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Work Plan for the ASCOBANS Advisory Committee and Secretariat 2017-2020 and Strategic Plan for Migratory Species 2015-2023

Document type
Decision
Reference number
Resolution No. 2:
Date
Feb 20, 2017
Source
UNEP, InforMEA
Status
Active
Subject
Sea, Wild species & ecosystems
Treaty
Agreement on the Conservation of Small Cetaceans of the Baltic, North East Atlantic, Irish and North Seas (Mar 17, 1992)
Meeting
8th Meeting of the Parties to ASCOBANS
Website
www.informea.org
Abstract

Reaffirming the importance of cooperating with and complementing the work of other international bodies and the desirability of drawing upon their expertise;

Recognizing that much progress is achieved by the commissioning of work by specialists, whether members of the Advisory Committee or otherwise;

Recalling Resolution 11.2 “Strategic Plan for Migratory Species 2015-2023”, Resolution 11.11 “Enhancing the Relationship between the CMS Family and Civil Society”, Resolution 11.22 “Live Captures of Cetaceans from the Wild for Commercial Purposes”, Resolution 11.23 “Conservation Implications of Cetacean Culture”, Resolution 11.26 “Programme of Work on Climate Change and Migratory Species”, Resolution 11.27 “Renewable Energy and Migratory Species”, Resolution 11.29 “Sustainable Boat-Based Marine Wildlife Watching” and Resolution 11.30 “Management of Marine Debris” adopted by the 11th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS) in November 2014;

Further recalling CMS Resolution 10.14 “Bycatch of CMS-listed Species in Gillnet Fisheries”, Resolution 10.15 “Global Programme of Work for Cetaceans” and Resolution 10.24 on “Further Steps to Abate Underwater Noise Pollution for the Protection of Cetaceans and Other Migratory Species” adopted by the 10th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS) in November 2011 and still extant;

Also recalling United Nations General Assembly Resolution 70/1 (2015) adopting the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and welcoming the inclusion therein of Sustainable Development Goal 14 and its commitment on the conservation and sustainable use of oceans, while recognizing also the connections between healthy and productive oceans and other Sustainable Development Goals;

Reaffirming that the Advisory Committee, as a body with the task of providing advice on scientific, policy-related and administrative matters, needs a balance of scientists, policy-makers and administrators to cover its role adequately;

Stressing that the successful work of the Advisory Committee depends on the ability of its members to allocate sufficient time to the work of the Committee and its working groups;

Grateful to the chairs and members of the working groups supporting the Advisory Committee in its functions;

Acknowledging the important role that non-governmental organizations play in the work of the Advisory Committee and its working groups;

Noting also the other resolutions adopted at this meeting and having a bearing on this Work Plan, in particular Resolution No. 1 on National Reporting;

The Meeting of the Parties to ASCOBANS

1. Decides that, subject to sufficient resources being provided, the Advisory Committee and Secretariat should carry out the Work Plan attached as Annex 1;

2. Instructs the Secretariat to provide reports on its progress with the implementation of relevant parts of the Work Plan to each meeting of the Advisory Committee;

3. Decides that the Advisory Committee, its working groups and the Secretariat, with respect to the implementation of the activities requested of the Parties, should:

(a) focus each year’s agenda for the Advisory Committee meeting on the issues covered in the Annual National Reports on the previous year, according to the schedule outlined in Resolution No. 1 on National Reporting;

(b) monitor general developments with respect to other issues at stake, and report if new urgencies arise, including from topic areas considered by the working groups;

(c) identify for each relevant activity in the Work Plan related work streams of other fora, and strengthen the cooperation and interaction in particular with the European Commission (DG Mare and DG Environment), other international organizations (e.g. ACCOBAMS, CBD, CMS, HELCOM, ICES, IWC, NAMMCO and OSPAR), fishery and other economic sectors and non-governmental organizations;

(d) encourage co-operation and interaction with non-Party Range States;

4. Calls upon Parties to submit meaningful National Reports as outlined in Resolution No. 1 adopted at this meeting in order to enable the Advisory Committee to assess progress with the implementation of the Agreement and make recommendations accordingly;

5. Reiterates its request that Parties:

(a) ensure that all nominated Advisory Committee members and their advisors can allocate time to attend Advisory Committee meetings, to intersessional work, and to participate in intersessional Advisory Committee working groups;

(b) continue to ensure where possible suitable expertise within delegations to the Advisory Committee;

6. Encourages Parties and relevant non-governmental organizations to support the activities outlined in Annex 1 by means of financial and in-kind contributions;

7. Adopts the Strategic Plan for Migratory Species 2015-2023 as appended in Annex 1 to CMS Resolution 11.2;

8. Urges Parties and invites other States, relevant multilateral bodies, intergovernmental organizations and civil society organizations working towards the conservation of migratory species to integrate the goals and targets of the Strategic Plan within relevant policy and planning instruments, and also to take action to raise awareness of the Plan; and

9. Urges Parties to implement the relevant actions agreed in other extant Resolutions adopted by the Meeting of the Parties to ASCOBANS as well as the Conference of the Parties to CMS.