3. LMMC participation in SBSTTA 19 and 8j-9, expectations from the Chair and countries

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1 LMMC Meeting Report November 3, 2015 Chaired by Guatemala Guatemala as current president of the Group of the Like-Minded Megadiverse Countries (LMMC) convened to members of the group to attend to a coordination meeting with the aim of addressing relevant issues concerning the LMMC. This meeting was attended by thirteen members of the Group of Like-Minded Megadiverse Countries, counting on the presence of Mexico, Colombia, Ecuador, Brazil, Peru, South Africa, Madagascar, India, Indonesia, The Philippines, Malaysia, China and Guatemala. The following items were addressed during the meeting: 1. Opening and welcome by Chair, Guatemala Guatemala welcomed all the members of The Like-Minded Megadiverse Countries and thanked for their attendance to this coordination meeting. 2. Update of Designation of focal points by the LMMCs, Guatemala Guatemala informed the members about the official communication sent earlier this year which requested and update in designation of focal points for the Group of LMMC. Considering that some of the contacted members through this official communication have not responded yet, Guatemala required to transfer this information to their corresponding governmental organization. For doing so, Guatemala provided a copy of the official communication in order to be forwarded where appropriate. The purpose of having this designation is basically to improve communication amongst members of the group and to have the channels of communication clearly defined, according to Rule No.7 of the Rules and Procedures of LMMCs. 3. LMMC participation in SBSTTA 19 and 8j-9, expectations from the Chair and countries Guatemala remarked the relevance of knowing the expectations of the members regarding LMMC participation in the 19 th Meeting of the SBSTTA and the 9 th Ad Hoc Open-ended Working Group on Article 8(j) and Related Provisions of the CDB, taking into account that some of the items Group of Like Minded Megadiverse Countries Meeting Report Page 1

2 addressed during both meetings will be considered for the 1 st meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Implementation and the COP 13. In this regard, Guatemala drafted a statement for the Group of LMMC for the following items: UNEP/CBD/SBSTTA/19/2 Further Consideration of the Implications of the Findings of the Fourth Edition of the Global Biodiversity Outlook and Related Reports, Including With Respect to Mainstreaming and the Integration of Biodiversity across Sectors. UNEP/CBD/SBSTTA/19/3 Key Scientific and Technical Needs Related to the Implementation of the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity and Related Research. UNEP/CBD/WG8J/9/2 Proposed Guidelines for the Development of Mechanisms, Legislation or Other Appropriate Initiatives to Ensure the Prior Informed Consent or Approval and Involvement of Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities for Accessing Their Knowledge, Innovations and Practices, the Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits Arising from the Use And Application of Such Knowledge, Innovations and Practices and for Reporting and Preventing Unauthorized Access to Such Knowledge, Innovations and Practices. UNEP/CBD/WG8J/9/3 Voluntary Guidelines for the Repatriation of Traditional Knowledge Relevant to the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Biological Diversity. These drafted statements were sent via to those members that had replied the Guatemala s request of focal point designation, having feedback and contributions from México, Brazil, Colombia, Indonesia, Bolivia, China and South Africa, which Guatemala greatly appreciate and that were included in the final version. Considering that mainstreaming and the integration of biodiversity within and across sectors is a core issue to be addressed in both SBSTTA and COP 13, Guatemala s suggestion is to keep this issue into consideration, taking into account the final outcomes from the Mainstreaming Workshop held in Mexico, to evaluate different scenarios and find the way for working as a group in the next SBI meeting, sharing with enough time suggestions for this meeting. 4. Update of preparations for COP 13 and Mainstreaming Workshop, Mexico Mexico invited to the members of the Group to provide names of ministers of agriculture, fisheries, and environment in order to think out of the box and start collaboration for the COP. The high level segment will be limited in size, about 150 ministers are going to be present, with a Group of Like Minded Megadiverse Countries Meeting Report Page 2

