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9 February 

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16 February 

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20 February 

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7th CONFERENCE OF THE PARTIES TO THE CONVENTION ON BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY (COP-7)

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; 9-20 February 2004

 
Daily Web Coverage |Mon 9| |Tue 10| |Thu 11| |Thu 12| |Fri 13|

|Mon 16| |Tue 17| |Wed 18| |Thu 19| |Fri 20|


Highlights for Friday 13 February 2004


COP-7 delegates met throughout the day in two Working Groups (WGs). WG-I considered the work programmes on inland water ecosystems and marine and coastal biodiversity. WG-II discussed: scientific and technical cooperation and the Clearing-house Mechanism (CHM); communication, education and public awareness (CEPA); Article 8(j) (traditional knowledge); financial resources and mechanism; and national reporting. A brief Plenary was held in the afternoon. Contact groups on the budget, access and benefit-sharing (ABS) and protected areas (PAs) also convened. Above photo L-R: Tewolde Berhan Gebre Eghziaber (Ethiopia) in discussion with Girma Balcha (Ethiopia). 


Working Group I: Inland Waters


Peter Bridgewater, Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, highlighted its contribution to the work programme on inland waters, and stressed the complementarity between work under the CBD and Ramsar.     

Senegal, on behalf of AFRICA, stressed the need for inventories and characterization of ecosystems for assessment purposes, and financial resources. Above photo: Demba Mamadou Ba (Senegal) 



SWITZERLAND stressed integrated water resource management programmes and advocated harmonizing national reporting. Above photo: Olivier Biber (Switzerland)

THAILAND requested reference to exotic stocks of natively occurring species, and genetically modified organisms. Above photo: Jaranthada Karnasuta (Thailand)

 

 

Marine and Coastal Biodiversity:

UK favoured a bottom-up approach to the establishment of networks or protected areas, reflecting Parties' needs and circumstances. above photo: Robert Canning (UK)

 

KIRIBATI stressed community-based conservation, the development of new, sustainable fishing practices and alternative livelihoods, and training of scientists. Above photo: Nenenteiti Teariki-Ruaty (Kiribati)

Working Group II: Clearing-house Mechanism (CHM)

Canada requested an explanatory document on the linkages between the CHM and taxonomic databases and, supported by many, expressed concern on the disparities between Parties regarding electronic communication capacities and national focal points. Left photo: David Brackett (Canada)



Communication, Educationa and Public Affairs (CEPA)

 

Antigua and Barbuda, for GRULAC, noted with concern the severe lack of funding for CEPA activities and called for funding through the GEF.

Above photo: Diann Black-Layne (Antigua and Barbuda)

Malaysia noted that limited access to the internet makes the use of web-based tools for activities in communication, education and public awareness (CEPA) difficult for poor countries and proposed to distribute hard-copies of the materials.

Above photo L-R: N. Abdul Rahim and N. Manokaran (Malaysia)  



Jamaica requested new tools for the development of local communication strategies. Elaine Fisher (Jamaica)

UNESCO underlined its commitment to support CEPA, stressing the identification of best content and best approaches to establish programmes for national level implementation. Above photo: Salvatore Arico (UNESCO)


Contact Group: 

ABS: Delegates considered user measures without reaching consensus on bracketed references to the work of, and relation with, WIPO. Regarding the international ABS regime, discussion was held on the basis of a revised working document including a draft decision and annexed terms of reference (TOR) for the ABS Working Group. Delegates discussed the TOR and approved language on process resulting from discussions in a drafting group. A Friends of the Chair group was established to resolve differences regarding scope. On the elements, they agreed on language regarding disclosure requirements in patent applications. Agreement was also reached on decision language regarding community participation.  

Above photo L-R: Valerie Normand, François Pythoud and David Hafashimana composed the dais of the  contact group on ABS.


PA:
Delegates worked into the night to discuss suggested activities for Parties to achieve the work programme's element on standards, assessment and monitoring.  Right photo: Gijs Van Tol (CBD), Contact Group Chair Alfred Oteng Yeboah, and Sarat Babu (CBD)  

Side Event: Nordic Council of Minister and the European Commission Access and Rights to Genetic Resources: Nordic Cooperation


Great interest for the Nordic approach to genetic resources that drew a large attendance of more than 90 delegates from 7th CBD COP in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. 

Dr. Peter Johan Schei ( above right) from Norway chaired the event.  Lise Lykke Steffensen from the Nordic Council of Ministers told about the Nordic Council of Ministers' work on biodiversity and genetic resources spanning already over three decades.  Grethe Evjen from Norway and Christian Prip (above left) from Denmark along with Morten Walloe Tvedt from the Fridtjof Nansen Institute highlighted Nordic policy and ministerial decisions on access to plant, farm animal, forest and wild genetic resources.  Birthe Ivars provided an insight into work under way in Norway to follow-up the Bonn guidelines.  Christoph Bail and Nicola Notaro outlined the EC's approach to the issues involved.  Dr. Lim from Malaysia and Brendan Tobin from the United Nations University joined the speakers for the ensuing lively panel discussion.


For further information please visit the Nordic Council of Minister's website at www.norden.org


Left photo L-R: Kerstin Stendahl-Rechardt and Lise Lykke Steffensen of the Nordic Council of Minister

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