Consideration of Article 13 by the COP

Background and status

The Conference of the Parties (COP) addressed Article 13 for the first time at its fourth meeting, under the agenda item Measures for Implementing the Convention. Public education and awareness is addressed in Part B of decision IV/10 and subsequently in decision V/17.

At its fourth meeting the COP decided that public education and awareness issues will be integrated into and become an integral component of all sectoral and thematic items under the programme of work of the Convention. (decision IV/10, Part B, paragraph 5) This approach was reiterated at COP 5 (decision V/17, paragraph 5).

COP 4 invited UNESCO to consider launching a global initiative on biodiversity education, training and public awareness, and requested the Executive Secretary to explore the feasibility of such an initiative and report to COP 5 on progress. (decision IV/10, Part B, paragraph 6). At its fifth meeting, the COP requested the Executive Secretary, in cooperation with UNESCO, to convene a consultative working group of experts to identify priority activities for the proposed global initiative on biological diversity public education and awareness (decision V/17, paragraph 2). The first meeting of the CBD/UNESCO consultative expert group was held in Paris, France in July 2000. The report of that meeting is documentUNEP/CBD/GEEPA/1/1. The second meeting was held in November 2000, in Bergen, Norway. The report of that meeting is document UNEP/CBD/GEEPA/2/3. The third meeting was held in November 2001, in Bilbao, Spain. The report of that meeting is document UNEP/CBD-UNESCO/CWGEBDEPA-3/3.

COP 6 adopted Decision VI/19 on Communication, Education and Public Awareness (CEPA), which contains information on a Global Initiative on CEPA. In addition to requesting the Executive Secretary to develop a communication strategy for the Secretariat (Decision VI/19, paragraph 4(e)), the annex to the decision also contains the programme elements for the Global Initiative.

The main components of this work programme are:

• Programme element 1:
  "Towards a global communication, education and public awareness network":
  Stimulating and coordinating networks composed of new information technologies and traditional communication mechanisms
• Programme element 2:
  " Exchange of knowledge and expertise":
  Exchanging of knowledge and expertise among professionals, enhancing development and innovation on CEPA
• Programme element 3:
  "Capacity building for communication, education and public awareness":
  Developing capacity of the Parties to market biodiversity to other sectors, and mainstream biodiversity into the work of other sectors

Cost estimates for CEPA activities were reflected in Decision VI/29, Table 3: Special Voluntary Trust Fund (BE) for additional voluntary contributions in support of approved activities for the biennium 2003-2004.

COP 8 adopted Decision VIII/6 which included a short list of priority activities to guide implementation of the programme of work on CEPA in the biennium. The short list is comprised of ten priority activities:

1. Establish implementation structure or process for CEPA activities
2. Assess the state of knowledge and awareness on biodiversity and determine capacity for communication
3. Develop key messages
4. Implement media relations strategy
5. Elaborate toolkits for development and implementation of CEPA strategies
6. Organize workshops for the articulation of CEPA strategies
7. Develop infrastructure and support for a global network
8. The International Day for Biological Diversity
9. Raise profile of meetings of the Conference of the Parties and the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice (SBSTTA)
10. Strengthen formal and informal education on Biodiversity
    The COP decision also invited the United Nations General Assembly to consider declaring 2010 as the International Year for Biodiversity.