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Distr. GENERAL
CONVENTION ON
BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY
UNEP/CBD/COP/2/12
14 September 1995
ORIGINAL: ENGLISH
CONFERENCE OF THE PARTIES TO THE
CONVENTION ON BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY
Second meeting
Jakarta, 6-17 November 1995
Item 6.1 of the provisional agenda
APPROACHES AND EXPERIENCES RELATED TO THE IMPLEMENTATION OF ARTICLES
6 AND 8 OF THE CONVENTION ON BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY
Note by the Secretariat
1. INTRODUCTION
1. The first meeting of the Conference of the Parties called for its
second meeting to discuss items relating to general measures for conservation
and sustainable use of biological diversity. The objective of the discussion
at the second meeting is to provide information and share experiences on
the implementation of Articles 6 (General Measures for Conservation and
Sustainable Use) and 8 (In-situ Conservation). This discussion corresponds
to items 5.1.1. and 5.2.2. of the Medium-Term Programme of Work approved
by the first meeting of the Conference of the Parties.
2. Measures required for implementing Articles 6 and 8 are already outlined
in the Convention. This note presents an overview of the kinds of actions
and approaches Governments are and have been taking in relation to these
measures and reviews that body of experience to date.
3. Countries may wish to provide additional information and experience
related to these measures and to suggest how the sharing of relevant information
might be enhanced.
4. While some countries have taken a number of measures to implement the
provisions of Articles 6 and 8 of the Convention, much remains to be done
in other countries, in particular with regard to Article 6. Implementation
of the Convention requires cooperation among Parties to facilitate action
at the national level and to harmonize measures at the regional and international
levels. Having in mind that the sharing of relevant information and experience
is central to international cooperation, the discussion under this agenda
item is expected to facilitate and promote action for implementing Articles
6 and 8. The Conference of the Parties may wish to note, however, that
countries have their own specific conditions reflecting inter alia
differences in their socio-economic, cultural, political and biological
diversity situation. It follows that an experience of one country may need
to be adapted to the conditions of another country before application.
5. Article 6 requires Parties to develop or adapt national biological diversity
strategies, plans or programmes (paragraph (a)) and integrate the conservation
of biological diversity and the sustainable use of its components into
relevant sectoral and crosssectoral plans, programmes and policies
(paragraph (b)), subject to each Party's conditions and capabilities. Because
the substance of Article 6 is about planning, it is relevant to almost
every substantive article in the Convention.
6. Considering the importance of national strategies, plans and programmes
for the implementation of the Convention, the Conference of the Parties
included their development in the list of programme priorities for funding
through the financial mechanism.
7. With regard to Article 8, the Convention notes in paragraph 10 of the
Preamble that insitu conservation is the primary approach for
the conservation of biological diversity. Article 8 addresses the protection
of ecosystems and natural habitats, rehabilitation and restoration of degraded
ecosystems, and in-situ conservation of wild species and genetic
diversity as well as the insitu conservation of human-created
plant varieties and animal breeds. Conservation measures are envisaged
both within and beyond protected areas.
8. The Conference of the Parties may wish to note that implementing Article
8 will also draw upon the results of identification and monitoring carried
out under Article 7.
2. ARTICLE 6: GENERAL MEASURES FOR CONSERVATION AND SUSTAINABLE USE
2.1 Article 6(a): Development of national strategies, plans and
programmes
9. Article 6(a) essentially creates an obligation for national planning
- to prepare a blueprint which reflects how all the objectives of the Convention
may be achieved.
10. In general, "strategies" identify potential goals and objectives.
They propose recommendations, actions and investments needed to address
each objective and assign a priority level to each action. The primary
function of a national biological diversity strategy is to make specific
recommendations for action on conserving biological diversity and on sustainably
using its components. These recommendations should result in plans and
programmes. "Plans" (sometimes called "action plans"
or "management plans") explain how a strategy's specific recommendations
will be achieved. They spell out the steps, means and time-frames needed
to implement the strategies. "Programmes" are sets of activities
to implement strategies and plans. Biological diversity plans and programmes
are targeted directly at particular sectoral and crosssectoral aspects
of conservation and sustainable use.
11. A national biological diversity strategy may be an effective tool for
determining priorities, especially when a country has limited resources
at its disposal. To do this a national biological
diversity strategy could, among other things:
(a) identify areas for action;
(b) identify obstacles, such as conflicting policies and inadequate laws,
infrastructure, human resources, finances and technology;
(c) identify relevant government sectors and affected constituencies, such
as local communities, business and industry;
(d) identify costeffective solutions;
(e) identify financing requirements and possible funding sources; and
(f) assign tasks.
12. In practice, the preparation of strategies, plans and programmes typically
reflects a chronological series of steps which can be undertaken as part
of an overall "strategy cycle": that is, a repeating process
by which a biological diversity strategy is developed, plans and programmes
derived, and then, after a period of programme implementation, reassessed.
Improvements or adjustments are made and the cycle repeats itself. Thus,
a strategy cycle allows new information to be taken into consideration
and used as appropriate, whether that information is strictly environmental
or from other sectors such as transport, tourism, health or trade. A strategy
cycle may also facilitate a Party's efforts to integrate the conservation
of biological diversity and the sustainable use of its components into
relevant sectoral and crosssectoral plans, programmes and policies
(paragraph 6(b)).
13. An indicative list of published national strategies, plans and/or programmes
for the implementation of the Convention on Biological Diversity is presented
in annex I to this note. References to the body of information on the development
of national biological diversity strategies and plans, and illustrative
examples of strategies and plans can be found in "National Biodiversity
Planning: Guidelines Based on Early Experiences Around the World"
(see reference in annex II to this note). Parties may wish to refer to
this planning manual for illustrations of possible institutional, scientific,
policy, and legal tools for biological diversity planning, ingredients
for success, and lessons learned from using these tools. These guidelines
were drawn from the early experiences of Australia, Canada, Chile, China,
Costa Rica, Egypt, Germany, Indonesia, Kenya, Mexico, the Netherlands,
Norway and the Philippines, Poland, Vietnam, the South Pacific region and
the United Kingdom.
14. Although there are no standard methodologies for preparing a National
Biological Diversity Strategy, Miller and Lanou (1995) (see reference in
annex II) identified the following seven basic steps:
(a) Getting organized - establish a focal point in government, get
an adequate high-level mandate, form a partnership with governmental agencies,
non-governmental organizations (NGOs), indigenous peoples, community leaders,
and business and industry, and obtain adequate funds;
(b) Assessment (country study/stock taking step) - gather and evaluate
information on the status and trends of the nation's biological diversity
and biological resources, laws, policies, organizations, programs, budgets,
and human capacity; select preliminary goals and objectives; identify gaps
between desired and current situations; review options to close gaps; and
estimate costs, benefits,
and unmet needs;
(c) Developing a strategy - determine goals and operational objectives;
analyze and select specific measures to close the gaps identified in the
assessment; hold further consultations and dialogue until consensus is
reached on acceptable targets and mechanisms for action; and identify the
potential roles of stakeholder groups;
(d) Developing a plan of action - determine which public and private
organizations and groups will implement which activities denoted in the
strategy, in which location or region, by what means, and with which people,
institutions, facilities and funds, and set a timetable for action;
(e) Implementation - launch activities and policies in practical
ways so that partners take charge of particular elements of the plan and
biological diversity planners become "biological diversity implementors";
in other words, individuals from the key ministries, NGOs, communities,
indigenous groups, business, and industries, each with self, group, or
business interests and commitment move forward to seek results from their
plans and action;
(f) Monitoring and evaluation - observe and measure the impact of
the plan on the economy, ecosystems, and social indicators; note changes
in laws and policies, behavioral responses, conservation improvement, sustainability,
and enhanced equity; and note changes in capacity and investment;
(g) Reporting - prepare reports for important constituencies; such
documents can include country studies, national strategies, action plans,
reports to the Convention, and reports to the country's chief executive
and general public.
