Statement by David Cooper Acting Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity

But let me also take this opportunity to note that as we approach the upcoming meeting of the Working Group on Digital Sequence Information, the Fifth Meeting of SBI and COP 16 and the concurrent meetings of the protocols, we will need additional funding. [...] The AHTEG has drawn upon the experience of Parties, it has drawn upon the inputs from a whole range of Parties, it has drawn upon the scientific basis; and we have, as the Chair mentioned, very complete reports setting out the methodologies for the indicators proposed. [...] Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity 413 Saint-Jacques Street, Suite 800 Montreal, QC, H2Y 1N9, Canada Tel : +1 514 288 2220 | secretariat@cbd.int www.cbd.int I encourage you to make full use of the work that the AHTEG has achieved, to build on this work, to focus perhaps your interventions and your negotiations on the draft decision and trust the work of this. [...] You also have before you a paper looking at the scientific and technical tools available to support implementation and achievement of the various targets of the Framework. [...] The work available before you, I believe, represents the cutting edge on the science policy interface and it demonstrates the continued relevance of this Convention and of the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety.