19Th Session of the Global Biodiversity Forum

Biodiversity and Prosperity

19th Session of the Global Biodiversity Forum

in conjunction with

the 7th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity

6-8 February 2004

Venue: Grand Seasons Hotel, Kuala Lumpur

Organizers:

GBF19-Kuala Lumpur

IUCN - The World Conservation Union

Global Environment Centre, Malaysia

IUCN Commission on Environmental, Economic and Social Policy (CEESP)

World Resources Institute (WRI)

The Ramsar Convention Bureau

Insight Investment

The Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity (SCBD)

Equator Initiative

United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)

United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)

Global Environment Facility (GEF)

Kalpavriksh, India

Indigenous Peoples’ Biodiversity Network (IPBN)

Peruvian Society for Environmental Law (SPDA)

Government of Canada

Government of Norway

Kehati, Indonesia

Others being invited

GBF19-Kuala Lumpur

The 19th Session of the Global Biodiversity Forum (GBF19-Kuala Lumpur/COP7) will be convened from 6-8 February 2004 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, immediately prior to the 7th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (9- 20 February 2004). GBF19 will address the following three key issues: Livelihoods, Poverty, and Biodiversity; Technology Transfer and Capacity Building with Equity; and the Value of Biodiversity for Securing the Future.

What is the GBF?

The Global Biodiversity Forum (GBF) provides an independent, open and strategic mechanism to foster analysis, dialogue and debate among all interested parties to address significant ecological, economic, institutional and social issues related to the options for action to conserve biodiversity and use biological resources sustainably and equitably. It contributes to the further development and implementation of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and other biodiversity-related instruments at the international, regional and national levels. The GBF aims to: 1) provide a broad spectrum of perspectives, proposals and experiences from all stakeholders; 2) build diverse partnerships among stakeholders (including governments, indigenous groups, local communities, NGOs and the private sector); and 3) identify key issues and areas that require further development and attention.

The Forum concept was initially proposed by the Global Biodiversity Strategy (WRI, IUCN, UNEP, 1992). Over the past 10 years, the GBF has been regularly convened by IUCN, UNEP, WRI and the Secretariat to the CBD to provide a transparent and neutral platform for multi-stakeholder dialogues on key biodiversity-related issues. To date, 30 sessions have been held at national, regional and global levels to inform meetings key Multilateral Environment Agreements (please refer to Annex 1). As a result, theGBF has emerged as an effective platform to engage a range of constituents and perspectives in strategic dialogues, so as to inform biodiversity policy-related processes.

Background

In the 1990’s, conservation issues reached the forefront of world attention through the Rio Summit and the entry into force of a number of multilateral environmental agreements, including the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). Over the past few years, the political priorities have shifted in the face of significant economic and security crises. What is becoming increasingly clear is the decreasing political will in the international community on the core issues of conservation. One of the lessons as a result of the WSSD outcomes was the need to re-connect the conservation agenda and concerns to the larger geopolitical agenda, which dominates local, regional and global policies and priorities. As a result, a core challenge facing the conservation community is the need to demonstrate that biodiversity remains the foundation for human well-being, security and prosperity.

To address these challenges, opportunities and gaps, a consortium of organizations are proposing to hold the 19th Session of the Global Biodiversity Forum from 6-8 February 2004 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, prior to the 7th Conference of the Parties (COP7) to the Convention on Biological Diversity, also in Kuala Lumpur.

The objectives of this session of the GBF are:

To link the biodiversity agenda more concretely with the sustainable development agenda (MDGs, WEHAB, etc.) and provide input into CBD COP on how to ensure that its agendas and workplans contribute effectively both to conservation and development

To continue to seek opportunities to engage the business community.

To actively promote biodiversity and CBD implementation and seek opportunities to link the biodiversity agenda with other major processes and agendas.

The results of this session of the GBF will be distributed to all CBD COP7 delegates and presented during the Opening Plenary of the COP.

Workshop descriptions

The Forum will run over three days and include three workshops. Individuals and institutions who are interested in organizing a particular workshop are encouraged to contact either the workshop focal point or the GBF Session Coordinator ().

1.Livelihoods, Poverty, and Biodiversity: This theme will explore how to integrate environmental conservation and poverty eradication, including managing the environmental impacts of poverty reduction policies and programmes, reducing conflicts between conservation and development at the rural level, and enhancing equity in conservation so as to contribute to poverty eradication. Examples/topics could include: integrating environment in Poverty Reduction Strategy Plans, making protected areas work for sustainable livelihoods and poverty eradication, case studies of initiatives that contribute to poverty eradication and livelihood security, and the Millennium Development Goals and biodiversity.