15. It may be noted that the preparation of national biological diversity
strategies and plans is an open-ended process that develops continuously
as further information and experience is gained. The process is cyclical,
with the same steps repeated round after round. It is adaptive because
participants learn from past experience about shifts in nature and society,
and it also involves multiple stakeholders and sectors. A partnership is
needed among all those committed to making choices and taking action from
all parts of society, and from all sectors of government and the economy.
16. Some countries are designing legislation which anchors or institutionalizes
the biological diversity strategy cycle, requiring biological diversity
strategies, plans or programmes to be created, implemented and subsequently
modified as part of the cycle.
17. With regard to the preparation of biological diversity strategies and
plans, lessons learned include:
(a) In those countries with decentralized systems of government, the Constitution
or other laws may require planning at the subnational level for land
use or the use of natural resources. These countries are finding a subnational
or local level approach to be most appropriate to their needs. In such
cases, "national" strategies, plans or programmes would integrate
a series of those at the subnational level;
(b) Some countries are preparing a series of sectoral strategies, plans
or programmes, for example, for agriculture, forestry, fisheries, tourism
and industry - the sum of which may fulfil the article's obligations;
(c) In the past decade, more than 220 national environmental studies have
been completed in 110 countries. Most of these studies, however, cover
only some aspects of the provisions of the Convention. Furthermore, many
countries have already developed or are in the process of developing conservation
strategies or action plans, including: National Strategies for Sustainable
Development (affiliated with UNDP); National Conservation Strategies (with
guidance from IUCN, UNEP and WWF); National Environmental Action Plans
(usually associated with World Bank funding); National Environmental Management
Plans; Strategies to combat desertification (with UNSO); and multisectoral
or sectoral action plans, such as Tropical Forestry Action Plans (usually
affiliated with FAO and the World Bank). These studies can be integrated
into the strategic planning cycle as appropriate;
(d) Existing global and regional strategies, plans or programmes are helping
inform the process of preparing those at the national and subnational
level. These include the Global Biodiversity Strategy, Caring
for the Earth, Agenda 21, the Botanic Gardens Conservation
Strategy, the World Zoo Conservation Strategy, the Guidelines
for the Conservation of Medicinal Plants, the strategy proposed in
the Global Marine Biological Diversity and IUCN Species Action Plans.
Full references to these are listed in annex II of this note;
(e) Some countries may find that there is insufficient experience with
national biological diversity planning and will thus like to start the
process from scratch. In this case, the stock taking/assessment step referred
to in paragraph 14 above would be the starting point.
18. Other lessons distilled from experience include:
(a) The preparation and implementation of effective national biological
diversity strategies, plans and programmes generally requires a highly
participatory process, drawing from both the public and private sectors,
and including appropriate representation of indigenous people (Article
8 (j)). It thus reflects a consensus for action among various constituencies
which use or affect biological diversity. The process of developing such
strategies and plans is often a key factor in their successful implementation;
(b) Countries which have already undertaken studies on the status of their
biological diversity and its components may have a comparative advantage
in developing national or sectoral strategies, plans and programmes relating
to the objectives of the Convention. It may be noted that a number of countries
carried out biological diversity country studies in accordance with recommendations
formulated in Chapter 15 of Agenda 21. Some of these studies are being
coordinated by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) in Latin
America and The Caribbean, in Africa, Asia and Eastern Europe. The first
phase of the UNEP project on country studies is currently being evaluated;
(c) National biological diversity strategies also identify existing relevant
legislation and areas where legislation is needed to implement and enforce
the various approaches for environmental action. Of course, some actions
can be undertaken voluntarily, for example by administrative decision or
by a simple budgetary allocation. However, many actions, such as establishing
offtake controls for fishing or forestry, restrictions on wild plant
collecting and wild animal hunting, establishing and maintaining protected
areas, and conserving valuable habitats on private land, will need to be
anchored in legislation;
(d) A supportive high-level political environment and a strong driving
force for the coordination of interdepartmental, interagency and interconstituency
activities are among other factors
that can ensure a successful implementation of Article 6.
19. Development of national strategies, plans and programmes requires human
and financial resources which can be a constraint to developing countries.
The first Conference of the Parties decided to include "capacity-building
to facilitate the preparation and/or implementation of national strategies,
plans for priority programmes and activities for conservation of biological
diversity and sustainable use of its components" in accordance with
Article 6 in the list of programme priorities for funding under the Financial
Mechanism (UNEP/CBD/COP/1/17/ Decision I/2 annex 1). This capacity including
human resources and institutional structure needs to be built or strengthened
in the earliest stage of the planning process.
2.2. Article 6(b): Integration of biological diversity into relevant
sectoral or cross-sectoral plans, programmes and policies
20. Strategies, plans and programmes are the mechanisms through which
countries can organize and implement their approach to the conservation
of biological diversity and sustainable use of its components while they
may be contributing to the larger goal of sustainable development. They
are effective tools for determining priorities, especially when resources
are limited. Development of national strategies, plans and programmes on
biological diversity is a complex and multi-faceted task involving many
sectors of government as well as the private sector and requiring adequate
coordination of their activities.
21. Article 6(b) sets the stage for Article 10(a) by requiring integration
of the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity into relevant
sectoral or cross-sectoral plans, programmes and policies. Article 10(a)
requires the integration of the consideration of conservation and sustainable
use of biological resources into national decision-making.
22. Implementation of Article 6(b) is a complex undertaking and few countries
have yet attempted it. An analysis of the experience of these countries
and of the results of the methodologies used might serve as a basis for
the development of adequate guidance in undertaking the process of integrating
biological diversity into relevant sectoral or cross-sectoral plans, programmes
and policies.
23. Experience shows that:
(a) Integration of biological diversity considerations into existing plans
is feasible. It can be facilitated inter alia by relating components
of biological diversity to specific sectors, by ensuring that the linkages
between components of biological diversity and sector issues are complementary
and mutually beneficial, and by combining related components into comprehensive
packages and providing the biological diversity components with enough
interest and commitment by the appropriate implementing agency and community
to keep it from being buried in a broader programme;
(b) Biological diversity cannot be maintained or used sustainably by nature
conservation and natural resource management agencies alone. The policies
of transport, agriculture, health, energy and human settlement ministries,
to name but a few, have major impacts on conservation and the sustainable
use of biological resources, as do the decisions of finance and planning
ministries;
(c) Since a national biological diversity strategy provides a basis to
improve policy integration and coordination at the national and subnational
levels, cross-sectoral integration can be fostered and coordinated through
a multidisciplinary focal point (see paragraph 13 above) whose
members could be drawn from the public and private sectors;
(d) Legislation can provide this institutional mechanism with the legal
authority it needs to seek implementation of biological diversity strategies,
plans or programmes by the sectors involved;
(e) Implementation may also be facilitated by grafting the biological diversity
strategy cycle onto other strategy cycles, such as those for economic planning.