3 combination of relevant sectors in mainstreaming biodiversity, this, with the aim of looking for collaboration and sharing good examples of mainstreaming and lesson learnt to have general discussions about mainstreaming. The minister of Environment will be chairing this meeting, and there will be working tables. In relation with preparation of The Mainstreaming Workshop of Mexico, it will be a small meeting, expecting to have 50 to 60 participants. The elements and inputs gathered from this meeting will be included to support implementation, expecting to support strong political work to obtain strong and different results through the ideas coming from this meeting. Regarding visa issuing, Mexico explained that they are trying to facilitate this process, and suggests to take advantage of the next meetings as SBI or SUBSTTA, mostly for those countries that need a face to face interview for obtaining the visa, so they could do this in a Mexican Consulate in Canada. 5. Work Program of LMMC s: Key issues of common interests towards SBSTTA 20, SBI and COP 13, All The idea of Guatemala of including this topic is to orient joint efforts as Group of Like Minded Megadiverse Countries, reason why this point of agenda should be considered as core topic. Guatemala considers that is very important for the group to pursue common priorities, and for this, Guatemala drafted a few months ago a conceptual framework of plan of work, in order to guide the common interests towards short, mid and long term priorities. Guatemala also sent it via the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to the countries that had designated a focal point for the Group of LMMC. In this regard, we appreciate the contributions from Colombia and Brazil, which were already taken into account for a new version of the document, together with the inputs gathered during this discussion. Guatemala is also proposing to put under discussion, mainstreaming of biodiversity, all the items related to Nagoya Protocol to be discussed in SBI and COP-MOP 2, Voluntary Guidelines of Repatriation of Traditional Knowledge and the proposed guidelines for prior, informed, consent and fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from the use and application of Traditional Knowledge. Mexico suggests that having the coming SBI, we should focus on implementation and compliance of the CDB, looking for legally binding decisions to push implementation and remarked that could be interesting to think and project the relevance of why this group was created. Also, Mexico considers that COP 13 will be a good opportunity to relaunch the Group of Like- Minded Megadiverse Countries, to remind people about Cancun Declaration and the relevance of what has been achieved so far, that for now is a legally binding instrument for ABS, which is Group of Like Minded Megadiverse Countries Meeting Report Page 3

4 Nagoya Protocol. In other words, COP 13 will be an opportunity for reviving the spirit of the LMMC; in this regard Peru supported this suggestion. Mexico, added that is important to think about the next steps of the Group and considers that Megadiverse countries should not only rely on ABS or Nagoya Protocol, suggesting that is time to reflect on an agenda for the next ten years, looking for priorities and also relying on other conventions and agreements as CITES, RAMSAR, amongst others. In regards of Mexico s suggestion, Guatemala proposes a high level meeting for the Group of LMMC to discuss these issues. 6. Web Site and promotional Video of The LMMC s for launching them in a side event COP 13, Guatemala Guatemala appreciates the initiative of South Africa of having a webpage within the Ministry of Environment Website; however, Guatemala considers that would be better to have an independent website for the LMMC. Guatemala explained that some fundraising has carried out to design a LMMC s website. In case that Guatemala has a positive response from this funding, it is planned to request within the requirements for this website design, the conditions needed to be administered and maintained from everywhere, in order to be handed over to the presidency on duty and even that could be fed from different places. India put into consideration the maintenance of the website and Mexico suggested that according with discussions in the past regarding this, it would be better if we allocate the website in an international site as WMCM-UNEP, and advise to Guatemala to approach to Jerry Harrison to talk about the possibility they can host and maintain de website. The contents to be included must be revised by each member to assure the right information. Mexico also suggests that should be included historical information of the group and profiles of each country, and also the plan of work. 7. Handing over LMMC symbol to next chair, South Africa South Africa handed over a symbol of ownership for the current Chair of the Like Minded Megadiverse Countries. South Africa remarked that this symbol has to be properly cared until handing it over to the next chair in the COP 13. Guatemala expressed gratitude for receiving this symbol and compromised to hand it over to the next president of the group; to reiterate Guatemala s commitment, an official communication was sent to the South African Minister of Environmental Affairs. Group of Like Minded Megadiverse Countries Meeting Report Page 4

5 8. Incoming vice-presidency, Guatemala At the moment the group has not incoming Vice Presidency, so Guatemala encouraged to Asian countries to think about the next presidency of the group that considering the sequence should be assumed by the Asian Continent. Guatemala is still waiting for the designation of focal points of some Asian countries. Also, Guatemala suggests to Asian countries to do internal consultation and have further discussions about the candidate they considered should assume in the next COP Admission Request to the LMMC s: Ethiopia Case, how to proceed?, Guatemala Although this item of the Agenda could not be discussed during the meeting, Guatemala suggests to take into consideration considering that recently the Government of Ethiopia sent Guatemala an official letter requesting the membership to the LMMCs. Taking into account that there are not procedures for the request of new members of the LMMCs, Guatemala suggests to chart a route for addressing these requests. In this regard, Guatemala proposes the following procedure: 1. Send a letter of interest to the LMMC s. 2. The country who is interested in being part of the LMMC s has to know the declarations, mainly the Cancun declaration, and rules and procedures of the LMMC. In addition, the interested country should present in an ordinary meeting of the LMMC Group of a Conference of the Parties, their interest and expectations of being part of the group and also provide data related to why the country is considered as a Megadiverse country. 3. According to the information presented, the LMMC will decide to accept or not the country based on a unanimously taken decision. 4. The decision will be informed to the country through The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Presidency on duty of the Group of LMMC. Group of Like Minded Megadiverse Countries Meeting Report Page 5

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