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CONSERVATION AND SUSTAINABLE USE:

The Working Group agreed to submit the following list of proposed activities to the Committee for its consideration and possible transmission to the COP:

All Parties should conduct country studies, and prepare national biodiversity strategies with the provision of technical, scientific and financial support as needed. The Interim Secretariat should report to the Conference of the Parties on progress (Country studies should not be mandatory or a precondition for provision of financial support for implementation of the Convention);

To facilitate access to and exchange of information, it should be made available in computerized form, using existing software. The Interim Secretariat should develop format for data entries and institute regional training programmes on the use of such formats;

Financial support should be provided for the purchase of relevant classical literature and other publications;

Conservation and sustainable use measures should emphasize the participation of local communities, women and youth, and should improve local standards of living;

Regional approaches should be devised, i.e., through workshops and seminars, to address shared concerns;

Ex-situ and in-situ programmes should be integrated and should include microorganisms;

All existing identified conservation aspects falling under different conventions should be integrated;

Restoration of ecosystems, which may include the elimination of alien species, should be considered

Capacity-building, including institutional strengthening and human resource development, particularly of taxonomists, should receive greater attention;

Conservation of biodiversity outside protected areas should receive greater attention;

National legislation should be reviewed to reflect the needs of the Convention;

Traditional knowledge should be integrated in modern management practices to conserve biodiversity;

Education programmes to raise public awareness of biodiversity issues should be developed; and

All parties should designate appropriate protected areas, paying due attention to the management of the surrounding areas.

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