The Conference of the Parties,
Recalling decision IX/28, which recognizes the role of cities and local authorities in their national biodiversity strategies and action plans and invites Parties to support and assist cities and local authorities in implementing the Convention at local level,
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Annex
PLAN OF ACTION ON SUBNATIONAL GOVERNMENTS, CITIES AND OTHER LOCAL AUTHORITIES FOR BIODIVERSITY (2011-2020)
A. Background
1. The Plan of Action on Subnational Governments, Cities and Other Local Authorities for Biodiversity under the Convention on Biological Diversity is intended to support Parties, their partners and local authorities in implementing the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020, the Aichi Biodiversity Targets and relevant decisions of the Conference of the Parties, as well as paragraphs 3, 4, 5, and 6 of decision IX/28, consistent with each Party’s specific governance arrangements and legislation. The Plan of Action has been developed through a four-year long wide-ranging consultation process with Parties, cities and local authorities, and other organizations cooperating through the Global Partnership on Cities and Biodiversity at various events through 2010, culminating with the Aichi/Nagoya City Biodiversity Summit, held from 24 to 26 October 2010, on the margins of the tenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties in Nagoya, Japan.
B. Mission
2. Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity should, as appropriate, seek to engage their subnational Governments, cities and other local authorities, as appropriate, to achieve the objectives of the Convention and the implementation of the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020, by developing policy tools, guidelines and programmes, providing technical assistance and/or guidance, as appropriate, in line with their national biodiversity strategies and action plans (NBSAPs) and other relevant governance arrangements established by their national Governments.
3. By 2020:
(a) Relevant tools, guidelines and capacity-building programmes based on best practices, as well as innovative financial mechanisms to support their implementation should, as appropriate be in place to increase synergies between the various levels of government in implementing the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020, considering the specific mandates of each level of government;
(b) National biodiversity strategies and action plans should be supported, as appropriate, by subnational and local strategies and corresponding action plans;
(c) Awareness campaigns on the importance of biodiversity and ecosystem services should, as appropriate be implemented at local level as part of the Parties’ communication, education and public awareness strategies, including major groups such as business, youth, non-governmental organizations and indigenous and local communities, through initiatives such as celebrations of the International Day for Biological Diversity (May 22), The Green Wave initiative, and other activities in support of the Convention on Biological Diversity;
(d) Monitoring and evaluation systems for subnational governments and local authorities should, as appropriate be applied, guided by national frameworks, to report on progress to national governments in line with reporting obligations under the Convention on Biological Diversity, and to set benchmarks for local biodiversity management in line with the 2011-2020 indicator framework under the Convention on Biological Diversity, using tools such as the Singapore Index on Cities’ Biodiversity.
C. Objectives
4. The present Plan of Action has the following objectives, based on the mission outlined above:
(a) Increase the engagement of subnational governments and local authorities, in support of their Parties, in the successful implementation of national biodiversity strategies and action plans, the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020, the 2020 target and the programmes of work under the Convention on Biological Diversity;
(b) Improve regional and global coordination and exchange of lessons learned between Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity, regional and global organizations, United Nations and development agencies, academia, and donors on ways and means to encourage and support local authorities to manage biodiversity sustainably, provide ecosystem services to citizens and incorporate biodiversity concerns into urban planning and development;
(c) Identify, enhance and disseminate policy tools, guidelines, and programmes that facilitate local action on biodiversity and build the capacity of local authorities to support their national Governments in implementing the Convention on Biological Diversity;
(d) Develop awareness-raising programmes on biodiversity for local residents (including major groups such as business, local administrators, non-governmental organizations, youth and indigenous and local communities) in line with communication, education and public awareness strategies.