Organizers: Kalpavriksh, Kehati, IUCN, CEESP, Equator Initiative, UNDP, Indigenous Peoples Biodiversity Forum and others being invited

Focal contact: Ed Barrow, IUCN Eastern Africa Regional Office. Tel: +254.20.890605; Fax: +254.20.890615; Email:

2.Technology Transfer and Capacity Building with Equity: Technology transfer and cooperation is one of the critical areas for implementation of not only the CBD but also other environmental processes and development planning frameworks. This session will identify and focus on the issue of technology transfer in terms of operationalising the outcomes of the Trondheim Conference besides focusing on two specific issues of Access and Benefit Sharing and Biosafety, since the COP-MOP for Cartagena Protocol and the implementation of Bonn Guidelines are a priority at national and regional levels. Discussions will also be based on presentations focusing on the need for cooperation for linking development planning and conservation.

Organizers: Governments of Canada and Norway, Peruvian Society for Environmental Law, IUCN Asian Regional Biodiversity Programme, and others being invited.

Focal contact: Balakrishna Pisupati, IUCN Regional Biodiversity Programme, Asia. E.mail: . Tel: 00 94 11 4 710 439. Fax: 00 94 11 2 662 941.

3. The Value of Biodiversity for Securing the Future: While the CBD begins its preamble by recognizing the intrinsic value of biological diversity, it then also mentions the ecological, genetic, social, economic, scientific, educational, cultural, recreational, and aesthetic values of biological diversity and its components. This may be interpreted as acknowledging the inherent right of all species to exist independent of their value to people, but the interest of governments is more likely to be focused on the importance of biodiversity for maintaining what the Convention calls "life sustaining systems in the biosphere", and what today are often considered ecosystem services. In the decade since the CBD has entered into force, considerable advances have been made in the various means of valuing biodiversity, in both material and non-material senses. This workshop will discuss the many values of biodiversity, with a particular focus on ecosystem services and how biodiversity can influence the flow of such services to people. It will also highlight the linkages between human health and biodiversity, covering the full range from medicinal plants to psychological well-being. The workshop will encourage presentations emphasizing the different values assigned to biodiversity from different cultures, and the ways that such values are expressed.

Organizers: IUCN, World Health Organization, Insight Investment and others being invited.

Focal contact: Jeffrey A. McNeely, Chief Scientist, IUCN-The World Conservation Union. Tel: +41.22.999-0001; fax: +41.22.999-0025; email:

General agenda

Friday, 6 February 2004

12:30 - 14:00Registration

14:00 – 15:30OPENING PLENARY

15:30 - 16:00Coffee/Tea Break

16:00 - 17:30Workshop session 1 (workshops in parallel)

18:00 – 20:00Reception

Saturday, 7 February 2004

09:00 - 10:30Workshop session 2 (workshops in parallel)

10:30 - 11:00Coffee/Tea Break

11:00 - 12:30Workshop session 3 (workshops in parallel)

12:30 - 14:00Lunch

14:00 - 15:30Workshop session 4 (workshops in parallel)

15:30 - 16:00Coffee/Tea Break

16:00 - 17:30Workshop session 5 (workshops in parallel)

Sunday, 8 February 2003

09:00 – 11:00CLOSING PLENARY

Call for papers, case studies, presentations, and other contributions

Interested individuals from all sectors of society are invited to submit 1-2 page abstracts of contributions for possible presentation at one of the workshops of GBF19-Kuala Lumpur. Presentations may be summaries of more conventional academic papers, may take the form of case studies, and/or oral or audio-visual presentations of a more diverse and informal nature, appropriate to the backgrounds and cultures of the potential speakers. Please note that the GBF is not an academic seminar, and at least 50 percent of the time in workshops will be devoted to open discussion. A limited number of papers/presentations will be chosen for presentation on the basis of relevance to the topic, quality, balance among sectors, and geographical balance. All individuals that have made submissions will be notified in due course.

Please either send in your contribution directly through the GBF Web site () or by email or fax using the attached Pre-Registration and Presentation Submission Form.

Participation and pre-registration

The GBF19-Kuala Lumpur is open to all who have an interest in biodiversity. Individuals interested in participating in GBF19-Kuala Lumpur are requested to pre-register either directly on the GBF Web site () or by email or fax using the attached Pre-Registration and Presentation Submission Form.

Registration fee

A registration fee of US$ 25 or MYR 95will be collected from ALL GBF participants during registration. The registration fee is used to offset costs for the provision of documents for participants as well as for the production of the GBF19-Kuala Lumpur report, which will be made available to GBF participants free of charge as soon as possible after the GBF meeting.

Financial assistance

Limited financial assistance for travel and/or per diem will be available for developing country participants chosen to make presentations or otherwise contribute substantively to the Forum. Please send your requests for financial assistance to the focal contact of the workshop you are interested in contributing to. Participants requiring financial assistance are also urged to also seek travel support from the local offices of international donor organizations.

