Recognizing that the work under the
Cartagena Protocol has increasingly become separated from the work
of the Convention resulting in biosafety receiving less attention
in implementation and funding,
Recognizing also the limitations that
exist in the current organization of the meetings of the Conference
of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the
Protocol back-to-back with the meetings of the Conference of the
Parties to the Convention, in terms of achieving a meaningful
integration of the work of the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety into
the work of the Convention,
Taking note of the
recommendation
5/2 of the Ad Hoc Open-ended Working Group on Review of
Implementation of the Convention, as regards integrated approaches
to the implementation of the Convention and its Protocols with a
view to improving efficiencies,
Also taking note of the plan for the
organization of concurrent meetings of the Conference of the
Parties and Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the
Parties to the Protocol prepared by the Executive Secretary,
6 Recognizing that planning for the
organization of concurrent meetings of the Conference of the
Parties to the Convention and the meetings of the Conference of the
Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to its Protocols is
an iterative process,
Recognizing also the need for
ensuring the availability of financial resources to support the
participation of representatives from developing country Parties,
in particular the least developed and small island developing
States among them, and Parties with economies in transition, in the
three concurrent meetings,
Recalling paragraph 2 of Article 32
of the Convention and Article 29 of the Cartagena Protocol on
Biosafety which provide that decisions under the Protocol shall be
taken only by the Parties to the Protocol,
1.Decides
to hold its future ordinary meetings concurrently with the meetings
of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention in the same
two-week period in which the meetings of the Conference of the
Parties of the Convention are held;
2.Calls
upon developed country Parties to increase their contributions
to the relevant voluntary trust funds to ensure the full and
effective participation of representatives from developing country
Parties, in particular the least developed and small island
developing States among them, and Parties with economies in
transition, in the concurrent meetings;
3.Requests the Executive Secretary to further
refine the plan for the organization of concurrent meetings in the
light of
recommendation
5/2 of the Ad hoc Open-ended Working Group on Review of
Implementation of the Convention with a specific focus on the
legal, financial and logistical implications of organizing these
meetings concurrently, including, by:
(a)Clarifying
how the two-week period may be allocated to undertake the work of
the three meetings, including the integrity of decision-making
under the Convention and the Protocols;
(b)Further
considering the practices and lessons learned in organizing
concurrent meetings under other multilateral environmental
agreements, such as the United Nations Framework Convention on
Climate Change, and the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions
cluster;
(c)Drawing
lessons from the experience gained as a result of the organization
of the twelfth meeting of the Conference of the Parties
concurrently with the first meeting of the Parties to the Nagoya
Protocol;
(d)Reviewing
the level of participation of developing country Parties and their
representation in relevant sessions of the concurrent meetings
referred to in paragraphs (b) and (c) above;
(e)Taking
appropriate steps towards streamlining the agenda of the meetings
of the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the
Parties to the Protocol;
4.Requests the Executive Secretary to submit
the plan, as revised in accordance with paragraph 3 above to any
intersessional process for the preparation of the concurrent
organization of the meetings as may be established by the twelfth
meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention;
5.Decides
to establish criteria for reviewing experience with the concurrent
organization of the meetings at its ninth meeting, in 2018, in
order to complete the review at its tenth meeting, in 2020;
6.Invites
the Conference of the Parties to the Convention at its twelfth
meeting to take this decision into account in its deliberations
related to the organization of concurrent meetings;
The Conference of the Parties serving as the
meeting of the Parties to the Cartagena Protocol on
Biosafety,
Recalling paragraph 4, Article 29 of
the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety, which elaborates the measures
that the Conference of Parties serving as the meeting of the
Parties to the Protocol is expected to take for the purpose of
keeping under review the implementation of the Protocol,
Recalling also Article 30 of the
Protocol, which stipulates that any subsidiary body established by
or under the Convention may serve the Protocol if so decided by the
Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to
the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety, and in which case the meeting
of the Parties is required to specify which functions that
subsidiary body has to exercise,
Considering the terms of reference of
a subsidiary body on implementation prepared by the Executive
Secretary in accordance with the recommendation of the Ad Hoc
Open-ended Working Group on Review of Implementation of the
Convention at its fifth meeting,
Recognizing the benefits of
integrated approaches to the review and support of the
implementation of the Convention and its Protocols,
Recognizing also the importance of
the full and effective participation of all Parties, especially
developing country Parties, in particular least developed countries
and small island developing States, and Parties with economies in
transition, in the meetings of the subsidiary body on
implementation,
1.Decides
that the Subsidiary Body on Implementation, if established by the
Conference of the Parties to the Convention at its twelfth meeting,
will also serve the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety;
2.Agrees
that the terms of reference of the Subsidiary Body on
Implementation, as may be adopted by Conference of the Parties to
the Convention at its twelfth meeting on the basis of the proposal
of the Executive Secretary,
7
should apply,
mutatis mutandis, to the Subsidiary Body on
Implementation when serving the Cartagena Protocol on
Biosafety;
3.Invites
the twelfth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the
Convention to take this decision into account in its deliberations
related to the establishment of a subsidiary body on implementation
as well as any views expressed in this regard, including on the
terms of reference for this body, as reflected in the report of
this meeting.