D. Indicative list of activities
5. Parties may wish to consider the activities below, based on concrete examples researched with the Global Partnership on Cities and Biodiversity, in order to enable and support their subnational governments and local authorities to contribute to the objectives of the Convention on Biological Diversity. These activities are considered to be interrelated and complementary:
(a) Consider and engage subnational governments and local authorities in the revision and implementation of national biodiversity strategies and action plans (NBSAPs) at the local level, as appropriate;
(b) Encourage the development and implementation of subnational and local biodiversity strategies and actions plans in support of national biodiversity strategies and action plans;
(c) Encourage subnational governments and local authorities to apply the ecosystem approach and promote other holistic landscape management approaches, consistent with relevant decisions of the Conference of the Parties, integrated into adaptation and sustainable development plans, and engage them in synergies across the Rio conventions and the biodiversity-related conventions;
(d) Recognize and reward efforts of subnational governments and local authorities in implementing the Convention on Biological Diversity at their respective levels, such as through the ICLEI Local Action for Biodiversity programme, the European Capitals of Biodiversity award, the Nordic Nature project, the Red + Biodiversidad 2010 in Spain and many others;
(e) Encourage subnational governments and local authorities, as appropriate, to integrate biodiversity considerations into public procurement policies and urban infrastructure investments (parkways and green transportation systems, public buildings, vertical gardens, water treatment and distribution, convention and conference centres, housing projects, waste management, etc);
(f) Engage subnational governments and local authorities in the implementation of the programme of work on protected areas of the Convention on Biological Diversity, by supporting the establishment and maintenance of systems of local protected areas, local conservation corridors and mosaics of land-use (such as biosphere reserves), in line with the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020; (g) Encourage, promote and support, as appropriate and through policy tools, guidelines and programmes, direct decentralized cooperation on biodiversity and development between local authorities at national, regional and global levels;
(h) Promote and support the representation of subnational governments, cities and other local authorities in delegations for official events and activities under the Convention on Biological Diversity, such as meetings of the Conference of the Parties, the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice, the Working Group on Review of Implementation, and ad hoc technical expert groups. Local authorities can contribute specifically to thematic programmes of work and cross-cutting issues such as inland waters, protected areas, invasive alien species, climate change, development and poverty alleviation, tourism, health and biodiversity, agriculture, food and nutrition, among others; (i) Support the development of landscape-level and ecosystem-based partnerships between subnational governments and local authorities on conservation corridors and sustainable land-use mosaics at national and transboundary levels, also in the context of the Multi-Year Plan of Action on South-South Cooperation for Biodiversity and Development;
(j) Organize regular consultations with local authorities (such as Japan’s preparatory meeting for the City Biodiversity Summit 2010 and Canada’s consultative process), regarding their commitments and activities that contribute to the targets and relevant programmes of work of the Convention on Biological Diversity, also as a contribution to each Party’s reporting process to Conference of the Parties and Convention bodies.
(k) Support as appropriate the use of the Singapore Index on Cities’ Biodiversity, and local biodiversity surveys and assessments or similar mechanisms, as a means for local authorities to measure the state of their biodiversity and its management in line with the Convention’s 2011-2020 indicator framework;
(l) Contribute to a dialogue with and between subnational governments and local authorities at regional and international levels through relevant forums to be held back to back with or parallel to the meetings of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity;
(m) Welcome the Global Partnership on Cities and Biodiversity as a possible platform for promoting cooperation and strengthening local-national dialogue;
(n) Organize, as appropriate and while recognizing the roles of different levels of government, capacity-building initiatives (web-based tools, publications, newsletters, collections of case-studies, best practices and lessons learned, workshops, seminars and conferences) for local authorities on the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020 and on the present Plan of Action and its tools (including the Singapore Index on Cities’Biodiversity), at national, regional and global levels, and disseminate these activities through the clearing-house mechanism;
(o) Promote research and technology development on urban biodiversity, and encourage the establishment of national and regional centres of excellence in urban biodiversity, and biodiversity-friendly city design, planning and management, with links to global academic networks such as URBIO and URBIS,
(p) In line with the communication, education and public awareness programme of the Convention on Biological Diversity, encourage local authorities to reach out to major groups such as children and youth, women, local parliamentarians and/or legislators, NGOs and businesses, to raise awareness about the importance of biodiversity and promote partnerships on local action for biodiversity.