Only a few States have attempted this, but the indications are that grafting
is a particularly powerful route to achieve sustainable development and
to build environmental concerns into relevant sectors and national decision-making.
24. Measures which countries are taking or may take to implement Article
6(b) include:
(a) requiring sectors to:
(i) identify various components of biological diversity for which they
are responsible;
(ii) identify those activities likely to have significant physical, chemical
or biological impacts on biological diversity;
(iii) identify the full range of instruments (political, legal, economic,
or administrative) available for the conservation of biological diversity
and sustainable use of its components;
(iv) specify objectives;
(v) draw up proposals for actions;
(b) reviewing sectoral strategies, plans and programmes to determine the
extent to which conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity
are incorporated;
(c) identifying gaps and determining additional requirements in new or
revised strategies;
(d) taking a national and bioregional approach, preparing new or revised
sectoral strategies which integrate conservation and sustainable use of
biological diversity with particular emphasis on the key sectors such as
agriculture, industry, human settlements, forestry, fisheries, energy development
and tourism;
(e) providing incentives to key sectors to ensure biological diversity
conservation; and
(f) strengthening or establishing institutional mechanisms and building
capacity in different sectors for the integration of biological diversity
conservation issues in sectoral policies and programmes.
25. Some of these and other measures listed below are being or will be
implemented with assistance from the financial mechanism operated by the
Global Environment Facility (GEF). The list of projects approved by GEF
for funding is presented in document UNEP/CBD/COP/2/8. Many of these projects
deal with in-situ conservation of components of biological diversity.
With regard to biological diversity strategy planning, more than thirty
Parties to the Convention requested assistance from UN organizations, mainly
UNEP, for the preparation of their biological diversity national strategies
and action plans. Accordingly, a Task Force consisting of representatives
of the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity, the GEF Secretariat
and the GEF implementing agencies (UNDP, UNEP and the World Bank), with
representatives of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered
Species of Wild Flora and Fauna (CITES), the Convention on Wetlands of
International Importance Especially as Waterfowl Habitats (RAMSAR), the
World Conservation Union (IUCN) and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF)
was established following a recommendation by the GEF Operations Committee
(GEFOP). The Task Force met on 5 and 6 April 1995 to decide how to streamline
the system of country assistance inter alia for the preparation
of biological diversity planning in order to ensure programmatic cohesion,
mutual support among the above-mentioned organizations, cost-effective
assistance to countries, and cumulative progress towards conservation of
biological diversity and sustainable use of its components.
3. ARTICLE 8: IN-SITU CONSERVATION
3.1 Articles 8(a) and 8(b): Selection and establishment of protected
and other conservation areas
26. Articles 8(a) and 8(b) suggest that a system of protected areas
forms a central element of any national strategy to conserve biological
diversity. The word "system" in Article 8(a) implies that the
protected areas of a country or region may be chosen to form a network,
in which the various components may conserve different portions of biological
diversity, often using a variety of approaches to management. Experience
shows that a well designed and managed system of protected areas can form
the pinnacle of a nation's efforts to protect biological diversity. Such
a system complements other measures taken to conserve biological diversity
outside protected areas.
27. Drawing on global experience, IUCN has proposed management categories
for protected areas or areas where special measures need to be taken to
conserve biological diversity (see annex III to this note). The primary
objective of areas in Categories I to IV can be -- and usually is -- biological
diversity conservation. The primary objective of areas in Categories V
and VI is sustainable use, usually of biological resources. It should be
noted that only in Category I are human influences and/or use of biological
resources specifically excluded as management tools.
28. Experience shows that:
(a) An important first step is to make a protected areas system plan, which
states the objectives of the national network, outlines what each existing
protected area contributes to achieving those objectives, identifies gaps
and provides a plan of action to fill the gaps;
(b) While many criteria can be used for selecting areas for protected status,
countries often consider new sites in the light of what additional elements
they will contribute to the network, referring in particular to Annex I
of the Convention which lists those elements of ecosystems and habitats
pertinent to, inter alia, selection of protected areas. These elements
will have been identified from the results of identification and monitoring
pursuant to Article 7;
(c) A variety of approaches may be used for establishing a protected area
network. A mixture of types of protected areas, managed for different objectives,
is useful. Both large and small areas may be needed: a few large areas
may be easier to protect and have greater ecological integrity, but a network
of smaller areas may include a greater number of species and ecosystems,
and may better meet the needs of local communities;
(d) In order to best meet the objectives of a national protected area system,
each protected area needs to have clear objectives for biological diversity
management and appropriate boundaries, legal status, funding and personnel.
As protected areas need to be well integrated into national social,
environmental and economic structures, production of a management plan
for each protected area provides an opportunity for cooperation between
conservation agencies, local people and user groups (e.g. tourist agencies);
(e) Effective long-term conservation of biological diversity requires taking
possible movements of species (e.g., daily or seasonal migrations) or distribution
shifts (e.g., as a consequence of global warming) into account, for example
by creating corridors and "steppingstones" between protected
areas. The design (shape and size) of a protected area also influences
its effectiveness. Creation of transborder protected areas may be important
for conserving shared biological resources, such as migratory species or
species which require large areas of habitat.
29. In addition to protected areas established and managed by the national
government, some countries may also consider a range of other types of
reserves, especially taking into account that the Article also refers to
"areas where special measures need to be taken to conserve biological
diversity". This provision is very general, but the areas referred
to may include, inter alia, extractive and "indigenous"
reserves which are established and managed by local communities (see also
Article 10(c) which calls for the protection and encouragement of customary
use of biological resources). Other options being used in different parts
of the world include nature reserves owned and managed by Nongovernmental
Organizations (NGOs). Providing grants and incentives for private landowners
to manage land for biological diversity conservation, or to donate land
to reputable NGOs to protect key sites, is being seen as a valuable supplement
to national protected area systems.
30. Protected areas are being designated by States in the implementation
of other existing international Conventions e.g., World Heritage Sites
under the World Heritage Convention and Biosphere Reserves under the UNESCO
Man and the Biosphere Programme. Similar protection may also be afforded
by regional agreements, such as regional conventions, or legal instruments
of regional economic integration organizations.
31. Measures which countries are taking or may take to implement Articles
8(a) and 8(b) include:
(a) reviewing the adequacy of their existing protected area system to conserve
biological diversity in national and regional context and to identify gaps
in the system;
(b) establishing a system of protected areas of different categories, or
other areas where special measures need to be taken to conserve biological
diversity, including areas to conserve both wild and domesticated species;
(c) developing guidelines for the selection, establishment and management
of these areas, including management plans and systems plans. This measure
implies ensuring public involvement, especially of local and indigenous
peoples in planning and management;
(d) identifying funding needs to establish and manage a comprehensive protected
area system;
(e) developing incentives for community, private, and NGO reserves.
3.2. Article 8(c): Regulation and management of biological resources
32. "Regulate or manage" implies control of all activities,
independent of location, which could
affect the biological resources concerned, including direct use (such as
hunting and harvesting) and indirect effects (e.g., pollution or tourism)
on biological resources. "Manage" can also mean taking measures
to enhance the use of a resource, wild or domesticated, provided that this
use is sustainable and that the resource is important for the conservation
of biological diversity.
