From pdh@u.washington.edu Wed Dec 16 00:21:39 1998 Received: from jason01.u.washington.edu (root@jason01.u.washington.edu [140.142.70.24]) by lists.u.washington.edu (8.8.4+UW97.07/8.8.4+UW98.06) with ESMTP id AAA09474 for ; Wed, 16 Dec 1998 00:21:38 -0800 Received: from saul10.u.washington.edu (pdh@saul10.u.washington.edu [140.142.13.73]) by jason01.u.washington.edu (8.8.4+UW97.07/8.8.4+UW98.06) with ESMTP id AAA29686 for ; Wed, 16 Dec 1998 00:21:37 -0800 Received: from localhost (pdh@localhost) by saul10.u.washington.edu (8.8.4+UW97.07/8.8.4+UW98.06) with SMTP id AAA07524 for ; Wed, 16 Dec 1998 00:21:36 -0800 (PST) Date: Wed, 16 Dec 1998 00:21:36 -0800 (PST) From: Department of Zoology To: indknow@u.washington.edu Subject: Results of GBF12 (Dakar, 4-6 Dec 1998) Message-ID: MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: QUOTED-PRINTABLE ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Tue, 15 Dec 1998 12:22:47 -0500 From: Stas Burgiel To: BIODIV-CONV List-Server Subject: Results of GBF12 (Dakar, 4-6 Dec 1998) Statement of the 12th Global Biodiversity Forum Workshops:=20 Financial Innovations to Combat Desertification Linking Biodiversity and Desertification: A Strategic Perspective Desertification, Biodiversity and Climate Change Indigenous Knowledge and Desertification 4-6 December 1998 Dakar, Senegal <<>> Statement of the 12th Session of the Global Biodiversity Forum to the Second Meeting of the Conference of the Parties To the Convention to Combat Desertification Mr. Chairman, Distinguished Delegates, Ladies and Gentlemen, The 12th session of the Global Biodiversity Forum met on 5-6 December 1998 in Dakar, to explore synergies between the biodiversity and desertification agendas. As an independent process, the GBF provides a mechanism to foster analysis and open dialogue on priority issues regarding ecological, economic, institutional and social matters in the context of the global biodiversity agenda. Some 20 institutions were involved in the organisation of the Forum, and more than 160 participants from 46 countries attended. They represented research, education, resource management, private sector, government, NGOs, and local and traditional communities. The Forum consisted of four workshops on the following themes: (1) Financial Innovations to Combat Desertification; (2) Linking Biodiversity and Desertification: A Strategic Perspective; (3) Traditional Knowledge and Desertification; and (4) Desertification and Climate Change. The first workshop discussed opportunities for Financial Innovations with respect to the desertification and biodiversity agendas. It provided an overview of the topic of financial mechanisms, reviewed national and regional experiences in financing environmental agendas, explored examples of environmental funds for combating desertification, reviewed local financing activities, and discussed the role of the private sector in addressing desertification.=20 The Forum recommends that national governments explore innovative financing sources, such as community credit banks, eco-taxes, eco-funds, tax incentives, charitable organisations, green investments and other incentive measures. Governments should develop, implement and enforce legislation and regulations regarding the involvement of the private sector in desertification and biodiversity activities.=20 The Forum also recommends that the COP facilitate collaboration with processes of other Conventions to help Parties minimise costs and therefore reduce pressures on existing sources of finances. Further, the COP should encourage the GEF to fund CCD implementation through the development of co-benefit projects related to biodiversity, land degradation and climate change. Finally, the COP should help governments develop criteria and prioritise objectives for financial assistance. Regarding local communities on the issue of finance, the Forum encourages national governments to develop mechanisms for local and indigenous communities to participate in decision-making processes and to take this involvement beyond a consultation role. This should involve improving the situation of disadvantaged communities and increasing their access to financial resources. The workshop on Linking Biodiversity and Desertification: A Strategic Perspective recognised that efforts to promote synergy have been initiated by the Secretariats of the various Conventions, but coordination in implementation at the global, regional, national and local levels is currently limited, wasting human and financial resources, especially at the national level. While recognizing the importance of integrating the Conventions in a legal, institutional and political framework, the Forum suggests implementing appropriate mechanisms facilitating synergy between the conventions and recommends that Parties: * Identify and work to remove perverse policy, legal, institutional and economic obstacles to synergy among the biodiversity-related Conventions. * Create opportunities for learning from case studies and best practices, and improve communications between stakeholders.