that would allow partners outside the Convention to play a leadership role in a global partnership;
(h)An assessment should be made of the resource implications of such proposals;
9.Recommends that the Conference of the Parties:
(a)Urges Parties to facilitate cooperation among international organizations, and to promote the integration of biodiversity concerns into all relevant sectors by coordinating their national positions among the various conventions and other international forums in which they are involved, as appropriate;
(b)Invites Parties to promote, as appropriate, coordination among national focal points for the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification and the Convention on Biological Diversity with a view to achieving synergies on cross-cutting activities, and to seek funding from the Global Environment Facility for these activities where appropriate;
(c)Notes the paper developed jointly by the secretariats of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification and the Convention on Biological Diversity on options for enhanced cooperation among the three Rio conventions (UNEP/CBD/WGRI/1/7/Add.1);
(d)Notes the paper developed jointly by the secretariats of the Convention on Biological Diversity, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, the Convention on Migratory Species of Wild Animals, the Convention on Wetlands (Ramsar, Iran, 1971) and the World Heritage Convention on options for enhanced cooperation among the biodiversity-related conventions (UNEP/CBD/WGRI/1/7/Add.2);
(e)Considers improved cooperation with respect to the Convention's work on invasive alien species;
(f)Considers the establishment of a flexible framework among all relevant actors, such as a global partnership for biodiversity, taking into account the views of potential members;
(g)Requests the Executive Secretary, where appropriate and subject to the availability of necessary financial and human resources, in accordance with the priority-setting mechanism established by the Conference of the Parties, to liaise with the conventions, organizations and initiatives with which the Convention has already signed memoranda of cooperation with a view to advancing implementation of the Convention in line with the decisions of the Conference of the Parties, including the possibility of developing joint work programmes;
(h)Requests the Executive Secretary to liaise with the secretariat of the World Trade Organization on relevant issues, including trade-related intellectual property rights, sanitary and phytosanitary measures, and environmental goods and services, inter alia, with a view to identifying options for closer collaboration, including developing a memorandum of cooperation to promote the three objectives of the Convention.
