CLOSING PLENARY: 

The closing plenary heard closing remarks by the CBD Executive Secretary Hamdallah Zedan, and closing statements by regional and other groups. Thanking all the delegates and staff for hard work and commitment, CBD Executive Secretary said the Working Group can be reasonably satisfied with its work. Palau, speaking on behalf of the Asia and Pacific group, expressed general satisfaction with the meeting’s outcomes. Noting that achievement of the work programme’s objectives requires financial resources, capacity building and institutional strengthening, he urged developing countries and GEF to fulfil their commitments. The Netherlands, on behalf of the EU, said that even though the meeting made good progress on the implementation of the work programme, the fact that brackets remain in the chapeau of the recommendation on financial mechanisms sets a dangerous precedent for other CBD Working Groups.

Altero Matteoli, Minister of Environment and Territory of Italy,
delivered closing comments, congratulating the Working Group on a
far-reaching debate and progress made on the development of toolkits
for the identification and management of PA systems. He also called for
support from delegates to request the Italian Prime Minister’s support
for the recommendations from this meeting at the next G8 summit in July
2005.

Above photo: Delegates from the EU, Norway, and Ghana in consultation with Hamdallah Zedan, CBD Executive Secretary and Letchumanan Ramatha, Under-Secretary of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment of Malaysia, on behalf of COP-7 President.

Palau, speaking on behalf of the Asia and Pacific group, expressed general satisfaction with the meeting’s outcomes.

IIFB expressed concern with regard to deletion of references to the rights of indigenous and local communities in several documents.

Above photo: Auldhild Schanche (IIFB)

Greenpeace and WWF made a joint statement on behalf of NGOs, expressing deep concern that not all Parties shared the urgency to act, backtracking on targets agreed at COP-7, and that CBD’s role with regard to high seas was questioned repeatedly.

Above photo: Martin Kaiser (Greenpeace)

Letchumanan Ramatha, Under-Secretary of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment of Malaysia, on behalf of COP-7 President gavelled the meeting to a close at 10:10pm 

SUB-WORKING GROUP I

Delegates agreed on compromise language regarding: the findings of the preliminary scientific study and a request to the Executive Secretary to synthesize scientific information; participation of stakeholders and indigenous and local communities on MPA identification and management; a compilation of existing ecological criteria for area identification and biogeographical classification systems by the Executive Secretary, and a scientific expert workshop, hosted by Canada, to develop such criteria and classification systems, the results of which will be transmitted to Parties in advance of the second Working Group meeting; relevant global and regional legal instruments that, in addition to UNCLOS, constitute the international legal framework; lack of implementation and enforcement of the international legal framework with respect to biodiversity in marine areas beyond national jurisdiction; cooperation and coordination among different forums; Parties’ actions towards establishing national and regional MPAs; work to develop and implement measures to combat IUU fishing; and a request to the Executive Secretary to transmit the Working Group results to the UNGA Informal Working Group. 

Above photo: View of the plenary during the morning session of SWG-I. 

CANADA expressed its intention to host a scientific workshop on criteria and classification system.

Above photo L-R: Susan Waters, Robert McLean  and Renée Sauvé (Canada)

Delegates debated a compromise proposal encouraging Parties to endeavor to establish some MPAs in regions, on a case by case basis, as a contribution towards meeting the 2012 target. The EU requested that some MPAs be established in the high seas by 2008. Argentina highlighted lack of criteria and legal framework to establish MPAs in the high seas, but the EU underscored criteria under regional seas conventions and establishment of high seas PAs by RFMOs. Delegates agreed to drop the paragraph.

Bracketed text remained on: a clause regarding an implementing convention to UNCLOS, with the EU supporting the reference, Canada and Australia wishing to keep it as an option, GRULAC supporting to draft it as a recommendation, and Norway, Iceland and Japan opposing any reference to an implementing agreement to UNCLOS; an option regarding cooperation to make progress in establishing MPAs beyond national jurisdiction, with the EU calling for early progress and Norway opposing reference to MPAs beyond national jurisdiction; options requiring implementation of the Fish Stocks Agreement; and an option addressing designation of Particularly Sensitive Sea Areas under the International Maritime Organization.

SWG-I then adopted its report (UNEP/CBD/WG-PA/SWG.I/L.1 and Add.1) as amended to reflect morning discussions

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