=09=09 * Improve responsiveness of funding to the increased demands of grassroots participation and joint implementation of Conventions. * Create mechanisms for building synergy among the conventions through community empowerment. The workshop on Climate Change and Desertification addressed three main themes: Climate Change Implications for Desertification, Issues and Opportunities for Using the Instruments of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and its Kyoto Protocol in Implementing the objectives of the CCD and CBD; and Identifying Policy Frameworks for Addressing the Climate Change, the CCD and the CBD. The Forum came to the conclusion that implementation of the Climate Change, Biodiversity and Desertification Conventions share a number of interests and concerns.=20 The Forum noted that climate change will likely accelerate desertification and biodiversity loss in at least some regions. At the same time, human activities that lead to desertification, such as soil and land degradation, contribute to global and local climatic changes. It was agreed that those involved in the desertification agenda could make valuable inputs into the discussions on climate change and biodiversity. Two key issues are how to adapt to climate change and the role of land use and forest activities in implementing the Climate Change Convention and its Kyoto Protocol. The financial mechanisms under the UNFCCC and its Kyoto Protocol, such as the GEF and the Clean Development Mechanism could assist in achieving the objectives of the CCD.=20 Finally, the Forum strongly recommends that the UN facilitate dialogue among the subsidiary bodies of the three Rio conventions on scientific and technical inter-linkages. Building synergy between these conventions at the national and international levels could greatly enhance progress towards sustainable human development. The workshop on Traditional Knowledge and Desertification stressed the pivotal importance of the knowledge, practices and innovation systems of indigenous and local communities relevant for conserving biological diversity and combating desertification. It reviewed valuable experiences from around the world, with special attention on the synergies between the CCD and the CBD. The Forum specifically recommends that the CCD's COP: * Establish a technical unit for Traditional Knowledge within the CCD Secretariat.=20 * Develop collaborative linkages related to traditional knowledge with the CBD's Working Group on Traditional Knowledge, as well as the CBD's Clearing-house Mechanism. * Create incentives to conserve and promote traditional knowledge and establish operational mechanisms such as community alternative livelihood funds.=20 * Develop and disseminate inventories and systematic research on traditional knowledge and desertification, especially on factors that undermine the conservation and integrity of traditional knowledge caused by globalisation.=20 * Support national participatory networks, promote information exchange, develop appropriate research methodologies and create a database on traditional knowledge to facilitate its integration into cross-sectoral activities and National Action Programmes.=20 * Invite the World Intellectual Property Organisation to work jointly with the CCD in developing appropriate mechanism to protect the intellectual property rights of indigenous and local communities.=20 * Encourage governments to adopt appropriate legislation to stop the rapid erosion of traditional knowledge relevant to combating desertification. Finally, the Forum recommends that the CCD support the participation of indigenous and local communities in its relevant meetings and discussions.=20 Thank you. <<>> Workshop Conclusions and Recommendations FINANCIAL INNOVATIONS TO COMBAT DESERTIFICATION The workshop was attended by over 40 participants from governmental, non-governmental, and inter-governmental organizations who met to discuss opportunities for financial innovations with respect to the desertification and biodiversity agendas. Divided into six sessions, the workshop provided an overview of the topic of financial mechanisms, reviewed national and regional experiences in financing environmental agendas, explored examples of environmental funds for combating desertification, reviewed local financing activities and discussed the role of the private sector in addressing desertification. The final session of the workshop discussed and agreed a set of principles and recommendations from the workshop.=20 The group concluded that governments should explore innovative financing sources, such as community credit banks, eco-taxes, eco-funds, tax incentives, charitable organizations, green investments and other incentive measures. The participants also encourage governments to develop, implement and enforce legislation and regulations regarding the involvement of the private sector in desertification and biodiversity activities.