Biodiversity Enabling Activity
Proposal for additional funding
Country: Colombia
Project Title:Assessment of Capacity Building Needs and Country Specific Priorities in the Conservation of Biodiversity (Article 8j) and preparation of a Second National Report to the CBD.
Country Eligibility:Ratified the CBD on 28th November 1994.
GEF Financing:Phase 1US$ 253,000 (approved May 21, 1997)
PresentUS$ 147,350
Government Contribution:
In Kind:US$ 13,140
Office SpaceUS$ 4,350
Transport and communicationsUS$ 1,300
Professional inputsUS$ 7,490
TotalUS$ 26,280
Estimated Total Budget:US$ 173,630
GEF Implementing Agency:UNEP
National Executing Agency:Ministry of the Environment, Calle 37, #8-40, Bogotá
GEF Operational Focal Point:Vasquez-Gomez, Francisco
Chief, International cooperation Office,
Ministry of the Environment,
Calle 37, #8-41, Bogotá, D.C.
PHONE: (571) 288 7567 ext. 108
FAX: (571) 332 3400
E.mail:
(see Endorsement letter at Annex 1)
CBD Focal Point:Dr. Jalme Giron
Viceministro de Asuntos Multilaterales
Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores
Palacio de San Carlos
Calle 10 No. 5-51, Bogota D.C.
Telephone:+571 562 8092
Fax:+571 562 7610
E-mail:
(see Endorsement letter at Annex 1)
Estimated Starting Date:1st.February 2003
Duration:6 months
Enabling Activity Status
Article 26 of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) establishes that each Contracting Party should present to the Conference of Parties, national reports on the measures adopted with a view to implementing the Convention and to verify its efficiency in order to reach the objectives stipulated by the CBD, under some periodicity parameters determined by the Parties to carry these out.
In the second Conference of the Parties that took place in Jakarta, in November 1995, in Decision II/17 the Parties determined that the First National Report should be focused on measures taken to implement Article 6 of the Convention, as well as on available information related to national studies on biological diversity. In the third CoP meeting that took place in Buenos Aires, Argentina in 1966, the Conference of Parties, by means of Decision III/9, stipulated that the First National Report should be made no later than the January lst. 1998.
Taking this into consideration, Colombia, as a Party to the Convention, commissioned the Alexander von Humboldt Institute, an entity linked to the Ministry of the Environment, to carry out the National Report of the State of Biodiversity in Colombia. The report was published in 1997 and presented, as the “First National Report on the Progress of Implementing the CBD”, to the CBD Secretariat in April 1998 (see
This report was structured into four sections. The first section contained a description of the importance, locally and globally, of Colombia’s biodiversity. In the second section, the focus was on the main causes of loss of biodiversity in Colombia, and in the third section of the report, the existing legal and institutional structure of the country for environmental activities was described. Finally, the National Biodiversity Policy and implementation process was presented. This stressed the need to connect biodiversity issues with social and economic processes taking place in the country (see
The report concluded that the country has progressed in the process of using and incorporating biodiversity issues into social and economic processes in order to promote sustainable development. On the other hand, the National Biodiversity Policy constitutes a significant step forward for biodiversity conservation. It is considered that the Policy is also evidence of the fact that conservation and sustainable use can be the object of long term policy and at the same time should be used to make sure that there is coherence between the policies of other sectors through the agreement of priorities taking into account National Biodiversity Policies and the Convention on Biological Diversity.
The objective of the National Report was to gather and analyze the information available on the knowledge and state of conservation of biodiversity in Colombia. The report at one time did support the carrying out of the National Biodiversity Policy and its action plan and define as mentioned before, the understanding and state of biological diversity until 1987, which helped to identify investigation and action priorities.
In addition to the First National Report, Colombia undertook the preparation of a National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP), with the object of implementing the National Biodiversity Policy and to fulfil Colombia’s obligations under the CBD. The NBSAP was published in 1988.
Each of the documents mentioned is a reflection of the different efforts, which have taken place with the objective of getting to know the state of biodiversity in the country and therefore suggest the different alternatives for its conservation and sustainable use taking into account the existing institutional and legal structure.
