The Conference of the Parties,
Noting that technology transfer and cooperation are essential elements for the implementation of the three objectives of the Convention,
Recalling the provisions of Articles 16 to 19 of the Convention,
Recalling principle 9 of the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development which states that States should cooperate to strengthen endogenous capacity-building for sustainable development by improving scientific understanding through exchanges of scientific and technological knowledge, and by enhancing the development, adaptation, diffusion and transfer of technologies, including new and innovative technologies,
Also recalling paragraphs 105 and 106 of the Plan of Implementation of the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD), which call upon States to promote, facilitate and finance, as appropriate, access to and the development, transfer and diffusion of environmentally sound technologies and corresponding know-how, in particular to developing countries and countries with economies in transition on favourable terms, including on concessional and preferential terms, as mutually agreed,
Recognizing the vital role of indigenous and local communities, in particular the role of women, and the value of traditional knowledge related to the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity,
Recalling paragraph 44 (h) of the Plan of Implementation of the World Summit, which calls upon States to provide financial and technical support to developing countries, including capacity-building, in order to enhance indigenous and community-based biodiversity conservation efforts,
Recognizing the value of initiatives such as the Cooperative Initiative on Alien Species on Islands in providing a focused clearing-house for facilitating scientific and technical cooperation;
Reiterating that work on technology transfer under the Convention shall be conducted in an integrated manner that is consistent with the thematic and cross-cutting programmes of work, in line with decision III/16 endorsing SBSTTA recommendation II/3,
Noting with appreciation the role of the Norway/United Nations Conference on Technology Transfer and Capacity-building, held in Norway from 23 to 27 June 2003, in the development of the programme of work on technology transfer and scientific and technological cooperation, as requested in decision VI/30,
Mindful that the activities under its programme of work on technology transfer and technological and scientific cooperation shall be part of a comprehensive implementation support strategy for the Convention on Biological Diversity consistent with the multi-year programme of work and the Strategic Plan of the Convention, and should draw upon experiences from other international conventions and processes such as the UNFCCC or the Intergovernmental Strategic Plan on Technology Support and Capacity Building under preparation by UNEP,
