US embassy cable - 05BANGKOK1209

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 BANGKOK 001209 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EAGR, KSCA, SENV, TH 
SUBJECT: ISLAND BIODIVERSITY MAIN THEM AT CONVENTION ON 
BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY SCIENTIFIC MEETING 
 
1.  Summary: The Tenth Subsidiary Body on 
Scientific, Technical and Technological advice 
(SBSTTA) to the Convention on Biological 
Diversity (CBD) was held in Bangkok on 
February 7-11, 2005.  The main goal of the 
meeting was to develop a program of work on 
island biodiversity.  Other major themes 
included further development of indicators to 
assess progress toward meeting the "2010 goal" 
for significant reduction of loss of 
biological diversity, and to measure progress 
toward several agreed upon "targets."  Parties 
also agreed on terms of reference for an Ad 
Hoc Technical Experts Group on climate change 
and biodiversity.  As previously in SBSTTA 
meetings, political issues surrounding 
traditional knowledge and access and benefit- 
sharing dominated the thematic discussions, 
and posed a significant challenge to achieving 
agreement on substantive scientific and 
technical biodiversity issues.  Once again, 
U.S. status as a non-Party complicated 
delegation efforts to secure USG objectives. 
Working diligently on the margins, the U.S. 
delegation was able to secure all key USG 
objectives.  Australia remains the primary 
U.S. ally, followed closely by Canada and New 
Zealand; it would not have been possible to 
secure U.S. objectives without their active 
support.  End summary. 
 
Island Biodiversity 
------------------- 
2.  With participation from about twenty 
island countries, in particular Pacific 
Islands, a skeletal program of work (POW) on 
Island Biodiversity was agreed.  The POW 
adapts CBHD's global targets to island- 
specific priority actions.  The actions remain 
at the general level; more specific 
"supporting activities" will be negotiated at 
COP8.  Overall, the draft POW meets USG 
objectives such as encouraging the use of 
integrated, ecosystem approaches, such as 
White Water to Blue Water, promotes broadly 
inclusive participatory processes and 
strengthens science-based decision-making. 
Outstanding issues revolve around Access and 
Benefit Sharing (ABS) related issues and the 
"rights" of indigenous and local communities. 
 
Indicators and Targets 
---------------------- 
3.  The development of a common set of 
indicators was considered for assessing 
progress towards the 2010 Target of 
significantly reducing biodiversity loss. 
Indicators for immediate use had general 
support, while there was some disagreement on 
five additional indicators proposed for 
immediate testing.  The gap between theory and 
practical reporting of the indicators was 
stressed, and delegates called for a detailed 
description of each.  Additional comments 
included the need for flexibility in reporting 
and especially on the use of various sources 
of data suited to countries.  Linkage of 
reporting to national reporting and to the 
Global Biodiversity Outlook  was also 
requested.  Parties agreed on "Ecological 
Footprint" as an additional indicator for 
development as well as some investigation of 
biodiversity indicators of climate change. 
 
4.  The CBD is working to integrate "targets" 
for achieving actions into the different 
programs of work.  Draft Global Outcome- 
Oriented Targets for the Programme of Work on 
Inland Waters and on Marine and Coastal 
Biological Diversity were developed based on 
the Global targets adopted at COP7.  Targets 
such as "at least 10 percent of each of the 
world's known inland waters ecological regions 
effectively conserved" and a similar target 
for the marine environment were supported by 
Parties.  The U.S., working with others, 
managed to successfully rebuff attempts to 
expand this target to areas beyond national 
jurisdiction (e.g., high seas).  The U.S. also 
emphasized the idea that marine protected 
areas (MPAs) are only one of a suite of 
management options that can achieve marine 
conservation goals. 
 