33. Experience shows that:
(a) while information is needed as a foundation for regulatory or management
decisionmaking, a lack of information should not be used as a basis
for inaction, and a precautionary approach implies that less information
should generate more conservative actions (see paragraph 9 in the Preamble
of the Convention). The information necessary for establishing a regulatory
or management programme for a particular biological resource can originate
from a national biological diversity strategy;
(b) effective regulatory or management actions will very often depend on
creating an effective legal framework in which they can be implemented
and enforced. Regulatory or management actions will be enhanced by applying
an appropriate mix of incentive and disincentive measures, and by eliminating
"perverse" incentives.
34. Measures which countries are taking or may take to implement Article
8(c) include:
(a) subjecting biological resource users to offtake or harvesting
controls;
(b) instituting trade controls, where appropriate, to accompany controls
on the taking of biological resources;
(c) developing and applying appropriate technologies to enhance sustainable
use;
(d) recognizing and encouraging sustainable use by indigenous or traditional
cultures;
(e) controlling pollution and guiding potentially damaging industries such
as tourism.
3.3. Article 8(d): Protection of ecosystems and natural habitats, and
maintenance of viable populations of species in natural surroundings
35. Article 8(d) refers to all areas, not only those mentioned
in Article 8(a), found within and outside reserves, on both public and
private land.
36. While many States have legislation for conservation of vertebrate animal
species, legislation to protect individual habitat types and ecosystems,
non-vertebrate animal taxa, or plants is much less common. Parties are
beginning to use Article 7 to establish priorities for action on threatened
components of biological diversity.
37. At a global level, the most threatened ecosystems and habitat types
include: freshwater wetlands, such as rivers and lakes; coastal areas;
coral reefs; oceanic islands; temperate moist forests; temperate grasslands;
tropical dry forests; and tropical moist forests in addition to arid, semi-arid
and mountainous areas referred to in Article 20, paragraph 7, of the Convention
as the most environmentally vulnerable ecosystems/habitats.
38. Experience has shown that protection of ecosystems and habitats in
natural surroundings outside traditional protected areas may require legislatively-based
planning controls. Such legally protected habitats are not "protected
areas" in the traditional sense of the term, as no site-specific designation
is made. In practice, however, these habitats are protected areas in all
but name; in many cases, the protection afforded and the goals to be achieved
through planning controls are similar to those of traditional protected
areas.
39. A "viable population" can be defined as one which maintains
its genetic diversity; maintains its potential for evolutionary adaption;
and faces minimal risk of extinction or extirpation from demographic fluctuations,
environmental variation and potential catastrophe, including overuse.
40. Maintaining viable populations in natural surroundings is necessary
both outside protected areas and within them. In both cases, special management
measures such as "recovery" plans may be required to ensure the
survival of the species or the continued existence of habitat critical
to the species' survival (also see Article 8(f) below). To be most effective
these may have to be anchored in legislation (see for example Article 8(k)
which calls for development of regulatory provisions for the protection
of threatened species and populations).
41. Measures which countries are taking or may take to implement Article
8(d) include:
(a) developing legislatively-based protection measures for threatened habitats,
ecosystems and species;
(b) establishing protected areas including those run by national, sub-national
(state, province, county) and private (NGO, community) interests; and
(c) developing recovery plans for populations or restoration measures for
natural ecosystems.
3.4 Article 8(e): Development in areas adjacent to protected areas
42. Article 8(e) implicitly recognizes that activities occurring in
areas adjacent to protected areas may be critical to the protected area's
success. Some protected areas may be situated close to major urban areas
or in areas of intensive agriculture. In these cases, human activities
could undermine the protected area's viability and effectiveness, especially
if the human population is rising, poverty predominates, resources are
being overused, industry exists or urbanization is expanding. Some or all
of these development threats face protected areas in developed and developing
countries alike.
43. Some countries are taking measures to promote development in areas
adjacent to protected areas while ensuring that such development does not
undermine conservation within the protected area itself. One useful model
is the biosphere reserve as developed and promoted by the UNESCO Man and
the Biosphere Programme. These zonal reserves are designed to be models
for sustainable resource use, as well as for conservation, and typically
contain a fully protected core zone surrounded by an extensive "sustainable
use" or "support" zone.
44. Experience shows that:
(a) If a local population is negatively affected by the protected area
(such as by losing traditional rights to gather products or graze animals,
or the ability to develop properties), then the long-
term viability of the protected area may be compromised. However, if resources
which local people have lost are replaced where possible, and other forms
of development compatible with the goals of the protected area promoted
in adjacent areas, then the protected area has a greater chance of long-term
success;
(b) Legal regimes for land-use planning and control in areas adjacent to
protected areas should take into consideration the levels of biological
diversity in both the protected area and the adjacent area, local population
densities, and existing land uses. Environmental impact assessment for
proposed development is required by some Parties as part of a review and
approval process to ensure that the goals of the protected area are not
contravened and that biological diversity is conserved;
(c) In some countries, development and administration of adjacent areas
are closely linked to that of the protected area and both areas are viewed
as a single planning unit. This calls for close coordination to be established
and maintained between protected area managers, governmental development
agencies, NGOs and local communities. In some cases, a multidisciplinary
coordinating group has been established for protected areas subject to
adjacent development, which have the legal authority to act as a focal
point for development proposals and to monitor the impacts of such development
both in and around the protected area;
(d) Where the majority of adjacent lands are community or individually
owned, measures taken to regulate or manage land use are sometimes instituted
in combination with measures which act as incentives (as called for in
Article 11 of the Convention) and disincentives and/or in combination with
the removal or minimization of "perverse" incentives which encourage
the loss of biological diversity and its components.
45. Measures which countries are taking or may take to implement Article
8(e) include;
(a) applying the biosphere reserve model to suitable areas;
(b) developing legislatively-based planning controls;
(c) developing incentive measures for local individuals and communities;
(d) developing and applying appropriate technologies for sustainable use
of biological resources; and
(e) developing environmental impact assessment procedures.
3.5 Article 8(f): Rehabilitation and restoration of species and ecosystems
46. Article 8(f) reflects the belief that the conservation of biological
diversity is not only relevant to "pristine" areas. It is also
about revitalizing degraded ecosystems and restoring flora and fauna.
47. "Rehabilitate" can mean "to return to productive use",
while "restore" can mean "to return to the original condition",
but the two definitions are not very distinct. As natural ecosystems constantly
change, the concept of "original condition" is somewhat arbitrary.
Rehabilitating and restoring ecosystems (sometimes collectively called
"restoration ecology") is a fairly new discipline which may rely
on natural vegetation succession or on active human intervention such as
tree-planting, removal of invasive species, controlled burning or reintroduction
of extirpated species. Restoration has typically
been accomplished on a small scale such as on abandoned mines or small
wetlands.
48. Experience shows that:
(a) Success for both small and large projects requires identification and
control or elimination of the original damaging inputs like pollution or
unsustainable use, and the "perverse" incentives which may encourage
them. For this reason, habitat restoration and rehabilitation may require
implementation of other Convention articles such as: Article 7 (Identification
and Monitoring); Article 12 (Research and Training); Article 17 (Exchange
of Information); and Article 18 (Scientific and Technical Cooperation);
(b) Remedial action in degraded areas may be developed and implemented
at the local level (as called for in Article 10(d) of the Convention).
