Transcript Presentation from TEMATEA - Biodiversity & Ecosystems

Supporting countries
towards a better and
more coherent
implementation of
MEAs
Ines Verleye
Head, TEMATEA Secretariat
www.tematea.org
The Challenge
• Many environmental and sectoral MEAs,
often deal with similar issues
• Experts need to be aware of many
provisions to achieve
coordinated/coherent approach
• Limited communication across
conventions and sectors
• Request for coordination at different for a
• New challenges call for a coordinated &
Sanitary and Phytosanitary agreement
International Plant Protection Convention
Regional Treaties
coherent approach
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What does TEMATEA provide?
1. Issue-Based Modules: web-based reference tools that
structure the action-oriented part of negotiated text from
different relevant agreements in a logical framework.
2. Capacity Building through national support programs
based on the modules, to promote national cooperation and
communication across conventions and sectors and
improve national implementation.
www.tematea.org
1. The ‘Issue-Based Modules’
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Issue-Based on key biodiversity issues:
CC, PA, SU, IW, IAS, ABS
Analysis of existing decisions of global
& regional agreements on specific issues
Analysis of relationship between
decisions of different agreements to
demonstrate overlaps, conflict or gaps
Captures the ‘action-oriented’ part of
the decision in simplified language
Voluntary & evolutionary, UN languages
Web based and on CD Rom
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Relevant biodiversity related agreements
(environmental and sectoral)
World Heritage Convention
 Convention on International
Trade in Endangered Species
 Convention on Migratory Species
 Ramsar Convention
 Convention on Biodiversity
 UNFCCC & KP
 UNCCD
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UNESCO MAB
 UNCLOS
 SPS Agreement (WTO)
 Int'l Convention for Ballast
Water & Sediments
 IPPC (FAO)
 Regional Agreements for Asia
Europe, Africa, Latin America.
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TEMATEA received strong support as a useful tool
References (2005-2009):
 Ramsar COP9, Resolution IX.5, para 10;
Ramsar COP10, Resolution X.11, para 9 & 24
 CMS: COP8, Resolution 8.11, para 3;
CMS COP9, Resolution 9.6, para 3 and Resolution 9.12 para 5
 CBD SBSTTA11, recommendations XI/9, XI/12, XI/13 and XI/14
CBD COP8 decisions VIII/8, VIII/11, VIII/20, VIII/27, VIII/30
CBD COP9 decisions IX/4, IX/16, IX/18, IX/27
 World Heritage Committee, Decision 30 COM 6
 11th Regular Session of the African Ministerial Conference on the
Environment, decisions 1e and 1f
 UNEP Governing Council 25/1, para 30
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Use of TEMATEA
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Individual experts include mainly experts from National Agencies and
Ministries, but also from NGOs, Universities etc.
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Furthermore several MEA Secretariats have used TEMATEA to prepare
background documents (eg CITES COP14), support reporting (eg. on IAS –
GISP), to support more coherent use of the decisions (hyperlinks on CBD
and WHC sites), retire decisions, etc.
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Also regional organizations such as EC, SPREP, ASEAN, etc. include it in
capacity building exercises or on their website.
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There are currently over 2000 daily hits on the website.
www.tematea.org
How does TEMATEA provide support?
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The structure of the Issue-based Modules provides a common
understanding on national obligations from several MEAs
This way TEMATEA lowers the threshold for national experts to
understand each others obligations
As this facilitates communication and cooperation across MEAs and
sectors, it increases efficiency and promotes sectoral integration
It furthermore supports the development of proper ‘national’ strategies
(instead of strategies for a particular MEA) covering obligations from
several MEAs eg on IAS, CC, ABS, etc.
Once the implementation is better coordinated and more coherent, the
monitoring and reporting is equally streamlined.
www.tematea.org
Some quotes from users
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It provides relevant information centrally & broken down in relevant bits
cfr. BfN: ‘we notice the difference when working on a topic whether there’s
a module or not as it takes much more time’
It brings new experts up to speed quick and in a holistic way which
improves a holistic view in the job afterwards
cfr. A&B: ‘we give all our new climate change and biodiv experts the
modules to get started’
It enhances efficiency through national cooperation and communication
cfr. Seychelles: ‘if we would have known the Ramsar obligation re climate
change vulnerability, it could have been added to the Climate Change
study’
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Why is TEMATEA used?
As a reference tool or checklist
The list of obligations in the TEMATEA modules provides an overview of
all national commitments. Comparing this to existing legislation helps
identify the degree of implementation of certain MEAs as well as its
monitoring
 The list can also be used to develop national legislation as it combines all
relevant commitments on a specific topic (eg management of PAs)
 In preparing for negotiations, it gives an overview of existing
commitments to avoid overlap or conflict
 In particular the national inventory highly facilitates harmonized
reporting.
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2. TEMATEA National Support Program
 Inventory of existing implementation of MEA obligations on 1 or more of the
6 topics:
Norway: IAS, Seychelles: CC, Cuba: IW + IAS,
Peru: ABS, Georgia: PA, Belgium: CC
planned: Liberia, Armenia, Moldova
 Evaluate Strengths and Weaknesses
 Formulate recommendations to
improve national implementation
Example: Cuba used results to prepare a GEF proposal on IAS and decided to repeat
exercise at own expenses for PA, CC and ABS.
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Process of National Support Program
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Introductory Workshop
Development of Inventory (see ex Seychelles)
Evaluation of the Inventory to identify weaknesses
and strengths
Draft Recommendations
Participatory Process – consultations with all
relevant actors throughout the program
Final Workshop
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Ex Invent: CC&Biodiv, Section2, Activity4, Comp2
Obligation
More fully
integrate climate
change
objectives in key
areas of national
sustainable
development
strategies such
as biodiversity.
UNFCCC
Decision 1/CP.8
(c)
National Activity/(ex Seychelles)
•The Barbados Plan of Action + 10
Review:
•The Environmental Management
Plan of Seychelles 2000-2010
(EMPS)
•The Draft Fisheries Development
Plan
•The National Biodiversity Strategy
and Action Plan (NBSAP)
•Draft Agricultural Development
Strategy 2007-2011.
Actors
MENR
SFA
NCCC
Fisheries
dep.
Dep
Natural
resources
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Evaluation
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Once the inventory is finished and accepted by the
relevant actors, it is evaluated to identify the weaknesses
and strengths of the national implementation of the
obligations.
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This is done by national actors only. There is no
evaluation by foreign consultants or organizations.
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The evaluation furthermore identifies why certain
elements are stronger or weaker than others in order to
understand impediments to better and more coherent
implementation
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Recommendations
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Once inventory and evaluation are accepted,
recommendations are formulated on how to best capitalize
on the strengths and avoid the weaknesses.
These recommendations also include distribution of tasks
and timelines
Once there is broad consensus at national level that these
recommendations are the way forward, they are presented in
the final workshop to be endorsed.
The final workshop therefore symbolizes the start of a new
era with more capacity to communicate and cooperate at
national level and a more efficient implementation on the
MEA obligations.
www.tematea.org
Thank you
Ines Verleye, Head
Jorge Ventocilla, Project Coordinator
Boulevard Louis Schmidt 64, Brussels, Belgium
Tel: + 32 478 270142, +32 479 336584
Email: [email protected],
[email protected]
www.tematea.org