IUCN, the International Union for Conservation of Nature

SBSTTA, the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice, was established by the Convention on Biological Diversity to ensure that all aspects of its work have a sound scientific base. This group of experts and government representatives provides assessments of the status of biological diversity and responds to questions put forward by the Conference of the Parties to the Convention.

SBSTTA is a multidisciplinary body of government representatives competent in the relevant fields of expertise, and it is open to all parties to the Convention. Its 14th meeting will take place from 10-21 May in Kenya’s capital Nairobi.

Following SBSTTA, another body of the Convention will meet in Nairobi 24-28 May to evaluate and review the implementation of the Convention and to ensure that its objectives are delivered in an effective and coherent manner. The Working Group on Review of Implementation of the Convention, WGRI, will meet to prepare a long-term vision for biodiversity conservation. It will revise the Convention’s Strategic Plan, the biodiversity target and the Convention’s work programme for 2011-2022.

The decisions taken in Nairobi will serve as a basis for discussions that will take place in October in Japan, at the 10th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity.

They are essential – to the Convention on Biological Diversity, to the diversity of all life on Earth and to the future of our lives.

We are facing a growing biodiversity crisis – losing biological diversity through species extinction, ecosystem degradation and loss of genetic material. Improved research, project implementation, planning, funding and communication are necessary to effectively respond to the crisis.

The recommendations from Nairobi will explain what needs to be done and who needs to do what to prevent further biodiversity loss. They will play a crucial role in Japan, where final decisions will be taken in October on developing a long-term vision for biodiversity conservation and post-2010 biodiversity targets. Once adopted – fully or in partly – the recommendations will become decisions, serving as a scientific basis for the global efforts to save our world’s biodiversity.

The meetings are taking place during the International Year of Biodiversity, which makes them particularly important. This is a perfect opportunity to make sure that the problem of biodiversity loss is clearly communicated to the widest possible audience, that the response to the biodiversity crisis is effective and that all political and financial implications are taken into account before the final decisions are taken and the global community moves into further action.

SBSTTA provides scientific and technical assessments on issues critical for the implementation of the Convention. Some of the main areas that will be discussed this year include the biodiversity of mountains and inland waters; marine and coastal biodiversity, agricultural biodiversity – such as crops, livestock, weeds and pests - drylands, links between biodiversity and climate change; biofuels and invasive species.

Experts gathered in Nairobi will also discuss post-2010 biodiversity targets, how much of the planet’s surface should be protected and how we can make sure that there is enough water for drinking, irrigation, vegetation that supports flood control, and recreation.

IUCN is the world’s leading authority on biodiversity conservation and will have a strong delegation at both meetings. Its recommendations, developed by some of its top scientists and conservation experts and included in the IUCN position papers, will provide the latest science to underpin the decisions taken.

IUCN has developed a new vision for biodiversity, including post-2010 targets and position papers related to protected areas, plant conservation and gender.

The Union also addresses other issues of concern, such as unsustainable use of water, ocean acidification, protection of marine resources in areas outside national jurisdiction, the role of wetlands and other ecosystems in climate change mitigation and adaptation, and safeguards and precautions for biofuel production.