NATURE PROTECTS IF SHE IS PROTECTED Decisions adopted by the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity at its Eleventh Meeting Hyderabad, India 8-19 October 2012 NATURE PROTECTS IF SHE IS PROTECTED Decisions adopted by the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity at its Eleventh Meeting Hyderabad, India 8-19 October 2012 Published by the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity, Montreal 2013. Copyright © 2013 Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity ISBN 92-9225-470-7 This publication may be reproduced for educational or non-profit purposes without special permission from the copyright holders, provided acknowledgement of the source is made. The Secretariat of the Convention would appreciate receiving a copy of the publications that use this document as a source. Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity (2013). Nature Protects if she is Protected. Decisions of the Eleventh Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity, Hyderabad, India, 8 to 19 October 2012. Montreal: Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity, 246 pages. For further information please contact: Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity World Trade Centre 413 St. Jacques Street West, Suite 800 Montreal, Quebec, Canada H2Y 1N9 Phone: +1 (514) 288 2220 Fax: +1 (514) 288 6588 E-mail: [email protected] Website: http://www.cbd.int FOREWORD The Eleventh meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP 11) set the tone for realization of the goals of the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020. COP 11 was the first meeting of the Parties to be held during the United Nations-designated Decade on Biodiversity 2011-2020. It was also the first meeting of a Rio Convention to take place after the Rio + 20 Summit and its call for “the Future We Want.” Almost 6,000 delegates representing Parties and other governments, United Nations agencies, intergovernmental, non-governmental, indigenous and local community organizations, academia and the private sector participated in the Hyderabad meeting, held under the slogan: “Nature Protects if she is Protected.” At COP 11, governments moved to support the implementation of the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020 and its Aichi Biodiversity Targets. The meeting adopted 33 decisions on a range of strategic, substantive, administrative, financial and budgetary issues. Among other issues, the meeting addressed: the status of the Nagoya Protocol on access to genetic resources and benefit-sharing; implementation of the Strategic Plan 2011-2020 and progress towards the Aichi Biodiversity Targets; and implementation of the Strategy for Resource Mobilization. Deliberations also focused on: issues related to financial resources and the financial mechanism; cooperation, outreach and the United Nations Decade on Biodiversity; operations of the Convention; and administrative and budgetary matters. Delegates also addressed: ecosystem restoration; traditional knowledge; marine and coastal biodiversity; biodiversity and climate change; biodiversity and development; and several other ecosystem-related and cross-cutting issues. Building on the success and the historic outcomes of the 2010 Nagoya Biodiversity Summit, governments agreed to increase funding in support of actions to ensure that by the middle of this century biodiversity is valued, conserved, restored and wisely used, maintaining ecosystem services, sustaining a healthy planet and delivering benefits essential for all people. Developed countries agreed to double their funding to support efforts in developing countries towards meeting the Aichi Targets and Strategic Plan for biodiversity. In addition, the Government of India announced that a sum of US$ 50 million would be earmarked during India’s presidency of the Conference of Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity to strengthen the institutional mechanism for biodiversity conservation in India and provide support for capacity-development outside of India. This was the first pledge for the Biodiversity Champions Campaign The meeting in Hyderabad also made progress on several issues relating to protecting the oceans of the world. The 193 Parties to the CBD welcomed the progress made by national researchers and international experts to describe ecologically or biologically significant marine areas (EBSAs). COP agreed to transmit the results of this work to the UNGA so that they can be considered by relevant UN processes linked to the United Nations Convention on Law of the Sea. Parties to the Convention also called for more research into the potential adverse effects of underwater noise from ships on marine and coastal biodiversity, and highlighted the growing concern on the adverse effects of marine litter. It also recognized the growing challenge of climate change impacts on coral reefs, which, parties agreed, will require significant investment to overcome. There was also a call to fisheries management bodies to play a stronger role in addressing the impacts of fisheries on biodiversity. The Conference of the Parties developed new work on ecosystem restoration in support of achieving Aichi Target 15 which called for the restoration of 15% of degraded lands. This work was supported by a call, in the margins of the meeting, by the UNFCCC, the UNCCD and other International Organizations for concerted action in support of the decision. A number of other meetings were held in parallel to COP 11 demonstrating that the Hyderabad meeting was a forum for the mobilization of stakeholders in support of the CBD, including the fair on experiences and best practices in communication, education and public awareness (CEPA), the Rio Conventions Pavilion, and an entire day devoted to the actions of local communities in support of conservation, organized in collaboration with the ICCA Consortium, an international association dedicated to promoting the appropriate recognition of and support to ICCAs (Indigenous Peoples’ and Community Conserved Areas and Territories). The meeting also was marked by the holding of the Cities for Life: City and Subnational Biodiversity Summit, which launched the first edition of the Cities and Biodiversity Outlook (CBO). The CBO constitutes the first global assessment investigating the links between urbanization, biodiversity and ecosystem services. The important outcomes of the Hyderabad meeting demonstrate an increasing momentum in support of the vision of the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity. They show that by protecting nature, we are creating the future we want. Annex I DECISIONS ADOPTED BY THE CONFERENCE OF THE PARTIES TO THE CONVENTION ON BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY AT ITS ELEVENTH MEETING (Hyderabad, India, 8-19 October 2012) TABLE OF CONTENTS Decision Page XI/1 Status of the Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and the 3 Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits Arising from their Utilization and related developments XI/2 Review of progress in implementation of national biodiversity strategies 24 and action plans and related capacity‑building support to Parties XI/3 Monitoring progress in implementation of the Strategic Plan for 31 Biodiversity 2011‑2020 and the Aichi Biodiversity Targets XI/4 Review of implementation of the strategy for resource mobilization, 44 including the establishment of targets XI/5 The financial mechanism 49 XI/6 Cooperation with other conventions, international organizations, and 61 initiatives XI/7 Business and biodiversity 71 XI/8 Engagement of other stakeholders, major groups and subnational 76 authorities XI/9 Progress report on gender mainstreaming 79 XI/10 Periodicity of meetings 81 XI/11 New and emerging issues relating to the conservation and sustainable 82 use of biodiversity XI/12 Retirement of decisions 84 XI/13 Ways and means to improve the effectiveness of the Subsidiary Body on 86 Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice and collaboration with the Intergovernmental Science‑Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services XI/14 Article 8(j) and related provisions 91 1 Decision Page XI/15 Review of the programme of work on island biodiversity 110 XI/16 Ecosystem restoration 115 XI/17 Marine and coastal biodiversity: ecologically or biologically significant 120 marine areas XI/18 Marine and coastal biodiversity: sustainable fisheries and addressing 143 adverse impacts of human activities, voluntary guidelines for environmental assessment, and marine spatial planning XI/19 Biodiversity and climate change related issues: advice on the application 152 of relevant safeguards for biodiversity with regard to policy approaches and positive incentives on issues relating to reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation in developing countries; and the role of conservation, sustainable management of forests and enhancement of forest carbon stocks in developing countries XI/20 Climate‑related geoengineering 162 XI/21 Biodiversity and climate change: integrating biodiversity considerations 166 into climate‑change related activities XI/22 Biodiversity for poverty eradication and development 169 XI/23 Biological diversity of inland water ecosystems 176 XI/24 Protected areas 178 XI/25 Sustainable use of biodiversity: bushmeat and sustainable wildlife 183 management XI/26 Global Strategy for Plant Conservation 193 XI/27 Biofuels and biodiversity 197 XI/28 Invasive alien species 200 XI/29 Global Taxonomy Initiative 206 XI/30 Incentive measures 218 XI/31 Administration