European Union

Highlights for Thursday, 28 November 2019 From L-R: Caridad Canales, CBD Secretariat; Alexander Shestakov, CBD Secretariat; SBSTTA 23 Chair Hesiquio Benítez Díaz; CBD Deputy Executive Secretary David Cooper; and John Scott, CBD Secretariat Delegates to the 23rd meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical, and Technological Advice (SBSTTA 23) of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) met in plenary throughout the day to address draft recommendations on: possible elements of work on the links between nature and culture; biodiversity and climate change; and new and emerging issues. Regarding the links between nature and culture, delegates discussed a paragraph noting that “nothing in the work programme on the links between nature and culture should be interpreted or used to support non-tariff barriers to trade.” They further deliberated on a draft recommendation adding tasks for the programme of work on developing strategies for benefit-sharing with traditional knowledge holders and on integrating cultural values attached to biodiversity into a supportive framework. These recommendations have been either bracketed or deleted. Delegates discussed at length the draft recommendation on biodiversity and climate change. They exchanged opinions on the use of the term “ecosystem-based approaches” vis-à-vis “nature-based solutions.” They reached agreement on a request to the Secretariat to invite written submissions on possible post-2020 targets and indicators related to biodiversity and climate change for the consideration of the Open-ended Working Group on the post-2020 global biodiversity framework. They further decided to bracket references to: required “socioeconomic, cultural, and political changes;” a recommendation noting certain practices harmful to biodiversity; and a reference to nationally determined contributions within a recommendation towards strengthening the efforts to integrate biodiversity conservation to climate change adaptation, mitigation, and disaster risk reduction. The draft recommendation on new and emerging issues was approved without amendments, deferring the decision on whether synthetic biology should be classified as a new and emerging issue to SBSTTA 24. In the evening, delegates met in a contact group, co-chaired by Anne Teller (EU) and Jorge Murillo (Colombia), to address direct drivers of biodiversity loss, focusing on invasive alien species, climate change, and pollution. They further exchanged ideas on the use and values of nature, and relevant tools, solutions, and leverage points. Discussions continued into the night.For more details on the day’s negotiations and to hear what delegates said in the corridors, see our daily Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB). IISD Reporting Services, through its ENB Meeting Coverage, provided daily web coverage and daily reports from WG8J 11 and SBSTTA 23. In addition, IISD Reporting Services has published a summary and analysis report from the meetings in HTML and PDF. Photos by IISD/ENB | Mike Muzurakis For photo reprint permissions, please follow instructions at our Attribution Regulations for Meeting Photo Usage Page Jorge Murillo, Colombia Andrea Cruz-Angón, Mexico Jaime Grubb, Australia Alexander Shestakov, CBD Secretariat, and SBSTTA 23 Chair Hesiquio Benítez Díaz Adem Bilgin, Turkey Karin Zaunberger, EU Ines Verleye, Belgium Mitzi Gurgel Valente da Costa, Brazil Roxana Solis, Peru Rosemary Paterson, New Zealand Anki Weibull, Sweden Lorenzo Ciccarese, Italy Rebecca Kennedy, Canada Makiko Yanagiya, Japan Joaqin Salzberg, Argentina, with Basile van Havre, Co-Chair, Open-ended Working Group (OEWG) on the Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework Trine Hay Setsaas, Norway, with CBD Deputy Executive Secretary David Cooper Nader Ibrahim and Caridad Canales, CBD Secretariat Gabriele Obermayr, Austria Angel Onofa, Ecuador Gillian Guthrie, Jamaica SBSTTA 23 Chair Hesiquio Benítez Díaz, conferring with members of the CBD Secretariat Basile van Havre, Co-Chair, OEWG on the Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework, and Jim Thomas, ETC Group Article 8(j) Working Group Co-Chair Hamdallah Zedan, Egypt, with Charlotta Sörqvist, Sweden Room view during the contact group Around the Venue

