Supporting countries towards a better and more coherent implementation of MEAs Ines Verleye

1. Supporting countries towards a better and more coherent implementation of MEAs Ines Verleye Head, TEMATEA Secretariat

2. 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 & coherent approach Sanitary and Phytosanitary agreement International Plant Protection Convention Regional Treaties

3. 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.

4. 1. The ‘Issue-Based Modules’ • Issue-Based on key biodiversity issues: CC, PA, SU, IW, IAS, ABS • Analysis of existingdecisions 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

5. UNESCO MAB UNCLOS SPS Agreement (WTO) Int'l Convention for Ballast Water & Sediments IPPC (FAO)‏ Regional Agreements for Asia Europe, Africa, Latin America. 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

6. 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

7. Use of TEMATEA • Individual experts include mainly experts from National Agencies and Ministries, but also from NGOs, Universities etc. • 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. • Also regional organizations such as EC, SPREP, ASEAN, etc. include it in capacity building exercises or on their website. • There are currently over 2000 daily hits on the website.

8. How does TEMATEA provide support? • 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.

9. Some quotes from users • 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’

10. 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.

11. 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.

12. Process of National Support Program • 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

13. Ex Invent: CC&Biodiv, Section2, Activity4, Comp2

14. Evaluation • 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. • This is done by national actors only. There is no evaluation by foreign consultants or organizations. • The evaluation furthermore identifies why certain elements are stronger or weaker than others in order to understand impediments to better and more coherent implementation

15. Recommendations • 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.

16. Thank you Ines Verleye, Head Jorge Ventocilla, Project Coordinator Boulevard Louis Schmidt 64, Brussels, Belgium Tel: + 32 478 270142, +32 479 336584 Email: tematea@iucn.org, jorge.ventocilla@iucn.org