Clearing House Mechanism: Promoting Technical and Scientific Cooperation for Biodiversity Conservation

1. Technical and scientific cooperation through the Clearing House Mechanism of the Convention on biological diversity by: Han de Koeijer and Arnaud Réveillon; Belgium national focal point to the CBD and the CHM, Royal Belgian Institut for Natural Sciences, 29 Rue Vautier, 1000 Brussels, Belgium National training, 11 January 2008, Lusaka

2. Content of the presentation • Introduction to the Clearing House Mechanism • Cooperation and the CHM • Exhange of information and the national CHM • Promote information networks • Cooperation between countries • The CHM web site National training, 11 January 2008, Lusaka

3. Introduction to the Clearing House Mechanism (CHM) • Tool to promote technical and scientific cooperation under the CBD • Objectifs: • promote and facilitate technical and scientific cooperation (Article 18.3 of the CBD) • Global mechanism for the exchange of information and « best practices » (Article 17) • Develop and promote a human and technological network National training, 11 January 2008, Lusaka

4. Technical and scientific cooperation under the CBD • Who is your public? • How can y stimulate cooperation between them ? • What type of information do they need to choose their collaborators ? • What type of information do you want to make public ? National training, 11 January 2008, Lusaka

5. Echange of information to promote cooperation and public awareness on national level • Information is available, but the access is not always possible or easy : • laws, research, “best practices”, trans-boundary, funding opportunities, who does what • Identify information gaps • Validate the information • Decentralised versus centralised • Intelectual property rights National training, 11 January 2008, Lusaka

6. Exchange of information to promote cooperation and public awareness on national level • Improve public awareness on the Convention • Country studies, redlists, relation between the conventions • target audiences: policy decision makers, youth, teachers, general public. • Motivate the public by observation campaigns on biodiversity National training, 11 January 2008, Lusaka

7. Develop and assist Networks • Development • Thematic programs under the Convention • NGOs • Assistance • Exchange and provision of information • “Best practices” • Contacts National training, 11 January 2008, Lusaka

8. Cooperation between countries • Useful subjects • “Best practices” • Laws • Experts • Contact informations • Transboundary Information National training, 11 January 2008, Lusaka

9. Cooperation between countries • Exchange of Information by: • Conferences and workshops • Discussion groups by email/lists servers • Web sites National training, 11 January 2008, Lusaka

10. National CHM web sites • One of the tools available for the CHM • Information portals: • On the Convention • Implementation on national level of the CBD • Information on biodiversity • Cooperation • Other sources of information on the Internet • Use available information • Create only new information if not available elsewhere on the Internet National training, 11 January 2008, Lusaka

11. National CHM web sites • Make information available that is difficilt to obtain in and outside the countries • Most visited pages on the CHMs: • National reports • Country studies • National strategies and action plans on biodiversity • Actors • Frequently asked questions about Biodiversity National training, 11 January 2008, Lusaka

12. Inter-operability between CHMs • Why inter-operability? • Promote cooperation and exchange of information between countries • Facilitate on different CHMs for information and “best practices” National training, 11 January 2008, Lusaka

13. Inter-operability between CHMs • How to promote interoperability? • Structure information in the same way National training, 11 January 2008, Lusaka

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17. Practical advice • Make a survey of excisting/available information • Include actors who work in the field of biodiversity from the start • Workshop on the use of the CHM for them • Stimulate a culture of information exchange • Collaborate from the start with national networks linked to the CDB such as: Biosafety CH, Global Invasive Species Programme, Global Biodiversity Information Forum and others National training, 11 January 2008, Lusaka

18. Practical advise • Share resources and human capacity • Use web statistics on most visited pages to improve the information that is most visited • Raise awareness among decision makers on the role and the functioning of the CHM National training, 11 January 2008, Lusaka

19. Thanks for your attention National training, 11 January 2008, Lusaka