Transcript The UK MAB Committee Andy Swash (Chairman, UK MAB Committee)

The UK MAB Committee
Andy Swash
(Chairman, UK MAB Committee)
Outline of presentation
• Terms of reference of the UK MAB
Committee.
• Organisations represented on the UK MAB
Committee.
• Recent initiatives.
• The nomination process.
Terms of reference
• To provide a UK focal point for UNESCO MAB
Programme.
• Maintain liaison with MAB Secretariat in Paris
and EUROMAB, and as appropriate MAB
national committees in other countries.
• Maintain links with other relevant UK structures
(e.g. UK Biodiversity Partnership, UK National
Ramsar Committee, UK IUCN Committee and
UK MAB Urban Forum).
Terms of reference
• Raise awareness of, and interest in, the current UK
approaches to enhancing biodiversity and
sustainable development in BRs.
• Promote the UNESCO MAB concerns for:
– Conservation of biological diversity;
– Promotion of sustainable development; and
– Development of human and institutional capacity to
cope with environment/development issues,
identifying where UK MAB can undertake its own
programmes and influence/add value to other
relevant UK initiatives.
Terms of reference
• Maintain oversight of UK BRs and the BR
Periodic Review process (next due 2007).
• Guide and support the work of UK BRs and
facilitate links between them and with BRs
in other countries.
Organisations represented
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Defra (chair and secretariat)
Countryside Agency
Countryside Council for Wales
English Nature
Forestry Commission
Centre for Mountain Studies
Northern Devon Coast and Countryside Service
Royal Geographic Society
Scottish Executive
Scottish Natural Heritage
UK MAB Urban Forum
Wildlife & Countryside Link
World Conservation Monitoring Centre
Recent initiatives
• Revised terms of reference for UK MAB
Committee.
• Developing links with other UK policy
initiatives – e.g Ecosystem Approach; UK
Biodiversity Action Plan.
• More frequent meetings.
• Biosphere Reserves Brochure.
The Process
• Local consultation – could be done by any organisation but
should have support of NAW at Assembly level.
• Local generation of application (again must have NAW
support).
• NAW makes formal proposal to UK MAB Committee.
• UK MAB assesses application and when satisfied submits
recommendation to Defra (SoS).
• Application, with SoS endorsement, goes to UK
Permanent Delegation at UNESCO (Foreign Office).
• Then presented to UNESCO MAB Advisory Committee.
• Then goes to UNESCO MAB International Coordinating
Committee for formal designation.