With appropriate support, local people may be motivated to undertake remedial
action and secure the undertaking's success because they have the most
to gain.
49. Parties are also asked to make an affirmative commitment to promote
the recovery of threatened species. Article 8(f) is complemented by Article
9(c) (ex-situ measures for the recovery and rehabilitation of threatened
species). Species-recovery measures will be aided by measures to
protect ecosystems and natural habitats (see the discussion of Article
8(d) above), as well as by measures undertaken to restore and rehabilitate
ecosystems, since most species extinctions involve at least an element
of habitat destruction.
50. Recovery plans and management strategies specify the methods by which
these objectives are to be achieved. Although action plans for some threatened
species have been prepared (e.g., IUCN's Species Survival Commission Action
Plans referred to in annex I to this note), they cover only a tiny proportion
of the tens of thousands of species of animals and plants which are known
to be threatened.
51. Experience shows that:
(a) The recovery of threatened species cannot be guaranteed, because it
is difficult and in some cases expensive. In most cases, prevention may
be more cost-effective;
(b) The action required very much depends on the organism concerned. The
recovery of some large mammals or birds may require large sums of money
and the efforts, often lifelong, of hundreds of dedicated people.
Even then, success cannot be assured. Yet not all threatened species are
expensive to save. Quite modest efforts in managing small rare plant sites
may be sufficient to take care of some endangered plants. One person can
effectively monitor, supervise and promote actions to save a large number
of endangered plant species, especially if many of them grow in one location;
(c) Recovery measures should be anchored in legislation or other regulatory
measures called for in Articles 8(k) and 9(d);
(d) The voluntary participation and support of local communities, facilitated
through education and awareness campaigns, is also an important factor
in successful species recovery.
52. Measures which countries are taking or may take to implement Article
8(f) include:
(a) identifying degraded ecosystems and threatened species or components
of biological
diversity subject to degradation;
(b) developing and implementing rehabilitation and restoration plans for
ecosystems; and
(c) developing and implementing recovery plans for species.
3.6. Article 8(g): Regulation of risks associated with the use and release
of living modified organisms
53. Article 8(g) requires each Party to take steps to regulate, manage
or control the risks associated with the use and release of living modified
organisms (LMOs) resulting from biotechnology which are likely to have
adverse environmental impacts that could affect the conservation and sustainable
use of biological diversity, taking also into account the risks to human
health. This thus applies at the national level, while Article 19, paragraph
3, of the Convention considers the international aspects of biosafety.
54. From the perspective of the Convention on Biological Diversity, the
issues raised by LMOs resulting from biotechnology cover a wide range.
These include, inter alia, issues of the stability of the inserted
genes, environmental impact on non-target species, adverse effects on ecosystem
processes, potential for weediness of genetically modified crops; issues
of genetic alteration, regulation of gene expression and intended and unintended
changes; issues of phenotypic properties of the donor organisms, such as
competitiveness, pathogenicity and virulence; and issues of adverse effects
on human health. These concerns prompted in the early 1970s discussions
on safety in biotechnology which resulted in a number of national and international
recommendations, guidelines and legislation on biosafety.
55. Biosafety regulatory instruments have been surveyed by a panel of 15
government-nominated experts on biosafety who met in Cairo, Egypt, from
1 to 5 May 1995, pursuant to decision I/9 taken by the Conference of the
Parties at its first meeting (see annex IV in document UNEP/CBD/COP/2/7).
The mandate of the Panel was to prepare a background document for consideration
by an open-ended ad hoc group of experts on biosafety. This open-ended
group met in Madrid, Spain, from 24 to 28 July 1995 to prepare recommendations
on the need for and the modalities of a protocol on biosafety for consideration
by the COP at its second meeting. The background document prepared by the
Panel of Experts on Biosafety was based on current knowledge and experience
of risk assessment and management, and on national as well as regional
and international legislation or guidelines on biosafety.
56. The study of the Panel showed that risk assessment serves as a basis
for decision making if the use and release of LMOs initiate regulatory
requirements. Risk assessment is based on the characteristics of the organisms,
the introduced trait, the environment into which the organism is introduced,
the interactions between these, and the intended application. Risk management
is the implementation of the most appropriate measures to minimize the
identified risks and mitigate their effects while achieving the anticipated
results. Risk management is implemented during the development and evaluation
of an organism in a systematic and stepwise fashion.
57. Experience shows that:
(a) Risk assessment of LMOs with the potential to adversely affect the
conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity might best be
approached on a case-by-case basis;
(b) The nature of hazards associated with LMOs produced by biotechnology
can usually be well characterized, although this is less so in the area
of aquatic systems and soil microbiology.
(c) In an effort to have safety frameworks that are adaptive and adjusted
based upon experience, there is a development trend to identify low risk
categories of LMOs and to simplify administrative requirements for such
organisms. This has led to development of simplified notification procedures
for certain groups of modified plants. In addition, a new trend is that,
except where pathogens are involved, separate regulation of genetically
modified organisms in contained use may become unnecessary over and above
current good laboratory practice.
58. The scope of coverage of national regulations for biosafety range from
those that address only organisms developed through recombinant DNA techniques
to those that include other modification techniques such as micro-injection,
cell fusion, etc. In addition, under these different national regulations,
the specific taxa of organisms covered range from, for instance, micro-organisms,
plants or animals to some combination of these e.g. plants and micro-organisms
or plants; micro-organisms and animals. There are even those national regulations
that address specific groups of organisms such as bioremediation agents.
59 There is wide variation among national governments in the degree and
method of regulation of LMOs. Some governments have adopted guidelines
or legislation which specifically address biosafety considerations. Others
have not promulgated specific regulations but use existing legislation
in areas such as plants, vaccines, environmental/human health and pesticides
to address biosafety considerations. There are, however, countries which
have not adopted specific regulations for biosafety nor have they used
existing legislation to promulgate regulations for biosafety.
60. Measures which countries are taking or may take to implement Article
8(g) include:
(a) developing national or international regulations/agreements and permit
systems;
(b) building the capacity needed for risk assessment and management, including
human resources, information exchange mechanisms taking also into account
the obligations under Article 19, paragraph 4 (which requires each Party
to provide information on available use, safety and environmental impact
for a particular LMO when it is exported to another Party) and other relevant
infrastructures required for development and application of biotechnology
(see document UNEP/CBD/COP/2/7 and, in particular, its annex IV);
(c) developing environmental impact assessment procedures concerning the
use and release of LMOs, particularly in centers of origin and genetic
diversity;
(d) developing monitoring mechanisms as called for in Article 7(b);
(e) strengthening appropriate institutions and developing links with international
organizations; and
(f) ensuring regional harmonization of national regulations/legislation
on biosafety.
3.7 Article 8(h): Control of threats posed by alien species to ecosystems,
habitats or species
61. Article 8(h) recognizes that alien species (also called "exotic",
"introduced", "nonindigenous"
or "non-native" species) pose serious and well-documented threats
to biological diversity. Some alien species may compete with other species
for space and food; become predators of other species; destroy or degrade
habitat; or transmit disease and parasites.