Both the First National Report and the National Biodiversity Strategy report were produced with the technical assistance of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), with financial support from the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) country office in Bogotá.
Progress of Colombia’s Clearing House Mechanism
In Colombia, the Alexander von Humboldt Biological Resources Research Institute was designated as the national focal point for the Clearing House Mechanism. Since 1999, the Institute has implemented the CHM of Colombia with the objective of promoting technical scientific cooperation and facilitating the exchange of information amongst the users of CHMs at a national and international level.
The Clearing House Mechanism in Colombia has placed emphasis on promoting cooperation and has developed a system that facilitates and increases contact, exchange of joint information, and collaborative work amongst scientists and institutions at a national level and with other countries. Some of the main achievements of the CHM are: (i) the creation of the first national directory of biodiversity investigators and investigation entities, (ii) a joint Colombian-German cooperation packet, (iii) an information and support service for the CHM users, and (iv) the identification of the state in which biodiversity investigation and cooperation stands in Colombia. The Colombian CHM has been an inspiration for other countries and this year the Colombian CHM is giving advice to Bolivia on the implementation of its national CHM.
Second National Report Status
Preparation of the Second National Report has been delayed by the need to ensure that it is undertaken as a highly participatory process throughout the country, with the full consultation and involvement of all of the different indigenous, black and local communities. This presents a particular logistical and financial challenge for a culturally and biologically mega-diverse country like Colombia and the majority of resources requested for the Second National Report will be destined to financing the participation/consultation with these communities.
In order to start with the preparation of the Second National Report on Biodiversity, there has been some informal dialogue with the directors of the Regional Autonomous Corporations (Authorities), the institutions that will serve as connection points, at a regional and local level, for carrying out the consultation process.
Objectives of the Current Proposal
The objectives of the current proposal are:
1.To enable the National CBD Focal Point to undertake the necessary consultations for the preparation of the Second National Report; and
2.To complete a capacity needs assessment for the effective implementation of CBD Article 8j in Colombia.
1. Second National Report:
In accordance with Decision V/13 of the Conference of Parties of the Convention on Biological Diversity, additional financing for the Parties is requested from GEF amongst other things, for the preparation of the consulting process for the Second National Report.
Decision V/19 on national reports, where the format is endorsed, requests that the second reports be sent no later than May 15th. 2001, in an official language of the Conference of Parties, electronic format and printed. The same decision contemplates that the preparation process for the Second National Report be consultative with all relevant actors.
CBD Secretariat Notifications 2001-081, 2002-047 and 2002-066 all urge countries to submit their Second National Reports as soon as possible.
The Global Environment Facility (GEF), in the document “Revised guidelines for the additional financing of biodiversity – (expedited procedures)”, elaborated in October 2000, gives the basis to present a request for financing to support the process of consultation for preparation of the Second National Report to the Convention on Biological Diversity.
The Government of Colombia now wishes to complete this consultation process (see workplan and budget for details)
Priorities for Capacity Building Needs
In Colombia, the participation of all communities in the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity is enshrined in the national legislation, for example, Convenio de Diversidad Biológica -Ley 165 de 1994, Ley 99 de 1993, and the regional Decisión Andina 391 de 1996. This holisitic participation in management of biodiversity, especially in regard to the use of traditional knowledge, presents great challenges. Colombia wishes to undertake an assessment of the capacity building needs to meet this challenge, especially with regard to Article 8j of the CBD and the harmisation of Article 8j and Article 15 on Access and Benefit Sharing (see table, workplan and budget for details).
A)Priority for Capacity Building Needs.
Priority / Reasons for Priority / Work to be done / Product expected1.A
Preservation and maintenance of biodiversity related knowledge of indigenous and local communities with traditional lifestyles. / It is necessary to point out a clear route on the strategies that would be adopted for all national entities related to the subject for the protection of knowledge of traditional communities. / Undertake a capacity needs assessment for the elaboration of a strategy, within the National Environmental System framework, that would strengthen the participation of indigenous and ethnic groups and local communities in the environmental decision making processes, especially on the issue of protecting traditional knowledge. For this, the state of fulfillment of the principles derived from the international protection instruments for local communities and towns will be reviewed. / 1. An analytical report of the main nodes and problems that the subject on the protection of traditional knowledge shows within national instances in charge of the participation and in a specific way of the participation in decision-making for the protection of traditional knowledge in the light of what is determined in the CBD and of other concordant arrangements.
