iunwjH 'ii. Feasibility Study for a Harmonised Information Management Infrastructure for Biodiversity-related Treaties ^mr^i^ mA iitl Prepared by the World Conservation Monitoring Centre On behalfof UNEP, CBD, CITES, CMS, Ramsar Convention, WHC ^iffmm^fh. jk CONVENTION ON g BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY UNEP Falw t iA\ 1 ^ ffiCJ WORLD CONSERVATION MONITORING CENTRE \"^KpI °\ Feasibility Study for a Harmonised Information Management Infrastructure for Biodiversity-related Treaties Compiled by the World Conservation Monitoring Centre WORLDCONSERVATION MONITORINGCENTRE Authors Timothy H. Johnson, Ian K. Grain, Martin V. Sneary With support from United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species ofWild Fauna and Flora (CITES), Convention on Migratory Species ofWild Animals (CMS), The Convention on Wetlands ofInternational Importance especially as Waterfowl Habitat (Ramsar Convention), and the Convention Concerning the Protection ofthe World Cultural and Natural Heritage (WHC), ^^^Bl^ lf^^f^\ rA CONVENTION ON /^^^S^ UNEP t August 1998 Digitized by tine Internet Arciiive in 2010 witii funding from UNEP-WCIVIC, Cambridge littp://www.arcliive.org/details/feasibilitystudy98wcmc 33 CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS - EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ? INTRODUCTION ? 1 1.1 Background -*' 1.2 Scope and purpose 6 2 INFORMATIONNEEDS ANDINFORMATIONFLOWANALYSIS 7 2.1 Information needs implied bytheconventionaniclesanddecisions 7 2.2 Information fromcontractingPanics (reponingrequirements) 10 2.3 Information fromothersources 1 2.4 Information flowbetweenconventions 13 2.5 Information flowfrom secretariats toParties 1 3 NEEDFORINFORMATION MANAGEMENTCAPACITY 13 3.1 Currentcapacity 15 3.2 Common issuesand needs 15 4 OPTIONSFOR HARMONISATION 17 5 IMPLEMENTATIONRECOMMENDATIONS 19 5.1 Developingaharmonised convention informationresource 19 5.2 Streamliningnational reporting to. and implementation of,conventions 23 5.3 Developinga lessons-learnednetwork 25 6 OVERALLPROCESSISSUES 29 7 CONCLUSIONS 31 APPENDIX - TERMS OFREFERENCE 33 I APPENDIXII- PROJECTMETHODOLOGY 41 APPENDIXIII- INFORMATIONNEEDS OFTHECONVENTIONS 43 APPENDIXIV PARTIESTOTHECONVENTIONS 65 APPENDIXV- COMMENTS FROM THE SECRETARIATS ONINFORMATION MANAGEMENTISSUES ANDNEEDS 71 APPENDIXVI- WORKSHOP DISCUSSIONPAPERS 73 APPENDIXVII- WORKSHOPOUTPUTS 97 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This Feasibilin Study was undenaken with suppon from the following Secretariats: Convention on Biological Diversity: Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora; Convention on Wetlands of International Importance especially as Waterfowl Habitat (Ramsar) and the Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage (World Heritage); and the UN Environment Programme. The Ministn,' of Environment, Government of Belgium provided support on behalf of the Convention on Migratory Species ofWild Animals. The UNEP Regional Office for Europe kindly provided facilities for the Workshop in Geneva. WCMC also acknowledges Wetlands International who assisted in providing a perspective on information management for Ramsar. The project was supervised by Tim Johnson, and undertaken by Ian Grain, Tim Johnson and Martin Sneary. Administrative support was provided by Julie Reay. Contributions to project development and implementation from Mark Collins, Jerry WCMC Harrison and other staffat are acknowledged. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The five biodiversity-related treaty secretariats and UNEP commissioned W'CMC to undertake a Feasibility Study to identify opportunities for harmonising information management. The study responds to the growing realisation that decisions on development and sustainability depend on access to well organised information, and that the secretariats could collaborate more closely to gain synergies, avoid duplication and reduce the burden ofreporting carried out by the Parties to the conventions. The Feasibility Study involved the Secretariats of: the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD); Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES); Convention on Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS); Convention on Wetlands of International Importance especially as Waterfowl Habitat; (Ramsar) and the Convention Concerning the World Cultural and Natural Heritage (WHC). It considered effectiveness and efficiency in the gathering, handling, disseminating and sharing ofinformation. The Feasibility Study identified three programmes of work to improve information management: Development ofa harmonised conventions information resource Streamlined national reporting to facilitate national reporting to, and implementation of the Conventions Development ofa shared lessons-learned network They would be taken forward through: preparation of a GEF PDF (Project Development Funding) proposal addressing harmonised reporting requirements, and the development and pilot testing of integrated national reporting guidelines for the biodiversity related conventions development of funding proposals for considerations by bilateral agencies covering actions needed