Hotel Reservations

Participants are requested to make their own hotel reservation for GBF19-Kuala Lumpur. It is highly recommended to arrange for a hotel as soon as possible. A list of other hotels is available on the CBD Secretariat website (Annex D of

The local host recommends the following hotels for GBF participants:
Grand Seasons Hotel No. of rooms: 800
No. 72, Jalan Pahang, 53000 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Room rates: RM 140 net (single)/RM 160 net
Tel: +603-2697 8888; Fax: +603-2691 3333(twin)
Email: *20 minutes walk from CBD COP7 venue
Website:
(Please use GBF Hotel Reservation form to be eligible for special rates)
Vistana Hotel Kuala LumpurNo. of rooms: 364
9 Jalan Lumut, off jalan Ipoh, 50400 Kuala LumpurRoom rates: RM 115 net onwards
Tel: +603-4042 8000; Fax: +603-4044 0225*3 mins walk from GBF venue; 15 mins
Email: lk from CBD COP7 venue (approx. 1 km)
Website:
Grand Pacific HotelNumber of Rooms: 111
52-56 Jalan Tun Ismail, 50480 Kuala LumpurRoom Rates: From RM 65 net onwards
Tel: 603-40422177; Fax: 603-40426078*10 mins walk from GBF venue; 5 mins walk
E-mail: om CBD COP7 venue

Dynasty HotelNo of Rooms: 788
218 Jalan Ipoh, 51200 Kuala LumpurRoom Rates: From RM 160 net onwards
Tel: 603-40437777; Fax: 603-40436868*15 mins walk from GBF venue; 5 mins walk
E-mail: om CBD COP7 venue
Website:

Associated Events
The Grand Seasons Hotel is also the venue of another Pre-COP event - the ‘International Workshop on Integrated Management and Rehabilitation of Peatlands’ (Two Full days on 6-7 February 2004) jointly organized by Global Environment Centre(GEC) and Wetlands International. For details please contact David Lee: or look at

Practical Information

VISA AND HEALTH REQUIREMENTS. Annex 2 lists countries requiring visas and/or yellow fever vaccination certification.
ELECTRICITY.Standard current is 220 volt.
Please visit the Malaysia Office of Tourism for additional information (

For further information on GBF19-Kuala Lumpur, please contact:

Overall issues: Ms Emilie Warner, Asia Regional Biodiversity Programme, IUCN-World Conservation Union. Tel: +94 1 682465, +94 74 710439; Fax: +94 1 662941. Email:

Local arrangements: Ms Oi May Chew, Programme Officer, Global Environment Centre. Tel: +603-7957 2007; Fax: +603-7957 7003. Email:

Please visit the GBF web site () for up-to-date information

GBF19-Kuala Lumpur

PRE-REGISTRATION AND PRESENTATION SUBMISSION FORM

PLEASE RETURN THIS FORM BY FAX or EMAIL TO: Mrs Caroline Ponti-Martinet, IUCN-The World Conservation Union, 28 Rue Mauverney, CH-1196 Gland, Switzerland (e-mail: ); tel: +41 22 999 0216; fax: +41 22 999 0025). We encourage you to pre-register directly on the GBF web site (

Mr/Ms/Dr/Prof.

First nameFamily name

Organization:

Address:

Phone:Fax:

country code – area code - number country code - area code – number

e-mail:Http:

Do you regular access to the Internet? yes no

Preferred language:  English  French  Spanish

Are you submitting an abstract/paper?  yes no
Please mark the workshop in which you plan to participate and/or for which you are submitting a presentation:

Livelihoods, Poverty and Biodiversity
Technology Transfer and Capacity Building with Equity
The Value of Biodiversity for Securing the Future

The responses to the next section will be used to evaluate the GBF event according to the GBF Monitoring and Evaluation Plan and to register you in the GBF participant’s database. Thank you in advance for taking the time to respond to all the questions.

1. Have you attended a previous session of the GBF? yes no

If yes, did you use the results of GBF session you attended in your work?  yes no

2.Do you plan to attend the intergovernmental meeting that follows this GBF session?

 yes no I don’t know

3. What sector do you primarily represent (please choose only ONE response):

GBF19-Kuala Lumpur

Non-governmental Organization:

 grassroots NGO

 national NGO

 international NGO

Government:

