The Norwegian authorities’ efforts to meet the obligations in the Convention on Biodiversity with focus on the National Mapping and Monitoring programme and management of protected areas. Presentation at seminar in Sofia, 2-5 November 2004 held by Deputy Director General Trond Hjelle of the Office of the Auditor General of Norway.

Focus of the presentation Background of our investigation Audit criteria Objective and research questions A brief presentation of our findings

Background The Norwegian Parliament ratified the Convention on Biodiversity in 1992. Preliminary analysis of risks and where our focus should be: National Mapping and Monitoring Programme on Biodiversity. The authorities´ management of biodiversity in protected areas.

Audit criteria The Convention on Biodiversity is a starting point of our audit criteria. Article 1 about the objectives of the Convention Article 6 about strategies, plans and programmes Article 7 about identification and monitoring Article 8 about conservation

Objective and research questions The objective is to shed light on the authorities´ efforts to meet the obligations in the Convention on Biodiversity – with focus on the National Mapping and Monitoring Programme and management of protected areas. To what extent are the objectives and guidelines for National Mapping and Monitoring Programme implemented? Are protected areas managed as required in the targets decided for each area?

Management of protected areas Data collection: Document analysis Interviews Inspections of protected areas Expert panel Web-survey

State of protected areas

Origin of threats

Consequences of threats

Required efforts

Causes for lacking efforts

What have we learn, so far? Web-survey is very efficient. Inspections of protected areas gave us better understanding and good examples.  Use of Expert Panel is good for the quality of our investigation. Using the Convention on Biodiversity as a starting point to the audit criteria is possible.