to develop an inter-convention web site and search engine, and the development ofa lessons-learned network increased collaboration ofthe programme and technical staffofthe secretariats to share experiences Recognising the need for broader synergies, a follow-on study is recommended to involve the other Rio treaties and reaional agreements. Introduction INTRODUCTION 1 Background 1.1 Many nations have confirmed their commitment to the principles of Agenda 21 b\ ratifying the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and other treaties related to biodiversity conservation such as the Conventions on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), the Convention on Migratory- Species of Wild Animals (CMS), Convention on Wetlands of International Importance especially as Waterfowl Habitat (Ramsar) and the Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage (WHC). They have also ratified treaties relating to broader environmental issues such as the Montreal Protocol and the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (CCD) and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (FCCC). There is now a broad and growing realisation that decisions on development and sustainability depend on access to well organised information (such as inventories of biological resources, indicators of sustainable use and indigenous knowledge). The information that nations must organise and manage to respond to the specific and implied requirements of the treaties is complex and transcends conventional sectoral divisions. It places a demand on national implementing agencies and on those bodies that serve themtobuild capacityto manage information effectively. The development of such enabling capacity is taxing to all nations, particularly developing countries. National information management infrastructure needs to be developed efficiently to serve both strategic and operational needs, as well as the reporting obligations to the relevant treaties. There is a growing demand forthe ability to combine and integrate biodiversity-related data and to share the benefits of advanced technology deriving from awide varietyofpublicly funded biodiversity initiatives. Parties are seeking better access to each other's technology and data through such mechanisms as the CBD Clearing House Mechanism (CHM). Parties also seek feedback from treaty secretariats - comparative data from other parties that could contribute to early warning of regional problems, clarify priorities and provide the basis for monitoringprogress towards objectives. Submissions and reports from the parties constitute much of the information that secretariats manage. The secretariats have an obligation to be as efficient and responsive as possible in managing this information. Its application should facilitate national activities and be compatible with the approaches of associated agencies such as GEE, UNDP, UNEP and World Bank. Increasingly, parties are calling for secretariats to collaborate more closely to gain synergies and to avoid duplication. For example. Decision 11/13 ofthe CBD Conference ofParties: Requests the Executive Secretary- to co-ordinate with the Secretariats of relevantbiodiversir\-relatedconventions, with a view to: (a) facilitating exchange ofinformation andexperience; WCMCFeasibilityStudy: Harmonising informationmanagementofthebiodiversity treaties (b) Exploring the possihilin of recommending procedures for harmonising, to the extent desirable and practicable, the reporting requirements ofParties Responding to the interest and momentum evident in Decisions from CBD Conferences of the Parties (CoPs), the five biodiversity-related treaty secretariats (CBD. CITES. WCMC CMS, Ramsar and World Hentage) and UNEP commissioned to undertake a Feasibility Study to identify opportunities for harmonising information management between the treaties. This report is the final output fromthe study. 1.2 Scope and purpose The Feasibility Studyconsidered approaches towards the development of a harmonised information management infrastructure for the biodiversity-related treaties within theirexisting defined mandates. Its purpose was to consider how the treaty secretariats could improve effectiveness and efficiency in the gathering, handling, disseminating and sharing of information. The Terms of Reference for the project are given in Appendix I, and an outline of the project methodology is given in Appendix II. The treaties involved were: . Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) . Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) . Convention on Migratory Species (CMS) Convention on Wedands ofInternational Importance (Ramsar) . World Heritage Convention (WHC): Natural Sites Recognising the close connections between the Feasibility Study and initiatives to explore synergies between the Rio treaties, the secretariats of the FCCC and the CCD were invited to participate as observers at the Workshop where options were reviewed. The Feasibility Study did not extend to considering country-level activities. The study is however conceived as a key contribution to country-focussed capacity building, and the development ofharmonised national reporting.