2. Strengthening of ethnic and peasant groups that would propose a conceptual framework to serve as a reference for communities, of the issues related to decision-making of the main elements that in their opinion should contain a Participation Strategy, specifically related to the protection of traditional knowledge in the CBD framework, especially those related to article 8j.
3. A document that would contain the proposals elaborated by the members of ethnic and farmer groups from the regions, specifically on the participation in decision-making of the protection of traditional knowledge, as a result of Regional Workshops convened for the preparation of the 2nd National Report on Biodiversity.
4. A conceptual proposal on the methodologies, alignments and objectives of activities related to the protection of traditional knowledge, to be socialized, enriched and agreed on by the communities and incorporated later into the State policy.
5. Memories of the process that would include its systematization.
2.A
Consultative process for the
Preparation of the 2nd. National Report. / Deadline for reporting has already passed. / Carry out the necessary consultations to find out the state of implementing the Convention on Biological Diversity in all regions Colombia.
Complete the existing format given by the Convention for the Second National Reports based on the information handed over during the consultations. / Publish the report in Spanish and English.
B.Time Plan and Sequencing.
1. Second National Report
MONTHS
ACTIVITIES /I
/II
/III
/IV
/V
/VI
1.Organize the databases, they will be sent a questionnaire of the Second National Report on Biodiversity.2.Send the people on the database the questionnaire sent by the Convention to carry out the Second National Report of Biodiversity.
3.Logistic organization of the regional workshops.
4.Carry out regional workshops aimed to compile information from the questionnaires structured by the Convention for the Second National Report.
5.Carry out a National Workshop where the information received from the Regional Workshops will be consolidated.
6.Recompile and systematize the results from the Regional and National Workshops.
7.Process of editing the document.
8.Translation of the document.
2.Project Article 8(j).
ACTIVITIES / I /II
/ III / IV / V / VI1.Interviews with employees of the Ministries, National Parks, and Ministries of: Foreign Affairs, Agriculture, Interior, the Environment and the Chancellery.
2.Analytical review of the documents used, specifically the one on traditional knowledge.
3.Conformation activities from the ethnic and farmer support groups.
4.Analytical review of the fulfillment of the international instruments.
5.Gathering of documents and evaluation of the results of the consultations with ethnic groups.
6.Promote meetings every two weeks during three months with the objective to obtain a document on the main aspects that should be taken into account with the participation of ethnic groups in the decision-making of traditional knowledge.
7.Inter institutional work meetings to analyze coherence and gaps between the different proceedings.
8.Contrast opinions with the members of Inter-ethnic Groups.
9.Participation in regional and national Workshops on the Second National Report of Biodiversity.
10.Gathering and systematization of the results of the regional Workshops.
11.Gathering and systematization of the proposals of the ethnic groups.
12.Final editing of the Report.
13.Editing the document on the Process.
C.Table of Cost Estimates for Additional Biodiversity Enabling Activities (US$)
ACTIVITY
/ PRODUCT / PROCESS / TOTAL[1]APPROVED EARLIER
Original EA, less costs of CHM activities / 253,000CHM support (provided through add-on Module or project itself)
Total approved support
/ 253,000ADDITIONAL REQUEST
1.Preservation/maintenance of biodiversity related knowledge of indigenous and local communities with traditional lifestyles. / 2,600 / 61,900 / 64,500
2.
Consultations for the preparation of a Second National Report / 82,850[2] / 82,850
Total Additional Request
/ 2,600 / 143,750 / 147,350GRAND TOTAL
/ 400,350Annex A
Letters of Endorsement
[1] This budget excludes the $26,280 government contribution (see page 1) which is spread across both product and process.
[2] Under Colombian law, indigenous communities must be fully consulted on all biodiversity-related issues – thus consultation for the preparation of the second national report will require local language workshops in all 5 major regions of the country in addition to a final “consolidation” workshop.