Climate Change: Terms of Reference of an Ad 
Hoc Technical Expert Group (AHTEG) 
------------------------------------------- 
5.  Australia and New Zealand, supported by 
the U.S., pushed for deferral of consideration 
of an AHTEG on adaptation, noting that work on 
adaptation under the UNFCCC was still at a 
very early stage.  Despite those concerns, the 
SBSTTA established an AHTEG on Biodiversity 
and Climate Change and agreed to a Terms of 
Reference.  The AHTEG will undertake an 
assessment of the integration of biodiversity 
considerations into the implementation of 
climate change adaptation activities.  The 
work of the AHTEG will be completed in time 
for consideration by SBSTTA-11. 
 
Agricultural Biodiversity 
------------------------- 
6.  GURTS (Genetic Use Restriction 
Technology):  Canada, supported by Australia 
and New Zealand, staunchly objected that the 
report of the GURTS Ad Hoc Technical Experts 
Group (AFTEG) was presented as a consensus 
report when, in fact, consensus on the 
recommendations at the AHTEG meeting had not 
been achieved.  A paper developed at SBSTTA 
reiterated that the SBSTTA body could not 
reach consensus on the report and recommended 
that the Conference of the Parties urge 
Parties to conduct further research on impacts 
and support capacity building.  Certain NGOs 
condemned the SBSTTA recommendations saying 
that they "leave the door wide open" to GURTS; 
however, the U.S. found this outcome positive. 
 
7.  Nanotechnology Side Event: The ETC Group 
hosted a side meeting to present information 
on the implications of nanotechnology for 
human health and the environment as well as 
the potential risks to biodiversity and 
agriculture.  They stressed that there is a 
lack of mechanisms for assessing and 
regulating potential environmental and health 
risks.  The ETC Group called for an 
international regulatory body to evaluate all 
new emerging technologies, particularly 
nanotechnology. 
 
8.  Cross Cutting Initiative on Biodiversity 
for Food and Nutrition: The scope for a new 
initiative on biodiversity for food and 
nutrition, to be developed in conjunction with 
FAO, IPGRI and other relevant organizations, 
was generally welcomed by Parties.  U.S., 
Canadian and Australian views were that the 
initiative remain within the scope of the CBD, 
does not duplicate existing initiatives, and 
takes a balanced view of conservation and 
developments aspects.  For the time being, 
these criteria have been met; however, we will 
need to closely monitor progress. 
 
9.  International Soil Diversity Initiative: 
Parties supported the framework for an 
International Soil Biodiversity Initiative 
that would help raise awareness and promote 
understanding of soil biodiversity and 
ecosystem services.  The U.S. was supportive 
of suggestions that the Initiative support 
conservation and sustainable use of soil 
biodiversity in terrestrial systems, and not 
be restricted only to agriculture. 
 
Perverse Incentives 
------------------- 
10.  This sleeper issue became on of the most 
contentious at the meeting with Argentina 
adamantly opposing recommendations on this 
issue, apparently echoing their concern with 
incentives in other fora.  Disagreement on 
whether the recommendations provide a step-by- 
step approach to removing or mitigating 
perverse incentives or provide only a 
conceptual outline pitted the EC and EU 
members against Argentina and New Zealand. 
Agreement was reached only with respect to 
bracketing the recommendations and sending 
them down the line for further work at a later 
time. 
 
Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MA) 
------------------------------------ 
11.  The MA draft executive summary for 
biodiversity was presented for review by 
SBSTTA, and comments were taken from the 
floor.  While there are not any contentious 
issues, general sentiment was that the quality 
of the MA has been highly variable.  Comments 
may be incorporated by the authors, and the 
report will be revisited at SBSTTA-11. 
 
Clearing House Mechanism (CHM) 
------------------------------ 
12.  On the role of the CHM in Promoting 
Technical Cooperation, the U.S. emphasized 
the use of common reporting formats for 
information sharing on biodiversity so that 
they are compatible, particularly for 
development of global and regional networks. 
We were successful in including these issues 
in the Draft Recommendations of the SBSTTA 
and in the Asia-Pacific CHM Meeting Report, 
held just prior to SBSTTA, as key to 
promoting technical cooperation and 
facilitating information exchange to meet 
the 2010 targets. 
BOYCE