Cooperation and Partnerships

Decisions on Cooperation

The Conference of the Parties (COP) has adopted numerous decisions directly pertaining to cooperation with other conventions, organizations and processes. The COP has additionally made reference to cooperation in a number of decisions on specific thematic areas, cross-cutting issues and other issues.

Decisions pertaining to cooperation with other conventions, organizations and processes

In multiple decisions, the COP has requested the Executive Secretary to coordinate with Secretariats of other biodiversity-related conventions, institutions and processes with a view to, inter alia, facilitating exchange of information, exploring harmonization or efficiencies of reporting requirements, exploring the possibility of coordinating joint work programmes and exploring liaison arrangements for greater coherence in intergovernmental organizations and processes (decision II/13, paragraph 4; decision III/21, paragraph 3; decision IV/15, paragraph 5). Furthermore, the COP requested the Executive Secretary, on its behalf, to consider matters of liaison, cooperation and collaboration as a key responsibility (decision IV/15, paragraph 4).

At its sixth meeting, the COP reaffirmed the importance of cooperation and the need to design and implement mutually supportive activities with other conventions international organizations and initiatives (decision VI/20), and adopted the Strategic Plan by decision VI/26 that places significant importance on promoting cooperation. COP-7 underlined that enhanced cooperation and improved coordination at national level will be important in meeting the 2010 target of slowing the rate of biodiversity loss, and urged the Executive Secretary to further enhance cooperation between the Convention on Biological Diversity and all relevant international conventions, organizations and bodies, strengthening and building on existing cooperative arrangements to enhance synergies and reduce inefficiencies in a manner consistent with their respective mandates, governance arrangements and agreed programs, within existing resources (decision VII/26).

List of decisions on Cooperation with other conventions and international organizations and initiatives:

The COP has recognized the importance of cooperation for advancing the work of the Convention’s various cross cutting issues, including the following decisions:

The Conference of the Parties has adopted decisions with elements on cooperation relevant to processes, bodies and mechanisms of the Convention, and relevant to relations with other conventions and organizations.

Clearing House Mechanism

National reporting

Operations of the Convention

Statements to other bodies

Other