ENB @ WG8j-4; Granada, Spain; 23-27 January 2006

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN"> ENB @ WG8j-4; Granada, Spain; 23-27 January 2006

Fourth Meeting of the Ad hoc Open-ended Intersessional Working Group on Article 8(j) and Related Provisions of the Convention on Biological Diversity

23 - 27 January 2006 | Granada, Spain

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Highlights for Friday, 27 January 2006

Participants to the Article 8(j) Working Group (WG) met in Plenary and adopted recommendations on: participatory mechanisms, ethical code of conduct, genetic resource restriction technologies (GURTs), indicators, recommendations to the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, progress reports on implementation and integration, composite report on status and trends of traditional knowledge (TK), international regime on access to genetic resources and benefit sharing (ABS), elements for a sui generis system for the protection of TK, and a tribute to the Government and people of Spain.

Above photo L-R: Mohamad Bin Osman (Malaysia), on behalf of the President of the CBD Conference of the Parties (COP), CBD Executive Secretary Ahmed Djoghlaf and Article 8(j) WG Chair José Cuenca during the closing plenary.

CLOSING PLENARY:


Above photo L-R: The dais of the closing plenary with Mohamad Bin Osman (Malaysia), on behalf of the COP President, CBD Executive Secretary Ahmed Djoghlaf, Article 8(j) WG Chair José Cuenca, Olivier Jalbert, Secretary of the Meeting, and Rapporteur Antonio Matamoros.



Article 8(j) WG Chair Cuenca (above) opened the closing plenary session, thanking delegates for their spirit of cooperation and compromise. He invited SWG Co-Chairs to present the reports and recommendations of their respective SWGs for adoption.	SWG-I Co-Chairs Bodegård (above) and Fortier presented the report of their SWG, which was adopted without amendment. Chair Cuenca then introduced, and delegates adopted, all SWG-I recommendations.	SWG-II Co-Chair Abete-Reema (above) reported on the SWG work, with Co-Chair Mulenkei highlighting the importance of indigenous representatives’ participation as Co-Chairs during the meeting. Delegates then adopted the SWG-II report and recommendations.



Above photo L-R: SWG-I Co-Chair Fortier and SWG-II Co-Chair Mulenkei	Mohamad Bin Osman (above), on behalf of the CBD COP President, presented a tribute to the Government and people of Spain, including a request for the Spanish Minister of Environment to present the results of the meeting at COP-8. Delegates approved it with a standing ovation.	Brazil welcomed participants to the next COP to be held in Curitiba, Brazil, in March 2006. Above photo: Hadil Fontes Da Rocha Vianna (Brazil)

The IIFB said their organization would like the Article 8(j) WG’s participatory nature to become a model in the UN system, and noted the absence of many parties to this meeting. She also expressed concern about the lack of political will to recognize indigenous rights and said the final documents present a step backwards. However, she said the IIFB remains committed to participating in this process and hoped indigenous people would be invited to "seat at the table with an open heart" in order to have a just outcome in the ABS process.

Ethiopia, on behalf of Africa, Mongolia for the Asia and Pacific Group, Austria for the EU, and Canada for JUSCANZ thanked the Government of Spain and participants for the outcomes achieved.

Above photos L-R: SWG-I Co-Chair and Lucy Mulenkei (IIFB); Tewolde Berhan Gebre Egziabher (Ethiopia); Oyundari Navaan-Yunden (Mongolia) and Elfriede Ana More (Austria on behalf of the EU)

A group of NGOs supported the IIFB statement and expressed concern with the outcomes on GURTs, hoping to strengthen this recommendation in Curitiba.

Above photo: Lucy Sharratt (Ban Terminator Campaign)

The Executive Secretary highlighted the achievements of this week including the establishment of a voluntary fund, which will enhance participation by indigenous communities in Article 8(j) WG meetings.

Above photo: CBD Executive Secretary, Ahmed Djoghlaf

Chair Cuenca thanked participants and closed the meeting at 12:17 pm.

ENB SNAPSHOTS:



Above photos L-R: CBD Executive Secretary Ahmed Djoghlaf with ENB writers Soledad Aguilar, Nicole Schabus and Elsa Tsioumani; WG-8j and ABS ENB Teams with Elisa Morgera, Soledad Aguilar, Nicole Schabus, Marsel Kuzyakov, Stefan Jungcurt, Xenya Cherny Scanlon, Francis Dejon and Elsa Tsioumani.