The 53rd meeting of the Standing Committee of the United Nations Convention on the Protection of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (StC53) was held in Bonn, Germany, from October 19 to 20, 2022.
China Biodiversity Conservation and Green Development Foundation (hereinafter referred to as "China Green Development Association" and "Green Development Association") is a partner of CMS Convention, and has long been committed to biodiversity conservation and green development. Representatives of the International Department of the Green Club will actively prepare to participate in this meeting.
Open Phoenix News to view more HD pictures
Source: CMS
One of the topics of this meeting is migratory species in the post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework. In order to promote China's deep participation in global environmental governance, the International Department of the Green Society will collate and publish relevant content for interested readers.
"Migratory species in the Post 2020 Global Biodiversity Framework" summarizes the implementation progress of Decision 13.8 on the participation of the CMS Secretariat in the formulation of the Post 2020 Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) since CMS StC52, September 21-29, 2021.
Source: CMS
background
1. The 13th Conference of the Parties (COP13) held in Gandhinagar, India, in March 2020 adopted the Gandhinagar Declaration and the Post 2020 Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) (CMS/Resolution 13.1), stressed GBF's CMS priorities, and called for, inter alia, outsourcing:
1) Committed to maintaining and restoring ecological connectivity;
2) Provisions that effectively address the protection needs of endangered species and species with adverse conservation status, including targets and indicators to curb species decline, and strengthen the link between their provisions on species and those on habitats;
3) Encourages Parties to include appropriate references to other biodiversity related conventions to which they are also parties in their national biodiversity strategies and action plans (NBSAPs) in order to enhance coherent implementation at the national level;
4) Recognizes the role of biodiversity related conventions and other relevant multilateral environmental agreements in the effective implementation, monitoring and review of the post-2020 global biodiversity framework;
5) Provisions on promoting international cooperation and connectivity for the implementation of the new global biodiversity framework.
2. COP13 also adopted CMS/Decisions 13.7 and 13.8 on migratory species in the Post 2020 Global Biodiversity Framework, including further directions on the subject:
Decision 13.7: To the Parties
The Parties shall:
a) Ensure that the needs and considerations of migrating species are incorporated into the post-2020 global biodiversity framework;
b) Report the implementation progress of the decision to COP14.
Decision 13.8: To the Secretariat
The Secretariat shall:
a) Continue to support the CMS post 2020 framework working group, and transfer the contribution of the working group to the open-ended working group established by the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), and then to the 15th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity held in Kunming, China, in October 2020;
b) Analyze the post-2020 framework according to the follow-up options of the Strategic Plan for Migratory Species 2015-2023 (Decision 13.4), and support the follow-up action of formulating the strategic plan for migratory species;
c) Report the implementation progress of this decision to StC52, StC53 and COP14.
Implementation of CMS/Decision 13.8 on Migratory Species in the Post 2020 Global Biodiversity Framework
3. Since COP13, according to CMS/Decision 13.8 a), the Secretariat has been participating in the process related to GBF and supporting the working group of CMS input to GBF, which is composed of representatives of governments and organizations and CMS members.
4. The progress report on the activities carried out by the secretariat in 2020-2021 was submitted at the 52nd meeting and is contained in document UNEP/CMS/StC52/Doc.15 "Implementation of the work plan for 2020-2023".
5. Details on the implementation of CMS/decision 13.8 b) are contained in document UNEP/CMS/StC53/Doc.12 "Options for follow-up to the Strategic Plan for Migratory Species 2015-2023".
Determine and approve GBF
6. GBF will be approved by CBD COP15, but the meeting will be postponed to December 7-19, 2022 due to the COVID-19 epidemic. All relevant preparatory meetings have also been rescheduled and supplemented with more online consultations and face-to-face meetings to facilitate discussion and agreement on the final text. The fifth meeting of the Open ended Working Group on GBF will be held from 3 to 5 December 2022.
meeting
7. Since StC52, the secretariat has actively supported the CMS priorities highlighted in the Gandhinagar Declaration and participated in all consultations and meetings of the Convention on Biological Diversity related to the GBF process, namely:
1) Meetings of the Open ended Working Group on GBF (WG2020):
− WG2020/3 resumed from 14 to 29 March 2022;
− 21-26 June 2022 WG2020/4.
