ENB @ CBD MSP, 19-21 November 2001, Montreal, Canada

		Open-ended intersessional meeting on the Strategic Plan, National Reports and the implementation of the Convention on Biological Diversity

Highlights for Wednesday, 21 November 2001

CLOSING PLENARY:

On Wednesday, 21 November, Chair Reuben Olembo, Chief Advisor to the Minister of Environment of Kenya, President of COP-5, convened the closing Plenary and called upon the Chairs of the Working Groups to report progress.

ENB Summary

Mon26

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	WG-I Chair Schei presented UNEP/CBD/MSP/L.2 containing draft recommendations and the draft strategic plan, noting that the plan contains bracketed text. The recommendations were adopted without amendment. Following debate, the draft strategic plan was adopted with some remaining sets of brackets.

	WG-II Chair Fisher reported that the group has produced four draft recommendations on national reports, implementation and operations of the Convention, and WSSD (UNEP/CBD/MSP/L.3, 4, 5, and 6).

	Rapporteur Jaakkola introduced MSP's report (UNEP/CBD/MSP/L.1), which was adopted without amendment.

	Lawyers' Environmental Group Team noted that the draft strategic plan is vague and does not guide the Convention's implementation, stressed NGO's role in building bridges between governments and the public and called the Executive Secretary to assist them in participating in the process.

	Greenpeace International expressed disappointment that the meeting was not able to draft a strategic plan that would provide direction to the Convention, and called delegates to focus on: a strong mission statement; the ecosystem approach; a short set of goals; monitoring and assessment for implementation; and communication for promoting CBD.

	Chair Olembo then called for regional statements. Belgium, on behalf of the EU, expressed interest to adopt a short and focused strategic plan in COP-6.

	Togo, on behalf of the African Group, called delegates to work more closely towards a compromise and expressed the wish that the preparatory meeting for Africa take place no later than a month prior to COP-6.

	Slovenia, on behalf of the CEE, noted the meeting provided a starting point for strategic thinking.

	Jamaica, on behalf of GRULAC, Jordan (right), on behalf of the Asian Group, and all the above-mentioned, thanked the participants, MSP and Working Group Chairs, the CBD Secretariat, translators, the government of Canada, as well as the Parties that provided financial support.

	CBD Executive Secretary Hamdallah Zedan said the meeting is a significant contribution to the success of COP-6, thanked participants for the hard work and spirit of cooperation and expressed his appreciation to the Parties that provided financial support.

		Chair Olembo urged Parties to access and ratify the Biosafety Protocol and stressed the importance of the regional preparatory meetings for COP-6. Chair Olembo gaveled the meeting to a close at 5:45pm.

	Above photos counter clockwise: The dias during closing plenary, Paul Chabeda and Hamdallah Zedan, and John Herity congratulate Reuben Olembo and Hamdallah Zedan.
	CBD Secretariat web site with MSP official documents and Information for participants (doc and pdf) Preparation of the Strategic Plan for the Convention National Reports ENB Summary of CBD SBSTTA-7 ( HTML or PDF ) ENB Web Daily Coverage of CBD SBSTTA-7 Managing Biodiversity in Agricultural Ecosystems ENB's Introduction to CBD German CHM COP Decisions Database