=20 Participants also recommend that the COP facilitate collaboration with other Convention processes to help Parties minimize costs and therefore reduce pressures on existing sources of finances. The COP should encourage the GEF to fund CCD implementation through the development of co-benefit projects related to biodiversity, land degradation and climate change. Finally, the COP should help governments develop criteria and prioritize objectives for financial assistance. Regarding local communities on the issue of finance, the group encourages governments to develop mechanisms for local and indigenous communities to participate in decision-making processes, beyond a consultation role. This should involve improving the situation of disadvantaged communities and increasing their access to financial resources. Participants identified five target audiences relevant to the topic of finance (the COP-2 of CCD, national governments, donor community, non-governmental organizations and community-based organizations, and the private sector) and presents a number of recommendations to each audience: Target Audience: COP-2 of CCD 1. minimize costs (and therefore pressures on existing sources of finances) through collaboration with other convention processes 2. advocate strategies for generating private sector investment in NAPs 3. advocate financial strategies for preparing and implementing NAPs and other environmental strategies 4. coordinate Convention guidance to the GEF on cross-cutting issues of environmental Conventions (such as land degradation and restoration). Target Audience: National Governments 5. coordinate and harmonize the development of the various national strategies to avoid duplication and to advocate synergies (National Environmental Action Plans, National Action Plans for Desertification, National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans, National Socioeconomic Development Plans, etc.) 6. acting on the advice of the COP, develop financial strategies for NAPs and other strategies 7. agree on criteria and prioritize objectives for financial flows 8. develop, implement and enforce legislation and regulations regarding the involvement of private sector involvement in efforts to combat desertification and protect biodiversity=20 9. develop clear and enforceable property rights (including intellectual property rights, land tenure, cultural heritage, and indigenous rights) which incorporate explicit responsibilities for ensuring obligations to local communities, indigenous peoples, future generations and other relevant, less powerful, stakeholders are met and to ensure funding flows to these peoples 10. develop mechanisms for local communities to participate in decision-making processes beyond consultation=20 11. explore innovative financing sources such as community credit banks, eco-taxes, eco-funds, tax incentives, charitable organizations, green investments and other incentive measures, and develop the legislation to support these 12. develop mechanisms to ensure that private sector profits fund community-based conservation 13. improve the situation of the poor vis-a-vis other stakeholders 14. avoid creating overly bureaucratic financial structures Target Audience: Donor Community 15. prioritize GEF funds for CCD implementation 16. support projects with multiple benefits, thereby leveraging additional resources 17. mobilize enabling funds through Global Mechanism pilot projects to implement the CCD 18. develop the role of NGOs and CBOs as financial intermediaries, where it is a cost effective solution to bridging the gap between donors and local activities 19. increase outreach to local communities including through access to financial resources 20. support capacity building in developing and enforcing national legislation Target Audience: Non-Governmental Organizations & Community-Based Organizations 21. act as intermediaries for financial and information flows, where it is cost effective to do so 22. help develop and implement innovative financing mechanisms=20 23. provide a link between local communities and the private sector 24. advocate the establishment and monitor the implementation of private sector regulations and commitments as required by relevant legislation=20 25. educate the private sector on the topics of desertification and biodiversity 26. educate consumers on the topics of desertification and biodiversity Target Audience: Private Sector 27. promote sound technologies for the sustainable management of natural resources for example through green certification and alternative energy sources LINKING BIODIVERSITY AND DESERTIFICATION: A STRATEGIC PERSPECTIVE Efforts to promote synergy have been initiated by the secretariats of the several environmental Conventions, but coordination in implementation at the global, regional, national and local levels is currently limited, wasting human and financial resources, especially at the national level. While good governance, transparency and social stability are fundamental pre-requisites to achieve sustainable development and integrate successfully the conventions into the national political, legal and institutional framework, it is imperative that mechanisms for synergy be defined and put into practice. We recommend that the respective secretariats, parties, implementing agencies and funding agencies: Identify and work to remove perverse policy, legal, institutional, and economic obstacles to synergy among the biodiversity-related Conventions.=09=09=09=09=09 * Take into account local knowledge and fully empower implementing bodies (e.g., NGOs) * Recognise traditional tenure of land, forests and other resources.=09 * Enhance the capacity of local populations to conserve biodiversity and to combat desertification. * Develop national activities to monitor compliance with conventions, especially with regard to legislation, and document legal and institutional aspects. * Identify legal implications of transboundary issues with respect to the current legal framework. * Associate the processes to set up National Action Plans under the CBD to the regional and sub-regional action plans.