62. Experience shows that:
(a) invasive alien species present a particularly great threat on oceanic
islands, where their introduction, either accidental or intentional, can
cause severe ecological disruption. Another intractable problem has been
the spread of alien species in coastal and freshwater systems. Invasive
alien species can also pose threats to natural ecosystems on continental
landmasses;
(b) eradication of invasive species using currently available methods can
be very expensive or even impossible. While the number of large mammals
can be reduced and even to the point of extinction on small islands or
in restricted areas, smaller animals and invasive plants can be almost
impossible to eradicate in any situation. The cost of finding and introducing
natural parasites and predators for the large number of invasive species
is also prohibitive, bearing in mind the safety considerations for other
species, and has often resulted in further ecological disaster.
63. Countries are finding that it is, therefore, vital to prevent the further
introduction of invasive species. Some countries are reviewing their quarantine
legislation, regulations and practices so as to ensure that plants (or
their propagules) or animals are not introduced if there is a risk that
they might become harmful.
64. National controls being developed in some countries address both voluntary
introductions, and involuntary or accidental introductions. A regulatory
programme to control voluntary introductions can be based on a permit system.
Permits are granted only when research has determined with reasonable certainty
that the introduction will not cause significant harm to indigenous ecosystems
and habitats, species and communities or genomes and genes. The system
is usually riskbased. Experience has shown that accidental introductions
of organisms are more difficult to prevent through regulation. If a damaging
introduction does occur, quick action is vital to control it. Some countries
are finding it advisable to give the appropriate agencies the jurisdictional
power and capacity -- and rapid access to funds -- to control an introduction
before it can spread.
65. Attention has generally focused on the import of exotic species from
outside, although some States are finding it necessary to establish controls
on introductions from one part of the country to another. It may be particularly
important to prevent introductions into protected areas.
66. Several countries have highlighted the need to inform the general public
of the possible dangers of alien species. Public education and awareness
campaigns (Article 13) are helping in this regard.
67. Present international controls in the context of marine biological
diversity include Article 196 of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea
and Agenda 21 (Chapter 17.30 (a)(vi) directs States to consider adopting
appropriate rules on ballast water discharge to prevent the spread of nonindigenous
organisms). Other measures taken internationally focus on microbial, plant
and animal pests and pathogens. The International Plant Protection Convention,
for example, establishes a system of export certificates designed to confirm
that exported plant items are insect-free and conform to the importing
State's phytosanitary regulations. The International Office of Epizootics
has established health and sanitary guidelines for the export and import
of animals.
68. Measures which countries are taking or may take to implement Article
8(h) include:
(a) developing national and international legislation and permit systems;
(b) developing environmental impact assessment procedures and monitoring
mechanisms for alien species;
(c) developing control and eradication plans;
(d) carrying out education and awareness campaigns; and
(e) strengthening appropriate institutions.
3.8 Article 8(i): Provision of conditions for compatibility between
present use and conservation and sustainable use
69. Article 8(i) focuses on use. For this reason, its implementation
can also be seen within the context of Article 10 (Sustainable use of components
of biological diversity).
70. Experience shows that:
(a) It is often difficult to change present levels or methods of utilization
of biological resources such as fish or forests even if they are not compatible
with sustainable use. In addition to the legal question of existing or
acquired rights, livelihoods may be put at risk and countries may find
that it will take time to implement the changes needed;
(b) The concept of ownership (whether by individuals or by communities)
of a utilized biological resource often has a direct bearing on the sustainability
of its use.
71. Measures which countries are taking to implement Article 8(i) include:
(a) providing incentives to encourage sustainable use (Article 11);
(b) developing and using appropriate technologies (Article 16 of the Convention
and Agenda 21, Chapters 16 and 34).
3.9 Article 8(j): Promotion of indigenous knowledge
72. Article 8(j) recognizes that any efforts to conserve or sustainably
use biological diversity must take into consideration the interface between
human culture and biological resources. Well before the rise of modern
society, communities throughout the world prospered by husbanding biological
resources. In the process a sophisticated and wide-ranging body of knowledge,
innovations and practices developed.
73. Experience shows that the accelerated loss of biological diversity
can have significant impacts on the human cultural diversity which has
coevolved with it. As the communities, languages and practices of
indigenous and local peoples die out, their accumulated knowledge is lost.
This is occurring at a time when "modern" society is just beginning
to understand and appreciate the potential
value of traditional knowledge, innovations and practices for its own welfare.
Thus one of the first steps towards fulfilling Article 8(j) may be to identify
and eliminate the impact of those policies which may contribute to the
loss of biological diversity through the erosion of cultural diversity.
74. Article 8(j) acknowledges the great economic and noneconomic value
of traditional knowledge, innovations and practices to modern society and
recognizes that the holders are entitled to decide how to share the information
and for what benefit. This article requests Parties to develop appropriate
policies and legislation which will promote wider application of such knowledge,
innovations and practices, while at the same time ensuring the holders'
consent and encouraging the equitable sharing of benefits. Providing for
this is proving challenging, in part because experience has shown that
such knowledge, innovations or practices may not be confined to a single
community or person.
75. Some of the measures which countries are undertaking to implement Article
8(j) are being implemented in conjunction with policies which provide individuals
and communities, whether indigenous or local, certain rights under the
law. These rights may be associated with land, culture, intellectual property,
legal recognition, legal personality or the right to associate. The explicit
or implicit guarantee of these rights is helping individuals and communities
to maintain their knowledge, innovations and practices; to clarify control
over such information; and to ensure that those who benefit from such information
share the profits from that use.
76. Measures which Parties are taking or may take to implement Article
8(j) include:
(a) eliminating "perverse" incentives which encourage overexploitation
of biological resources, the displacement of traditional practices, plant
varieties and animal breeds and the destruction of ecosystems (see Article
11);
(b) protecting and encouraging practices and innovation in the use of biological
resources, for example by creating a system of incentives and disincentives;
(c) undertaking ethnobiological research programmes to identify and
record traditional knowledge, innovations and practices (see Article 12(b));
(d) enacting legislation requiring approval of, and benefitsharing
with, traditional communities (perhaps to coincide with genetic resources
access legislation);
(e) enacting special legislative or other measures to better enable traditional
communities to protect and control their knowledge, innovations and practices;
(f) working with professional associations to establish ethical guidelines
and codes of conduct for the collection and dissemination of, as well as
benefitsharing for, traditional knowledge, innovations and practices;
(g) establishing outreach programmes to educate traditional communities
on how to negotiate benefitsharing agreements;
(h) working with NGOs and local institutions to identify potential benefits
and direct appropriate benefits back into a community;
(i) raising public awareness of the values of traditional knowledge, innovations
and practices; and
(j) cooperating with other States to implement Farmers' Rights as part
of the FAO Global System for the Conservation and Utilization of Plant
Genetic Resources.
3.10 Article 8(k): Development of legislation and regulations for protecting
threatened species and populations
77. Experience has shown that laws to prevent illegal hunting and other
forms of direct off-take of individual threatened species have been insufficient
to protect those species threatened by destruction of their habitats, rather
than by off-take. As a result, recent laws have tended also to cover the
protection of the sites where threatened species still exist. An additional
benefit from this is that protecting one threatened species by conserving
its habitat often safeguards many other species and contributes to the
conservation of ecosystems.
78. Plant protection laws are being given particular attention by some
countries. In many States, plants are treated as private property which
can be freely removed by landowners. In others they are treated as free
products of nature and so can be collected by anyone almost anywhere.
