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7th CONFERENCE
OF THE PARTIES TO THE CONVENTION ON BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY (COP-7)
Kuala
Lumpur, Malaysia; 9-20 February 2004
Highlights
for Friday 20 February 2004
The
closing Plenary met on Friday, 20 February, at 11 pm. Delegates adopted
decisions and heard closing statements. Discussions arose over Article
8(j), incentive measures, invasive alien species and the budget. President
Dato' Seri Law gaveled the meeting to a close at 3:38 am.
Above
photo L-R: Hamdallah Zedan (CBD Executive Secretary),
COP-7 President
Dato' Seri Law and Dan Ogolla (CBD)
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Closing
Plenary: |
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Ines Verleye (Belgium) (above left) reported
on the status of credentials submitted by Parties.
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WG-I Chair
Hoogeveen (above center) and WG-II Chair
Verma (above right) reported on progress
and outcomes of their WGs. President Law submitted
the WGs' reports for adoption. The
WG-I report was adopted with minor amendments, and
the WG-II report without amendment.
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Spain
reiterated its offer to host the next meeting of the AHTEG
on small island biodiversity, in the Canary Islands.
Germany announced its offer to fund and host the second
meeting of the AHTEG on reviewing the implementation of
the forest biodiversity work programme. Finland offered
hosting a meeting of the AHTEG on biodiversity and climate
change before COP-8. Thailand and Spain expressed their
willingness to host meetings of the AHTEG on ABS. Italy
and Guatemala said they would host the first two meetings
of the AHTEG on PAs. Guatemala again offered to host
SBSTTA-10.
Above photos L-R: Delegates from Guatemala; Miguel
Agmerich (Spain); Aldo Cosentino (Italy)
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In
the closing Plenary, the Secretariat announced a
correction to the decision (UNEP/CBD/COP/7/L.19/Rev.1),
namely the deletion of a reference to the lands and waters
traditionally used or occupied by indigenous and local
communities in the context of sui
generis systems. Many delegates opposed the deletion,
noting consensus reached in WG-II. New Zealand expressed
procedural concerns regarding the tabling of a revised
version of the draft decision, whereas the initial draft
decision (UNEP/CBD/COP/7/L.19) had not contained the
contested reference. Following informal consultations, New
Zealand accepted to retain the reference, expressing
regret at the impropriety of process and stressing that
decisions of subsidiary bodies and working groups have to
remain open for change. She stressed that work done in the
Article 8(j) Working Group was subject to national
jurisdiction and could supplement neither national
legislation nor work undertaken in other international
forums, such as WIPO. The decision was then adopted
without amendments.
New Zealand recorded a reservation regarding the Akwé:
Kon Guidelines, stating that they are to be reviewed for
consistency with national standards and reserving its
right to further comment on them. Above photo: Jane
Coombs (New Zealand)
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Australia
expressed regret of the withdrawal of Decision
VI/23 on AIS,
reiterating its commitment to solving the issue, and
recalling its substantive and procedural reasons not to
accept Decision VI/23 and references made to this Decision
in COP-7 decisions. Right photo: Max
Kitchell (Australia)
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Left photo: IIFB
expressed concern over New Zealand's proposal to delete reference
to the lands and waters traditionally used or occupied by
indigenous and local communities in the context of sui
generis systems. |
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COP-7
President Dato'
Seri Law welcomed the mandate to develop an international
regime on ABS and work programmes on PAs and technology
transfer. He called on Parties to translate the decisions
into concrete actions and to ensure meeting the 2010
target.
Above
photo L-R: Hamdallah Zedan (CBD Executive Secretary),
Ahmed Djoghlaf (UNEP), President
Dato' Seri Law, Dan Ogolla (CBD) and Olivier Jalbert (CBD)
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President
Dato'
Seri Law
declared the meeting adjourned at 3:38 am, to
be reconvened, and officially closed, on Friday, 27
February.
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COP-7
Update as of 7:00 pm (KL time) |
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Delegates
to COP-7 continued to meet in two Working Groups. Working Group I
finalized consideration of invasive alien species. On a paragraph inviting
Parties, as well as national, regional, and international organizations to
take various actions, Parties agreed to add a footnote that states that
the paragraph's implementation should not promote incentives that
negatively affect biodiversity of other countries. The Working Group just
finished discussing marine and coastal biodiversity. Working
Group II finalized agreement on incentive measures, Article 8(j) and
access and benefit-sharing.
