Transcript Options for harmonizing national reporting to biodiversity-related agreements Peter Herkenrath UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre.

Options for harmonizing national
reporting to biodiversity-related
agreements
Peter Herkenrath
UNEP World Conservation
Monitoring Centre
The scope: The global
biodiversity-related agreements
• World Heritage Convention
• Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)
• Convention on International Trade in
Endangered Species (CITES)
• Convention on Migratory Species (CMS)
• Ramsar Convention on Wetlands
What makes reporting a
challenge?
• Reports are required for many agreements
(‘reporting burden’) >> resource implications
• Reports for different conventions often overlap
• Reporting formats are often complex
• Institutional linkages between national
biodiversity information managers & national
focal points are often not straightforward
Needs addressed by the
harmonization project
• Avoiding duplication of effort in reporting
processes
• Increasing efficiency and reducing the
burden of reporting
• Improving access to reported information
• Above all: coherent national
implementation of conventions
Mandate for harmonization of
national reporting from the
conventions
•
•
•
•
CBD decisions V/19, VI/25, VII/25
CITES decisions 13.90 and 13.92
CMS resolution 7.9, draft recommendation 8.4
Ramsar Convention resolutions VII/4 and VIII/26,
draft resolution IX/5
• Third joint work plan of CBD & Ramsar
Convention
• Biodiversity Liaison Group (convention
secretariats)
Harmonization of reporting background
• Starting point: Addressing the challenges as above
• UNEP + 5 conventions: Feasibility Study (1998)
on harmonization of information management
• UNEP workshop in 2000 in Cambridge, UK:
Governments, agreement secretariats,
organisations
• UNEP national pilot projects
Harmonization pilot projects
2001-2003
• Ghana: Linking national reporting to State of the
Environment reporting
• Indonesia: Modular approach to national
reporting
• Panama: Regional support mechanisms for
national information management and reporting
• Seychelles: A consolidated national report for
several conventions
Workshop 2004 in Haasrode,
Belgium
• Convened by UNEP-WCMC with
Governments of Belgium and UK and
additional support from Germany
• Attended by agreement secretariats,
countries, organisations
• Examined pilot project results
• Developed recommendations
The Biodiversity Liaison Group
… comprises the secretariats of the five global
biodiversity-related conventions.
At its 3rd meeting in May 2005, the Group
• recognized possibilities for increased
harmonization of reporting, including
– a web portal
– common reporting modules and
– facilitation of harmony in national data management.
The Biodiversity Liaison Group
At its 3rd meeting in May 2005, the Group agreed
• that the 2010 target of significantly reducing the
rate of biodiversity loss by 2010 can provide a
focus for cooperation among the biodiversityrelated conventions
• that it would be useful for each Convention, as
appropriate, to adopt indicators that are consistent
with the framework of goals and targets adopted
by the CBD
The World Heritage Convention
• Clearly explains the purpose of periodic reporting
(Operational Guidelines; Explanatory Notes for
the reporting format)
• Has a high reporting rate, supported by
(sub)regional meetings
• Develops recommendations from periodic national
reports for further implementation
• Provides outcome-oriented information in section
II of the periodic reports
Significant elements for future
reporting
• Common information modules
• Outcome-oriented reporting:
– 2010 biodiversity target
– indicators
• Lessons learned: Information useful for other
Parties
• On-line reporting
Common information requests
(modules) in reporting formats of
the biodiversity-related
conventions would…
• Build on issues of relevance to more than
one convention
• Save resources: questionnaire needs to be
filled in once, to be used for more than one
convention
• Facilitate cooperation between biodiversity
managers at the national level
Potential common information
modules (examples)
CBD CITES CMS Ramsar WHC
Inland
waters
Forest
ecosystems
Protected
areas
Indicators
X
(x)
X
X
X
X
(x)
X
(x)
X
X
X
X
(x)
X
X
X
X
(x)
Common information modules
• At the global level: in reporting formats of the
conventions
• At the national level: to be developed from
biodiversity information to make reporting easier
Modular approach to reporting
National
Agency
A
National
Agency
B
National
Agency
C
Information
modules
provided
Information
modules
required
International
Convention
(i)
International
Convention
(ii)
International
Convention
(iii)
Indicators for the state of
conservation – World Heritage
Convention
Periodic reporting to the World Heritage Convention
serves, inter alia, the purpose of:
• Providing information on the state of conservation
of the World Heritage properties
State Parties are required to develop key indicators
for measuring the state of conservation of World
Heritage properties (Explanatory Notes for
Periodic Reporting)
Indicators for the state of
conservation – 2010 target
Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD):
• 2010 target of significantly reducing the rate of
biodiversity loss by 2010 – endorsed by the World
Summit on Sustainable Development in 2002
• Framework of goals, targets and indicators for the
2010 target, for example:
– Target 1.2: Areas of particular importance to
biodiversity protected
– Indicator: Coverage of protected areas
Indicators for the state of
conservation – 2010 target
• The 2010 target has been or will be
recognized by various other conventions.
• The 2010 target offers the chance to develop
indicators useful for measuring progress
towards 2010 (and beyond)
• The World Heritage Convention could
develop such global indicators based on
national experience
Indicators for the state of
conservation – in reporting
formats
• CBD: Indicators widely requested in format for the 3rd
national reports and similarly expected for the 4th national
reporting format
• Ramsar: Outcome-oriented indicators for assessing the
implementation effectiveness of the Convention, as part of
the Strategic Plan and for use in next national reporting
format, under development
• CMS: Draft reporting format in line with Strategic Plan
2006-2011 asks for success of national action on Criteria,
indicators and guidelines for assessing the success
of conservation actions for priority migratory species
(COP 8 in Nov 2005)
Indicators for the state of
conservation – World Heritage
Potential global indicators for the state of
conservation of World Heritage properties used in
Periodic Reporting should:
• Be simple
• Support State Parties’ assessment of their
conservation efforts for cultural & natural
properties
• Feed into Periodic Reporting
• Allow for global analysis
• Contribute to the 2010 target (for natural
properties)
Harmonization of reporting and information
management leads to benefits from synergies and
avoiding duplication of effort
Further information:
www.unep-wcmc.org/conventions/harmonization