Highlights for Wednesday, 27 November 2019 Ilham Atho Mohamed, Maldives, chairing the morning session Delegates to the 23rd meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical, and Technological Advice (SBSTTA 23) of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) met in plenary throughout the day to address sustainable wildlife management, technical and scientific cooperation, ecologically or biologically significant marine areas in the North-East Atlantic, and new and emerging issues. On sustainable wildlife management, Kristina Rodina, FAO, Secretary of the Collaborative Partnership on Sustainable Wildlife Management (CPW), urged parties to address the root causes of over-exploitation of wildlife and to recognize the contribution of sustainable wildlife management to sustainable livelihoods and local economic prosperity. Carolina Behe-Harris, Inuit Circumpolar Council, pleaded for the rights, values, practices, and traditions of indigenous peoples and local communities (IPLCs) to be accurately reflected in the post-2020 process. Parties noted the importance of the sustainable use of biodiversity in wildlife management; the need to tackle illegal wildlife trade; national efforts to promote sustainable wildlife management; and the need for multidisciplinary collaboration among relevant fora. Many parties also highlighted the importance of scientific and technical cooperation for the implementation of the post-2020 framework. They also requested additional information on the budgetary and operational consequences of a range of options regarding relevant institutional mechanisms and modalities. A number of African countries underscored the need to meaningfully address digital sequence information and potential benefit-sharing arising from its use in the post-2020 global biodiversity framework. An engaged discussion took place under the agenda item on new and emerging issues. While the long-standing discussion on whether synthetic biology fulfils the criteria for new and emerging issues attracted some attention, delegates also exchanged ideas on a suggestion regarding “open environmental transformation technologies," the open-air use of nucleic acids and proteins to alter traits, genes, or other kinds of genetic material. In the evening, delegates met in a contact group, co-chaired by Anne Teller (EU) and Jorge Murillo (Colombia), to discuss elements for the post-2020 global biodiversity framework. They considered possible target themes and elements, including biodiversity and conservation outcomes, direct drivers, and the use and value of nature.For more details on the day’s negotiations and to hear what delegates said in the corridors, see our daily Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB). IISD Reporting Services, through its ENB Meeting Coverage, provided daily web coverage and daily reports from WG8J 11 and SBSTTA 23. In addition, IISD Reporting Services has published a summary and analysis report from the meetings in HTML and PDF. Photos by IISD/ENB | Mike Muzurakis For photo reprint permissions, please follow instructions at our Attribution Regulations for Meeting Photo Usage Page Carolina Behe-Harris, Inuit Circumpolar Council Kristina Rodina, Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO) Adams Toussaint, St Lucia Caridad Canales, CBD Secretariat Naeem Ashraf Raja, Pakistan From L-R: Alexander Shestakov, CBD Secretariat; Ilham Atho Mohamed, Maldives; and Sarat Babu Gidda, CBD Secretariat Reinhard Schnidrig, Switzerland Larbi Sbaï, Morocco Angel Onofa, Ecuador Mosimanegape Nthaka, Botswana John Clorley, UK Bun Heng Sok, Cambodia Faisal Shuraim, Saudi Arabia Delegates from Like-Minded Mega Diverse countries, conferring during the lunch break. Adem Bilgin, Turkey, and Jerry Harrison, UN Environment Programme - World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC) SBSTTA 23 Chair Hesiquio Benítez Díaz, and Katia Karousakis, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) El Khitma El Awad Mohammed, Sudan Geneviève Lalumière, International Planning Committee for Food Sovereignty (IPC) Simon Nemtzov, Israel Ruth Spencer, Barnes Hill Community Development Organization Jessica Carvajal, Colombia Gono Semiadi, Indonesia Genene Tefera Belihu, Ethiopia Shirin Karryeva, Turkmenistan Room view during the contact group Around the Venue

Highlights for Tuesday, 26 November 2019 The Colombian delegation with IPBES Chair Ana María Hernandez Salga Delegates to the 23rd meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical, and Technological Advice (SBSTTA 23) of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) finalized plenary deliberations of potential elements for the post-2020 global biodiversity framework, and addressed climate change and biodiversity, and the links between nature and culture. Regarding biodiversity and climate change, Paul Watkinson, Chair of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific and Technical Advice (SBSTA) of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), emphasized, via video link, the importance of strengthening the ties between the CBD and the UNFCCC. Delegates underscored the need to: increase efforts to address biodiversity and climate change in an integrated manner across all levels and sectors; strengthen synergies across the Rio Conventions and biodiversity-related conventions; and apply nature-based solutions to disaster risk reduction, and climate change mitigation and adaptation. On the links between nature and culture, many supported the draft recommendations, as developed by the Working Group on Article 8(j) last week, and the joint programme of work on the links between cultural and biological diversity between the Secretariat and the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), highlighting that nature and culture are deeply integrated, especially in indigenous communities, and that such a link should be strengthened. A contact group, co-chaired by Anne Teller (EU) and Jorge Murillo (Colombia), met in the evening to discuss SBSTTA’s guidance regarding the mission, goals, targets, indicators, baselines, and monitoring framework for the post-2020 framework.For more details on the day’s negotiations and to hear what delegates said in the corridors, see our daily Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB). IISD Reporting Services, through its ENB Meeting Coverage, provided daily web coverage and daily reports from WG8J 11 and SBSTTA 23. In addition, IISD Reporting Services has published a summary and analysis report from the meetings in HTML and PDF. Photos by IISD/ENB | Mike Muzurakis For photo reprint permissions, please follow instructions at our Attribution Regulations for Meeting Photo Usage Page Marina von Weissenberg, Finland, chairing the morning session Irene Hoffmann, Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Cristina Romanelli, World Health Organization (WHO) Gabriele Obermayr, Austria Obaid Ali Al Shamsi, United Arab Emirates Boukar Attari, Niger View of the dais during the morning session Syed Mohazri Bin Syed Hazari, Malaysia Sigurdur Thrainsson, Iceland Johan Abenius, Sweden Innocent Maloba and Günter Mitlacher, WWF International From L-R: Nader Ibrahim, CBD Secretariat; SBSTTA 23 Chair Hesiquio Benítez Díaz; and CBD Deputy Executive Secretary David Cooper Marie-May Muzungaile, Seychelles Joséphine Thérèse Eloundou, Cameroon Sujit Kumar Bajpayee, India Moustafa Fouda, Egypt Kent Nnadozie, ITPGRFA Secretary Gwen Sisior, Palau Mohammed Mobarak Alshamlan, Saudi Arabia Marie Haraldstad, Norway Mareike Imken, Foundation of Future Farming, and Ricarda Steinbrecher, Federation of German Scientists Participants conferring during lunch break Around the Venue