Right photo: John Hough (UNDP) and John Michael Matuszak
(US)
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Following consultations on the
intersessional meetings, the Friends of the President group
proposed holding: two SBSTTA meetings, one of which in conjunction
with a meeting on the Strategic Plan and the 2010 target, two
meetings of the Working Group on access and benefit-sharing, one
of which in conjunction with a meeting of the Working Group on
Article 8(j), and at least one meeting of a newly established
Working Group on protected areas. Plenary is scheduled to start at
9:00pm
Left
photo below: The EU in intently looking
at the changes to the text on Marine and Coastal Biodiversity while Asghar
Mohammadi Fazel (iran) (bottom right corner) waits for the EU to come up
with text. |
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Working Group I:
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On
mountain biodiversity, delegates decided to delete reference to other
international obligations and mutually supportive of international
environment and trade agreements, but to include a footnote stating that
the implementation of the work programme should not promote incentives
that negatively affect biodiversity of other countries.
Above photos: Working Group I in a huddle frenzy morning involving the
mostly the EU, Brazil and Argentina. Right photo: Greenpeace Kid's for
Forest posing for a group photo.
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On inland water ecosystems, delegates decided to insert the same footnote
that was agreed upon regarding mountain biodiversity, stating that the
implementation of the work programme should not promote incentives that
negatively affect biodiversity of other countries. References to obligations
under other international agreements, including trade agreements, were
deleted.
Left photo: Matilde Conceiçao Gomes Lopes (Guinea Bissau)
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On a goal regarding incentives
measures, delegates agreed to retain text on removing, or reforming
appropriately, any perverse incentives opposing conservation and
sustainable use of ecosystems, but to delete reference to subsidies of
local production or consumption that distort international trade.
Right photo L-R: Chee Yoke Ling, Khoo Swee Lee, Beth Burrows, and Xiong
Lei, delegates from Third World Network (TWN) and the Edmonds
Institute.
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WG-I
Chair Hans Hoogeveen (the Netherlands) announced that the
Friends of the President's group reached agreement on the
sequence and number of meetings related to the CBD.
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Delegates
discussed a draft work plan on coral bleaching, annexed to the
work programme on marine and coastal ecosystems. They debated
whether to include ongoing activities in the plan, and decided to
do so.
Left photo L-R: Enrique Alonso (Spain) (center) discussing text
with Seychelle's John Nevill and Selby Remy |
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Working
Group II: |
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Working Group II finalized agreement on incentive measures, Article
8(j) and access and benefit-sharing. Regarding incentives delegates
agreed to amend the decision, especially the part on positive
incentives, specifying that they are to be non-monetary and agreed
to keep the annex containing proposals on ways and means bracketed
for detailed consideration at SBSTTA-10.
Right photo: WG II Chair Desh Deepak Verma (India)
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Side Event: Darwin Initiative
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UK
ENVIRONMENT MINISTER PROMOTES TO DELEGATES OF THE 7TH CONFERENCE OF THE
PARTIES TO THE CONVENTION ON BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY ABOUT DARWIN INITIATIVE
EXPANSION

Projects aimed at protecting vulnerable biodiversity can get help from
the UK – and that help is growing in value, UK Environment Minister Elliot
Morley (left) told delegates to the an international conference on 17
February.
Mr. Morley, who with ministers from about 200 countries is attending the UN
Convention on Biodiversity (CBD) conference in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, said
the Darwin Initiative would rise to £7m (approx RM 49m) a year in 2005.
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Among projects presenting at the meeting include Horticulture
Research International-Chiang Mai University's project of education and
training to restore tropical rainforest in Thailand in partnership with The
Forest Restoration Research Unit (FORRU), Fauna and Flora International (FFI)
"Community based conservation of Hoang Lien Mountain Ecosystems in
Vietnam" and FFI's Research, survey and biodiversity planning on
the Tibet-Qinghai Plateau in China.
Left photo: Dr. Yingyi Zhang speaking on the FFI project on the Tibet-Qinghai
Plateau.
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Above photos L-R: Dr. David Blakesley (HRI),
Suttanthorn Suwannaratana (FORRU), Steve Elliot (FORRU) and Sheelagh M.G.
O'Reillly (Fauna and Flora International)
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As well as funding projects, usually for three
years, Darwin Initiative funding is available for scholarships and
pre-project work. For some very successful projects funding can be available
to continue work after three
years. Projects are evaluated by an independent panel of academics and are
judged against CBD articles.
More information on the Darwin Initiative, including a current list of
projects, is available at www.darwin.gov.uk. or email Carrie Haloun [email protected]
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Links
ENB
Coverage and Summary (HTML,
PDF,
TEXT) of CBD COP-6
ENB
Coverage and Summary (HTML,
PDF,
TEXT) of ICCP-3
ENB
archives of CBD meetings
CBD web site
CBD
COP-7 official meeting documents
ENB
Coverage and
Summary (HTML,
PDF,
TEXT) of
SBSTTA-9
ENB
Coverage and
Summary (HTML,
PDF,
TEXT) of
ABS-WG2
ENB
Coverage and Summary
(HTML,
PDF,
TEXT) of
Article 8(j)-WG3
Global
Biodiversity Forum web site
CBD
PRESS Room
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