2) Various webinars, informal meetings and briefings during 2022;
3) The twenty fourth meeting of the Subsidiary Body for Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice (SBSTTA-24) and the resumed third meeting of the Executive Subsidiary Body (SBI-3), from 14 to 29 March 2022.
4) Expert workshop on GBF monitoring framework from June 29 to July 1, 2022.
Documents and recommendations
8. In preparation for these meetings, the secretariat reviewed and analyzed relevant documents, including the revised draft of GBF and its monitoring framework, and held extensive consultations with the working group on CMS's input to GBF.
9. Based on these reviews and analyses, the secretariat issued a series of recommendations on how to better reflect the priorities of CMS in GBF, monitoring framework and other relevant documents, including the following notifications:
− Notice 2022/02, February 2022;
− Notice 2022/008, June 2022.
CMS priorities, monitoring framework, planning, implementation, reporting and review in GBF
GBF Objectives and Indicators
10. The Secretariat has promoted the priorities of cooperative management to improve the text of GBF elements through the following recommendations:
− Goal A: Ecological connectivity is clearly expressed as a unique and independent element, rather than an element under the concept of integrity;
− Indicator 1: Maintaining and improving ecological connectivity is an indispensable function of spatial planning;
− Indicator 2: It is equally important to restore ecological connectivity itself and ensure connectivity between restored ecosystems;
− Indicator 3: The protected area system and other effective regional protection measures (OECMs) are "well connected" to ensure connectivity between disconnected areas that are important for migratory species;
− Indicator 4: Achieve species restoration and protection by actively managing species and taking other actions to address the driving factors of species reduction;
− Indicator 5: Eliminate unsustainable, illegal and unsafe hunting, trade and use of target and non target species to ensure wildlife and human health;
− Indicator 7: Solve all pollution sources that have a significant impact on wildlife, including noise, light and lead pollution;
− Indicator 9: Ensure the sustainable level of species fishing by complying with relevant international commitments and regulations.
11. The latest GBF text is generated by WG2020/4 (CBD/WG2020/4/L2-ANNEX) and contains many CMS priorities, while others need further attention during the final negotiation.
12. For example, so far, ecological connectivity has been well reflected in many elements of GBF on spatial and urban planning and ecosystem restoration (i.e., Goal A and Indicators 1, 2, 3 and 12); Development of nature reserves and other nature reserves and management of wildlife.
13. In contrast, in indicators 4 and 5, dealing with species extinction and overexploitation requires greater ambition.
14. In preparation for COP15 to be held in May and December of WG2020, the annex to this document contains a set of new recommendations on the possible text of GBF based on the outcome of the 2020/4 meeting.
Planning, implementation, reporting and review of GBF
15. The secretariat also liaises with Parties and cooperates with the secretariats of other biodiversity related conventions to ensure recognition of the important contributions of these conventions to the effective and coherent implementation of the specific content of GBF and its planning, reporting and review.
16. To this end, several joint interventions were also undertaken at the 2020 meeting of the Conference of the Parties and the SBI to improve the relevant text of the draft decision on the implementation of the GBF, sections I (enabling conditions) and J (responsibility and transparency) of the GBF, and the recommendations of the SBI on cooperation and planning, reporting and review. The secretariats of all eight conventions also held a joint side meeting on the sidelines of the Convention on Biological Diversity held in Geneva in March 2022 to highlight the contribution of these conventions to the implementation of GBF.
17. The recommendation of the SBI on cooperation with other conventions, international organizations and initiatives (CBD/SBI/REC/3/12) was not taken seriously and needs to be addressed on CBD COP15. Significant progress has also been made in other areas, including the negotiation of the SBI's proposal on options for strengthening the planning, reporting and review mechanism (CBD/SBI/REC/3/11), which, among other provisions, confirms the contribution of other multilateral environmental agreements to the implementation of the GBF and the need to incorporate commitments under these multilateral environmental agreements into national biodiversity strategies Action plans and national reports. This recommendation of the SBI and the draft decision on the implementation of the GBF reflect the need for Parties to cooperate in the implementation of the GBF at the international level.