=20 * Encourage the creation of a single focal institution for all international environmental conventions, and reinforce the competence of the national co-ordination bodies for CCD. * Establish joint technical working groups between UNCCD-CST and CBD-SBSTTA=09=09=09=09=09=09=09 Create opportunities for learning from case studies and best practices and improve communications between different stakeholders=09=09 * Include community-based Natural Resource Management in national development plans.=20 * Clarify roles between the different actors.=20 * Develop efficient mechanisms for knowledge exchange. * Make explicit the synergies between conventions (including at community level) and communicate results of the COPs to civil society. * Document successful experiences and share information. * Increase national focus to community level.=20 * Assess need for resources for capacity building, at national and regional level.=20 * Put monitoring and evaluation needs on a participatory footing.=20 Improve responsiveness of funding to the increased demands of grassroots participation and joint implementation of Conventions=20 * Make information public about funding, monitor how funds are spent and learn lessons from successes and failures. * Use GEF leverage to promote integrated development projects which meet joint objectives of the Conventions.=20 * Channel institutional funds to grass-roots local level.=20 * Use GEF as the basis for creatively combining sources of funding, including non-financial incentives, contributions in kind, debt for sustainability swaps, and combining private and public sector funds.=20 * Strengthen NGO linkages with governments and multilateral funding agencies.=20 * Provide support to local communities to access and negotiate funds.=20 * NGOs and governments enter into dialogue about funding priorities.=20 Create mechanisms for building synergy between the Conventions through community empowerment.=20 * Build capacity and responsibilities of communities in the implementation of the conventions.=20 * Collect and document best practices and models of management developed by grassroots communities in the framework of implementation of the conventions.=20 * Train trainers and raise grassroots community public awareness and multi-sectoral partners.=20 * Develop capacity for data collecting and use at the local level.=20 CLIMATE CHANGE, BIODIVERSITY, AND DESERTIFICATION The workshop involved about 30 participants from 14 countries representing all the major geographical regions in the world. The workshop addressed three main themes: Climate Change Implications for Desertification; Addressing the Issues and Opportunities for Utilizing UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and its Kyoto Protocol in Implementing the objectives of the Convention to Combat Desertification (CCD); and How to Create the Policy Framework for Addressing the Climate Change, Biodiversity and Desertification Agendas.=20 The participants identified a number of shared concerns and interests between the desertification, biodiversity, and climate change agendas, demonstrating that the desertification agenda should not be viewed in isolation. For example, soils, a key topic of concern in the desertification agenda, also play a major role in the regulation of global and local climates, and in the conservation of biodiversity and sustainable use of natural ecosystems.=20 The participants identified three major areas of inter-linkages between the Rio Conventions: * Scientific and technical issues * Policy issues=20 * Financial issues With respect to scientific issues, climate change will likely lead to an acceleration of desertification processes in certain regions.=20 Activities that lead to desertification, such as soil and land degradation and biodiversity loss, affect the global carbon cycle, the albedo of the earth's surface and water cycles. More research is needed on the specific impacts of climate change, including drylands and marginal lands that are threatened with desertification. Further research is also needed on the socio-economic effects of climate change, desertification, and biodiversity loss. On policy issues, each of the Rio Conventions brought a unique perspective to the international dialogue on the environment. For example, the Climate Change Convention was perceived as a defensive convention, pre-occupied with mitigation. The Biodiversity Convention was focused on conservation, sustainable use, and equitable sharing of benefits. The desertification agenda has more of a human dimension, so the desertification community has much to add to the debate on climate change and biodiversity issues, in particular the UNFCCC discussions on adaptation and the debate on land use, land use change, and forest activities. The desertification community should become more involved in the UNFCCC and CBD processes. Priority measures and actions that could be undertaken at the national level to implement both the CCD, the CBD, and the UNFCCC, need to be identified. For example, actions that enhance carbon sinks, including not just forests, but also drylands; and actions that improve agricultural practices and restore degraded ecosystems. The biodiversity agenda is dealing with the issue of indigenous and local communities and