79. The protection of the habitats of threatened plants is often easier
than the protection of threatened animal habitats because plants are immobile
and many species occupy only small areas. Protection of invertebrates is
an area where more attention should be paid for legislation development.
80. The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild
Flora and Fauna (CITES) is a major international agreement designed to
protect endangered species when they are threatened by international trade.
While most countries have ratified and implemented CITES legislation, some
are finding it useful to review the effectiveness of existing legislative
measures and to make improvements as appropriate. An important feature
of this convention is that, because trade involves at least two Parties,
when one does not implement the Convention provisions, the other Party
may do so.
81. Parties are finding that crucial aspects of legislation promulgated
pursuant to 8(k) are:
(a) Inclusion of habitat protection, since the requirement is to protect
populations;
(b) Development of provisions to accomplish this, including the use of
incentives, and planning constraints or landuse controls (see Article
8 (d)) since it may not be possible to make the habitat of every threatened
species into a protected area;
(c) Linkage to requirements for environmental impact assessments and provision
for the preparation of recovery plans, as required in Article 8(f).
3.11 Article 8(l): Management of adverse effects
82. Experience shows that many human activities have significant adverse
effects on biological diversity. These adverse effects may result from,
among other things, pollution, urbanization, the building of transport
links, monocultural and intensive agriculture, soil erosion and plantation
forestry. The word "significant" gives some discretion to Parties
to determine the processes and activities
concerned. The identification of damaging activities is being derived in
part from the sectoral reports developed pursuant to Article 6(b).
83. Several countries are working to ensure that data derived from identification
and monitoring activities (Article 7) are in a form which can readily be
used by decision-makers for management activities.
84. Existing international agreements on many of these activities include
the Climate Change Convention, the Protocol on Substances that Deplete
the Ozone Layer, the Convention on LongRange Transboundary Air Pollution
and the various international agreements on ocean pollution and fisheries,
as well as numerous national laws and regulations.
85. Measures which countries are taking or may take to implement Article
8(l) include:
(a) identifying processes and activities that have adverse impacts on biological
diversity and its components;
(b) instituting measures to regulate and manage such processes and activities;
(c) developing environmental impact assessment procedures; and
(d) ratifying and implementing other relevant international agreements.
3.12 Article 8(m): Provision of financial and other support for in-situ
conservation
86. Article 8(m) emphasizes direct bilateral support from one Party
to another to implement paragraphs 8(a) through 8(l), in addition to multilateral
financing under the Convention's financial mechanism. Financing is also
reflected in Agenda 21, Chapter 33, paragraph 16, which calls for exploration
of innovative ways to secure public and private resources for conservation
of biological diversity.
87. The phrase "financial and other support" means that cooperation
could be in cash, in kind or technical. And since the implementation of
Article 8 requires Parties to implement or draw on other articles of the
Convention, support may be extended to identification and monitoring (Article
7), research and training (Article 12), public education (Article 13) and
sharing of technical knowledge (Articles 17 and 18).
88. Experience shows that:
(a) Many bilateral development assistance programmes have tended to create
long-term needs for operational and other kinds of support. A critical
goal of bilateral aid therefore should be to develop local capacity which
can be maintained on a sustained basis, and to develop mechanisms which
ensure continued funding of the programmes;
(b) Single, "stand alone" biological diversity-related projects
will probably have relatively little impact on a Party's overall effort
in the area of conservation of biological diversity and sustainable use
of its components. A good strategy may be to finance components of biological
diversity as part of larger development projects. Programmes which include
elements for identification and monitoring, research and training, or public
education and awareness could be included;
(c) Some Parties have in place a National Environmental Fund (NEF), a publicly
- or privately - constituted body which solicits and manages funds from
various sources to support environmental and sustainable development projects.
A trust arrangement is common, which allows for stable long-term financing
necessary for implementing conservation actions. NEFs can play an important
role in donor coordination;
(d) Private sector funds are seen to be the most rapidly growing source
of finance for environmental programmes. These may be available through,
inter alia, joint venture capital funds, "ecological mutual
funds", debt-for-nature swaps, charitable foundations and NGOs;
(e) In some countries, "biological diversity" is a highly marketable
commodity. The potential for exploitation of these markets through both
non-consumptive (such as media coverage) and consumptive (such as harvesting
medicinal plants or new food species) uses of biological diversity is being
explored by a number of countries through the private sector.
89. Measures which countries are taking or may take to implement Article
8(m) include:
(a) providing direct financial or other support for in-situ conservation
to developing countries;
(b) channelling financial assistance through national and international
NGOs;
(c) exploring innovative ways to finance biological diversity-related programmes
through the private sector; and
(d) developing and implementing cooperation programmes.
4. CONCLUSION
90. Implementation of Articles 6 (General Measures for Conservation
and Sustainable Use) and 8 (In-situ Conservation) of the Convention requires
cooperation among Parties to facilitate action at the national level and
to harmonize measures at the regional and international levels. Central
to this cooperation is the need for countries to inform each other about
their own experience and the measures taken to implement the articles in
their own environmental and socio-economic situation, especially since
countries are at different stages of implementation and have access to
variable levels of relevant knowledge and information. With appropriate
review and adaptation, experiences of individual countries in a particular
situation can be invaluable to finding solutions to similar problems in
other countries.
91. Sharing of information and experience about approaches and activities
related to Articles 6 and 8 will be essential for facilitating and accelerating
the process of implementation. Such exchange needs to be carried out in
an organized and systematic manner to be effective.
92. In the context of the Convention, information exchange and sharing
of experience can be carried out under the provisions of Article 17 (Exchange
of Information), Article 18, in particular paragraph 3 (on establishment
of a clearing-house mechanism to promote and facilitate technical and scientific
cooperation), and Article 26 (Reports). The second meeting of the Conference
of the Parties will consider under agenda item 4.2 the recommendations
prepared by the Secretariat to assist the Conference in establishing the
clearing-house mechanism (UNEP/CBD/COP/2/6). The note by the
Secretariat will also contain elements that may enhance exchange of information
and sharing of experience relevant to the objectives of the Convention.
The Conference of the Parties will also consider under agenda item 9 the
form and intervals of national reports by Parties (see Note by the Secretariat
UNEP/CBD/COP/2/14) and the advice on scientific and technical information
to be contained in national reports prepared by the Subsidiary Body on
Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice (see document UNEP/CBD/COP/2/5).
The report on the activities of the Global Environment Facility (UNEP/CBD/COP/2/8)
also contains additional information on how eligible Parties are implementing
or intend to implement Articles 6 and 8.
93. This note summarizes the kinds of actions and approaches that Governments
are and have been taking in relation to the implementation of Articles
6 and 8. The list of actions described is only indicative. Parties may
wish to provide additional information and experience related to these
measures. This might be done through the clearing-house mechanism, in their
national reports and through a variety of other means such as conferences,
newsletters and electronic communications. This implies that Parties should
have the capacity needed to collect, supply and ultimately use the relevant
information and experience.
94. The meeting may also wish to identify ways and means through which
United Nations bodies and inter-governmental and non-governmental organizations
can best contribute information and their experience in dealing with the
provisions of Articles 6 and 8.