GBF monitoring framework and indicators
18. With regard to the GBF monitoring framework, the secretariat has worked to propose feasible indicators for the key elements of GBF as outlined in Circular 2022/02, in particular to address the lack of adequate proposed indicators of ecological connectivity in Goal A and specific indicators 1-3.
19. In April 2022, the Secretariat, together with the Large Landscape Conservation Center (CLLC), the United Nations Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Center (UNEP WCMC), and the IUCN WCPA Connectivity Protection Expert Group (IUCN WCPA - ccsg), organized the second seminar, focusing on the ecological connectivity indicators of "GBF". The seminar was held in a virtual way for two days (April 20-21), and more than 25 scientists and experts, including Mr. Fernando Spina, an interconnection member appointed by the CMS Committee, and partners, discussed it. The results of this workshop will be submitted to COP15 in the form of information document, and will be exchanged through a special webinar in September 2022.
20. The secretariat also attended the expert seminar of the Convention on Biological Diversity on the GBF monitoring framework held from 29 June to 1 July 2022. The workshop reviewed all the overall indicators proposed for each goal and indicator of GBF in order to recommend to COP15 those indicators suitable for immediate use, as well as those indicators that need further work on GBF indicators by the Ad Hoc Technical Expert Group (AHTEG) after the COP15 meeting.
21. Among all the candidate title indicators, the seminar considered the indicator proposed by CMS for target A to measure its connectivity component: "the protection status of migratory species (separated from existing indicators), as the proxy indicator of connectivity". Unfortunately, this indicator is only evaluated as a component indicator that is particularly relevant to Goal a and is not proposed as a main indicator.
22. Similarly, the indicators "PARC" and "ProtConn" proposed for monitoring the "good connectivity" part of indicator 3 are not evaluated as feasible overall indicators, but as complementary and constituent indicators respectively.
23. The Seminar also recognized the need for further efforts to integrate all aspects of connectivity into the overall indicator proposed for indicator 1, "Percentage of land and sea covered by spatial planning that includes biodiversity".
Next step
24. In order to promote the discussion and agreement on the GBF text and prepare for the adoption of the text at the second phase of COP15, additional consultations are planned in the months before COP15 and at the WG2020/5 meeting held before COP15 (December 3-5, 2022).
25. The Secretariat will strive to continue to participate in this process and will support the CMS Working Group's input to GBF as appropriate.
26. In anticipation of the adoption of the GBF, the Secretariat is taking steps to promote its implementation. These include:
− Formulate the Joint Work Plan with the secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity, and cooperate in implementation, capacity-building and other key areas related to CMS;
− Disseminate information on the eighth replenishment of the Global Environment Facility (GEF-8) to CMS Parties and explore possible initiatives and projects with partners (see document UNEP/CMS/StC53/Doc. 10.2 Resource mobilization);
− Analyze how CMS can support the implementation of GBF as part of its implementation of decision 13.4 of the CMS Conference of the Parties on the strategic objectives of future CMS (see document UNEP/CMS/StC53/Doc. 12);
-Explore opportunities to strengthen CMS work in key areas related to GBF.
Recommended actions
27. Recommends that the Standing Committee:
a) Pay attention to documents and put forward opinions in due time;
b) Provide advice to the Secretariat on further work and participation in the GBF process at the final stage of the negotiations concluded at COP15;
c) Encourages the focal points of the Parties to maintain contact with their counterparts in the Convention on Biological Diversity to ensure that the GBF reflects CMS priorities in accordance with decision 13.7;
d) Provide feedback to the Secretariat on the next steps to promote GBF implementation.
This document is compiled from CMS StC53 file, and the translation is for reference only. For more information, please pay attention to Lvhui Media.
Compile/YJ review/Maggie edit/angel