knowledge, and the desertification convention was beginning to discuss this issue. The UNFCCC should also tackle this matter. South-South cooperation in identifying problems and potential solutions to climate change, biodiversity and desertification was stressed. Also, opportunities to address climate change, biodiversity issues, and desertification within existing regional and sub-regional political structures, such as MERCOSUR in the southern cone of South America and Southern African Development Community (SADC), should be explored. With respect to financial issues, although the desertification agenda was not explicitly part of the Global Environment Facility, many activities under the rubric of climate change and biodiversity, such as improving land management, could benefit the desertification convention. Also, the World Bank and other international financial institutions should play a more pro-active role in implementing mutually supportive measures to combat climate change, avoid biodiversity loss, and halt desertification. Finally, the participants of this workshop strongly recommended that the United Nations facilitate dialogue among the subsidiary bodies of the three Rio Conventions on scientific and technical inter-linkages. Building synergy between these conventions at the national and international levels could greatly enhance progress towards sustainable human development. INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE AND DESERTIFICATION Recognizing the importance of traditional knowledge, practices and innovation systems for the implementation of the Convention to Combat Desertification the GBF organized a workshop on traditional knowledge and desertification. The workshop was attended by participants from Africa, the Middle East, Asia and the Americas. It included representatives of indigenous and local communities, academics, women's organizations and NGOs. The workshop's objectives were to discuss ways and means to: * Integrate traditional knowledge into long term strategies to combat desertification;=20 * Explore policies and strategies to ensure participation of indigenous and local communities; and=20 * Promote networking and cooperation among stakeholders.=20 The workshop stressed that conserving biological diversity and combating desertification go hand in hand. Local cultures offer an array of unique knowledge systems, developed over a long period of time and in constant evolution, to conserve biodiversity and combat desertification in arid and semi-arid regions, including forest ecosystems. =20 The workshop reviewed valuable experiences from around the world. Case studies from Cameroon, Canada, Cote d'Ivoire, Jordan, Niger, Nigeria, Peru, Senegal, Siberia, and South Africa, highlighted the importance of the knowledge, practices and innovation systems of indigenous and local communities for conserving biological diversity and combating desertification. Special attention was given to the synergies between the CCD and the CBD. In this regard, workshop participants call upon the COP should establish a technical unit within the CCD Secretariat for Traditional Knowledge. The COP should also develop collaborative linkages vis-=E0-vis traditional knowledge with the CBD's newly-formed open-ended ad hoc Working Group on Traditional Knowledge as well as the CBD's Information Clearing-house Mechanism.=20 Creating incentives to conserve and promote traditional knowledge received special attention. The CCD should explore the establishment of operational mechanisms such as community alternative livelihood funds to promote activities that add and create economic value for indigenous knowledge. This is a more appropriate mechanism for determining and capturing the total value of traditional knowledge, practices and innovation systems. With respect to technical and scientific matters, workshop participants addressed the importance of inventories and systemic research on traditional knowledge, biodiversity and desertification and stressed the dissemination of research results. In this regard, the CCD should identify factors that undermine the conservation and integrity of traditional knowledge, including by the process of globalization.=20 National participatory networks and the promotion of information exchange among communities and between different stakeholders need much stronger support. Appropriate research methodologies need to be developed and a database on traditional knowledge needs to be created to facilitate its application into cross-sectoral activities and National Action Programmes.=20 With regard to intellectual property rights and benefit sharing, the CCD should work with the World Intellectual Property Organization to jointly examine the development of appropriate mechanisms to protect the intellectual property rights of indigenous and local communities. Governments should adopt appropriate legislation to stop the rapid erosion of indigenous knowledge. =20 The GBF should become an integral part of the CCD process. The GBF should continue its focus on the knowledge, practices and innovation systems of indigenous and local communities relevant to biodiversity conservation and combating desertification. Finally, increased support should be provided to enable stakeholders, particularly indigenous and local communities, to participate in the implementation of the CCD. .