 Federal/national

 Provincial/state

 development aid agency

 UN family

 other international governmental org. (please specify)______

Academia:

 university

 high school

Industry:

 pharmaceutical/biotechnology

 tourism

 forestry

 agricultural

 fisheries

 energy

 other (please specify)______

Other sectors:

 farmer/fisher group

 indigenous peoples group

 local community group

 private individual/researcher

GBF19-Kuala Lumpur

4. What is your primary field of responsibility (please choose ONE)?

 biodiversity-related policy-making, or

 implementation of the CBD, or

 other (please specify)______

5. What are your main areas of biodiversity expertise (please choose NO MORE THAN THREE)?

GBF19-Kuala Lumpur

access and benefit-sharing

agriculture

arid and semi-arid ecosystems

biodiversity assessment/monitoring

biodiversity planning

climate change

economics/finance

environmental education

environmental law

forest ecosystems

inland water/freshwater ecosystems

in situ conservation

intellectual property rights

invasive species

marine and coastal ecosystems

mountain ecosystems

protected areas management

rural development/poverty alleviation

sustainable use of biodiversity

trade

traditional knowledge

other (please specify)______

GBF19-Kuala Lumpur

ANNEX 1. The Global Biodiversity Forum: 1993 – 2003

GBF1-Gland, October 1993, prior to the ICCBD1
GBF2-Nassau, November 1994, prior to CBD COP1
GBF3-Jakarta, November 1995, prior to CBD COP2
GBF-Latin America (Colombia), May 1996, 1st Regional Session for Latin America
GBF4-Montreal, August 1996, prior to CBD SBSTTA2
GBF-East Africa 1 (Kenya), September 1996, 1st Regional Session for Africa
GBF5-Buenos Aires, November 1996, prior to CBD COP3
GBF6-New York, April 1997, in conjunction with CSD
GBF7-Harare, June 1997, prior to CITES COP10
GBF8-Montreal, August 1997, prior to CBD SBSTTA3
GBF-East Africa 2 (Kenya), November 1997, 2nd regional session for Africa
GBF9-Kyoto, December 1997, during the FCCC COP3
GBF-Asia (China), March 1998, prior to Asian CBD COP4 preparatory session, 1st regional session for Asia
GBF10-Bratislava, May 1998, prior to CBD COP4
GBF11-Buenos Aires, November 1998, during the FCCC COP4
GBF12-Dakar, December 1998, during the CCD COP2
GBF-Russia, May 1999, 1st national session for Russia
GBF13-San José, May 1999, prior to Ramsar COP7
GBF14-Montreal, June 1999, prior to CBD SBSTTA4
GBF-South and Southeast Asia(Sri Lanka), October 1999, 2nd regional session for Asia
GBF-East and Southern Africa 3 (Kenya), February 2000, 3rd regional session for Africa
GBF-15-Nairobi, May 2000, prior to CBD COP5
GBF-Indonesia (Jakarta), July 2001, 1st national session for Indonesia
GBF-Germany (Bonn), October 2001, prior to CBD Ad Hoc Workshop Group on Benefit-Sharing, 1st National Session for Germany
GBF16-The Hague, April 2002, prior to CBD COP6
GBF-Pacific (Cook Islands), July 2002, prior to the 7th Pacific Islands Conference on Nature Conservation and Protected Areas, 1st regional session for the Pacific
GBF17-Valencia, November 2002, prior to Ramsar COP8
GBF-Eastern Europe (Moldova), April 2003, 1st regional session for Eastern Europe
GBF-South Asia (Bangladesh), June 2003, 3rd regional session for Asia
GBF-Cuba, August 2003, Inter-regional session on drylands during the CCD COP6
GBF18-Cancun, September 2003, prior to WTO 5th Ministerial Conference

Annex 2. Visa and health requirements

CITIZENS OF COUNTRIES REQUIRING VISA
(as provided by the Government of Malaysia)
Americas / Europe / Africa / Asia and Oceania
Dominican Rep. / Andorra / Angola / Afghanistan
St. Kitts and Nevis / Holy See / Burkina Faso / Bangladesh
St. Lucia / Republic of Moldova / Burundi / China
St. Vincent and the Grenadines / Serbia and Montenegro / Cameroon / India
Trinidad and Tobago / Yugoslavia / Central African Rep. / Iran
Congo, Republic of / Iraq
Congo, Democratic Republic of / Israel
Côte d’Ivoire / Marshall Islands
Djibouti / Micronesia
Equatorial Guinea / Myanmar
Eritrea / Nepal
Ethiopia / Niue
Ghana / Pakistan
Guinea-Bissau / Palau
Liberia / Papua New Guinea
Lybia / Solomon Islands
Mali / Sri Lanka
Mozambique / Syria
Niger / Vanuatu
Nigeria / Western Samoa
Rwanda
Seychelles
Sierra Leone
Somalia
Swaziland
Tanzania
Togo
Zambia
Zimbabwe
RESIDENTS OF COUNTRIES REQUIRING YELLOW FEVER VACCINATION CERTIFICATION
Bolivia
Brazil
Colombia
Ecuador
French Guiana
Guyama
Panama
Peru
Suriname
Venezuela

GBF19-Kuala Lumpur