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MEPIELAN E-Bulletin is a digital academic and practitioner newsletter of the MEPIELAN Centre, launched in 2010.  It features insight articles, reflective opinions, specially selected documents and cases, book reviews as well as news on thematic topics of direct interest of MEPIELAN Centre and on the activities and role of MEPIELAN Centre. Its content bridges theory and practice perspectives of relational international law, international environmental law and participatory governance , and international negotiating process, thus serving the primary goal of Centre: to develop an integrated, inter-disciplinary, relational, context-related and sustainably effective governance approach creating, protecting and advancing international common interest for the present and future generations. Providing a knowledge- and information-sharing platform and a scholarly forum, the Bulletin promotes innovative ideas and enlightened critical views, contributing to a broader scholarly debate on important issues of international common interest. The audience of the Bulletin includes academics, practitioners, researchers, university students, international lawyers, officials and personnel of international organizations and institutional arrangements, heads and personnel of national authorities at all levels (national, regional and local), and members of the civil society at large.

The 12TH COP of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity and the 1ST MOP of the Parties to the Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefit-Sharing

November 30, 2014

The twelfth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD COP 12) was held from 6-17 October 2014, in Pyeongchang, Republic of Korea. The first meeting of the Conference of the Parties serving as the Meeting of the Parties to the Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and the Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits Arising from their Utilization (NP COP/MOP 1) was held during the 2nd week of CBD COP 12, from 13-17 October 2014. The Nagoya Protocol opened for signature on 2 February 2011, entered into force with 54 ratifications on 12 October 2014, and NP COP/MOP 1 marked its entry into force.

Approximately 3,000 delegates attended the meetings, parties and governments, UN agencies, intergovernmental, non-governmental, indigenous and local community organizations, academia and the private sector.

The CBD COP 12 adopted 33 decisions on a series of strategic, substantive, administrative and budgetary issues. Among other items, the meeting reviewed the progress towards the goals of the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020 and its Aichi targets as well as the progress in providing support towards implementation, through capacity building, technical and scientific cooperation, and other initiatives. Deliberations also included governance issues such as enhancing the efficiency of the Convention, resource mobilization, cooperation with other organizations, as well as issues of thematic governance such as the relationship between biodiversity and sustainable development, marine and coastal biodiversity, biodiversity and climate change, biofuels, traditional knowledge, sustainable wildlife management; invasive alien species (IAS); synthetic biology; and ecosystem conservation and restoration.

After intense negotiations marked by informal consultations and parallel deliberations the meeting agreed to the Pyeongchang Roadmap, containing five decisions on: mid-term review of progress towards the goals of the Strategic Plan and the Aichi targets; biodiversity and sustainable development; review of progress in providing support in implementing the objectives of the Convention; cooperation with other conventions; and a strategy for resource mobilization.

NP COP/MOP 1 considered the status of the ratification and implementation of the Protocol, and adopted decisions including inter alia the following sectors: ABS clearing house and information-sharing; monitoring and reporting; compliance; model contractual clauses and codes of conduct, guidelines and best practices (articles 19 and 20); capacity building; awareness raising; global multilateral benefit-sharing mechanism; guidance to the financial mechanism; resource mobilization for implementation of the protocol; budget; efficiency of structures and processes under the convention and its protocols and concurrent meetings.

The entry into force of the Nagoya Protocol marked the achievement of the first part of Aichi Target 16*, and the NP COP/MOP 1 took steps towards effectiveness by establishing a compliance committee, agreeing on how indigenous and local communities (ILCs) will participate, and setting up its Access and Benefit Sharing Clearing-house.

Note

*In decision X/2, the tenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties, held from 18 to 29 October 2010, in Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture, Japan, adopted a revised and updated Strategic Plan for Biodiversity, including the Aichi Biodiversity Targets, for the 2011-2020 period. Target 16: By 2015, the Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and the Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits Arising from their Utilization is in force and operational, consistent with national legislation.

Source: CBD, IISD Reporting Services
For Further Information:
http://www.cbd.int/cop12/
http://www.cbd.int/npmop1/
http://www.iisd.ca/vol09/enb09645e.html

About the author

MEPIELAN Centre

MEPIELAN Centre is an international research, training and educational centre established by Professor Evangelos Raftopoulos at the Panteion University of Athens in 2008.

Before its establishment as a University Centre, MEPIELAN operated as a successful international research, training and informational programme (2002-2007) under the scientific direction of Professor Evangelos Raftopoulos and the aegis of the Panteion University of Athens, supported by the Mediterranean Action Plan/UNEP and the Greek Ministry of the Environment, Physical Planning and Public Works.

MEPIELAN Centre is an accredited UNEP/MAP PARTNER (since 2013), a Member of the Mediterranean Commission on Sustainable Development (MCSD) (since 2016), and a Member of the Steering Committee of the MCSD (since 2019).

On 22 May 2022, MEPIELAN Centre proceeded to the development of MEPIELAN as a Non- Profit Civil Organization (INGO) for the more effective and efficient advancement of its Goals and Missions and furtherance of its activities. MEPIELAN Centre as a Non- Profit Civil Organization (INGO) is registered in Greek Law (Hellenic Business Registry, Reg. No. 16477300100) in accordance with Laws 4072/2012 & 4919/2022 as applicable

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