95. In view of the importance of developing biological diversity strategies
and action plans as one of the first steps in the implementation of the
Convention and a means to address the full array of the Convention provisions
in the context of respective national development, the Conference of the
Parties may wish to entrust the Secretariat with the task of assisting
Parties, upon request, in preparing their biological diversity strategies
and action plans.
96. The Conference of the Parties may also wish to decide to consider the
experiences in the implementation of Articles 6 and 8 at the end of each
medium-term programme of work so as to take stock of progress in the implementation
of these Articles.
ANNEX I
Indicative list of published national strategies, plans and/or programmes
for the implementation of the Convention on Biological Diversity
Australian and New Zealand Environment and Conservation Council. Undated
Draft. National Strategies for the Conservation of Australia's Biological
Diversity. ANZECC.
Biodiversity Action Plan Planning Team (1993) Draft. Biodiversity Action
Plan for Vietnam. BAPPT. Hanoi.
Comisión Nacional del Medio Ambiente (1993) Propuesta de Plan
de Acción Nacional para la Biodiversidad en Chile. Secretaría
Técnica y Administrativa, CONAMA, Santiago.
Department of Environment (1994a) Biodiversity: The UK Action Plan.
HMSO, London, U.K.
Department of Environment (1994b) Biodiversity: The UK Action Plan,
Summary Report. HMSO, London, U.K.
Directorate for Nature Management (1994) National Action Plan for Biological
Diversity: Guidelines for Sector Plans. Directorate for Nature
Management, Trondheim.
Federal-Provincial-Territorial Biodiveristy Working Group (1994) Draft
Canadian Biodiversity Strategy. Biodiversity Convention Office, Hull,
Quebec.
Government of Indonesia (1993) Biodiversity Action Plan for Indonesia.
Ministry of National Development Planning/National Development Planning
Agency, Jakarta.
National Environmental Protection Agency (1994) China Biodiversity Conservation
Action Plan. NEPA, Beijing.
Protected Areas and Wildlife Bureau. Undated Draft. Philippine Strategy
for Biological Diversity Conservation (PSBDC). DENR and Sub-Committee
on Biological Diversity of the Philippine Council for Sustainable Development,
Manila.
ANNEX II
Indicative list of general references related to the implementation of
Articles 6 and 8
Carew-Reid, J., Prescott-Allen, R., Bass, S. & Dalal-Clayton, B.
(1994) Strategies for National Sustainable Development: A Handbook for
their Planning and Implementation IIED and IUCN.
Glowka, L., Burhenne-Guilmin, F. & Synge, H. (1994) A Guide to the
Convention on Biological Diversity, IUCN Gland and Cambridge.
IUCN (1992) Protected Areas of the World: a Review of National Systems.
4 vols. prepared by WCMC. IUCN, Gland, Switzerland, and Cambridge, UK
IUCN BGCS/WWF (1989) The Botanic Gardens Conservation Strategy.
IUCN, Gland, Switzerland
IUCN/UNEP/WWF (1991) Caring for the Earth. A Strategy for Sustainable
Living. IUCN, UNEP, & WWF. Gland, Switzerland and Earthscan, London
IUCN/SSC Action Plans. IUCN Publications Services Unit, 219 Huntingdon
Road, Cambridge, CB3 0DL, U.K: for various animal species including African
primate, Asian primate, antelopes, dolphins, porpoises, whales, kouprey,
weasels, civets, mongooses and their relatives, Asian rhinos, tortoises,
freshwater turtles, African elephants and rhinos, foxes, wolves, jackals,
dogs, Asian elephant, otters, rabbits, hares, pikas, African insectivora
and elephantshrews, swallowtail butterflies, crocodiles, South American
camelids, Australasian marsupials and monotremes, lemurs of Madagascar,
zebras, asses, horses, old world fruit bats, seals, fur seals, sea lions,
walrus, pigs, peccaries, hippos, the red panda, olingos, coatis, raccoons
and their relatives, dolphins, and megapodes.
IUDZG/CBSG (IUCN/SSC) (1993) World Zoo Conservation Strategy: The Role
of Zoos and Aquaria of the World in Global Conservation
Miller, K. R. & Lanou, S. M. (1995) National Biodiversity Planning:
Guidelines Based on Early Experiences Around the World. World Resources
Institute, United Nations Environment Programme and The World Conservation
Union. Washington D. C. ; Nairobi; Gland, Switzerland
Norse, E.A. (Ed) (1993) Global Marine Biological Diversity: A Strategy
for Building Conservation into Decision-Making. CMC/IUCN/WWF/UNEP/WB.
Island Press, Washington, DC. & Covelo, CA.
UN (1993) Agenda 21, Rio Declaration, Forest Principles: The Final Text
of Agreements. United Nations, New York
UNEP (1993). Reports of Expert Panels 1-3 Established to Follow-up on
the Convention on Biological Diversity. UNEP, Nairobi .
UNEP (1993) Guidelines for Country Studies on Biological Diversity.
UNEP/Bio.Div./Guidelines/CS/Rev.2
WHO, IUCN, WWF (1993) Guidelines for the Conservation of Medicinal Plants.
IUCN, Gland, Switzerland
WRI, IUCN, UNEP (1992) Global Biodiversity Strategy: Guidelines for
Action to Save, Study, and Use Earth's Biotic Wealth Sustainably and Equitably.
WRI/IUCN/UNEP World Resources Institute, Washington DC .
ANNEX III
IUCN protected area management categories
I. Strict Nature Reserve/Wilderness Area.
Areas of land and/or sea possessing some outstanding or representative
ecosystems, geological or physiological features and/or species, available
primarily for scientific research and/or environmental monitoring; or large
areas of unmodified or slightly modified land, and/or sea, retaining their
natural character and influence, without permanent or significant habitation,
which are protected and managed so as to preserve their natural condition.
II. National Park: Protected Areas Managed Mainly for Ecosystem Conservation
and Recreation.
Natural areas of land and/or sea, designated to (a) protect the ecological
integrity of one or more ecosystems for this and future generations, (b)
exclude exploitation or occupation inimicable to the purposes of designation
of the area and (c) provide a foundation for spiritual, scientific, educational,
recreational and visitor opportunities, all of which must be environmentally
and culturally compatible.
III. Natural Monument: Protected Areas Managed Mainly for Conservation
of Specific Features.
Areas containing one, or more, specific natural or natural/cultural
feature which is of outstanding or unique value because of its inherent
rarity, representative or aesthetic qualities or cultural significance.
IV. Habitat/Species Management Area: Protected Areas Managed Mainly
for Conservation Through Management Intervention.
Areas of land and/or sea subject to active intervention for management
purposes so as to ensure the maintenance of habitats and/or to meet the
requirements of specific species.
V. Protected Seascape/Landscape: Protected Areas Managed Mainly for
Seascape/Landscape Conservation and Recreation.
Areas of land, with coast and sea as appropriate, where the interaction
of people and nature over time has produced an area of distinct character
with significant aesthetic, cultural and/or ecological value, and often
with high biological diversity. Safeguarding the integrity of this traditional
interaction is vital to the protection, maintenance and evolution of such
an area.
VI. Managed Resource Protected Area: Protected Areas Managed Mainly
for the Sustainable Use of Natural Ecosystems
Areas containing predominantly unmodified natural systems, managed
to ensure long-term protection and maintenance of biological diversity,
while providing at the same time a sustainable flow of natural products
and services to meet community needs.