Harmonization of national reporting – an overview of the key issues Peter Herkenrath, UNEP-WCMC Jan 2013Workshop on harmonization of reporting, St Lucia

Content o National reporting: Obligations, purpose, challenges o History of the harmonization discussion o Obstacles to harmonization o Options for harmonization o The way forward Jan 2013Workshop on harmonization of reporting, St Lucia

National reporting o A key requirement of nearly all multilateral environmental agreements (MEAs) o Most MEAs: provision in convention articles o Legally-binding obligation for Parties Jan 2013Workshop on harmonization of reporting, St Lucia

Purpose of national reporting o Demonstrating compliance o Overview of implementation o Assessing effectiveness of implementation o Stocktaking & future planning o Informing on status & trends of biodiversity o Supporting decision-making o Identification of interaction with other processes Jan 2013Workshop on harmonization of reporting, St Lucia

Managing biodiversity knowledge InformationReporting Jan 2013Workshop on harmonization of reporting, St Lucia Implementation

Challenges to national reporting Jan 2013Workshop on harmonization of reporting, St Lucia Reporting burden: multitude of reporting obligations Duplication: same information produced several times for different processes lack of cooperation and coordination Lack of information or lack of access to information All often resulting in non-reporting

Harmonization: a short history Feasibility Study for a Harmonized Information Management Infrastructure for Biodiversity-related Treaties (UNEP-WCMC, 1998) WCMC Handbooks on Biodiversity Information Management (1998) Cambridge workshop (UNEP & UNEP-WCMC, 2000) Pilot projects: Ghana, Indonesia, Panama, Seychelles (UNEP/UNEP- WCMC ) Haasrode workshop (2004) on pilot project results (Belgium, UK, UNEP-WCMC, 2004) UNEP – MEA secretariats Knowledge Management project ( ) Streamlining reporting by Pacific Island Countries (DEWHA, SPREP) An Action Plan for Harmonization of Reporting to Biodiversity-related Conventions in the ASEAN Region Jan 2013Workshop on harmonization of reporting, St Lucia

Recent COP mandates CBD: VIII/14, VIII/20, IX/19, X/10, X/20, X/33 CITES: Decision (Rev. CoP15) Ramsar: Resolutions IX.5, X.11, XI.6 CMS: Resolutions 8.11, 8.24, 9.4, International Treaty on Plan Genetic Resources for Food & Agriculture: Resolution 2/2011 UNCCD: Decision 8/COP Jan 2013Workshop on harmonization of reporting, St Lucia

Challenges to harmonization Long evolution of convention-specific reporting formats Different reporting cycles Some conventions require very specific information (CITES annual reports) Different ministries and agencies involved Availability and accessibility of information required Jan 2013Workshop on harmonization of reporting, St Lucia

Promising tools & approaches 1.Identification of and agreeing on information needs and sources 2. Joint reporting portals 3.Core report 4.Joint thematic reporting 5. Online reporting 6. Streamlining at the national level Jan 2013Workshop on harmonization of reporting, St Lucia

1.Identification of and agreeing on information needs and sources Define the information needs (resolution X.14: A framework for Ramsar data and information needs)  Internal information sources (national reports, indicators)  External information sources (scientific institutions, NGOs) Next step: Identify the overlaps for Ramsar and CBD Potential decision: Who collects what information (harmonized but not joint reporting) Jan 2013Workshop on harmonization of reporting, St Lucia

2. Joint reporting portals Collaborative Partnership on Forests Task Force on Streamlining Forest-related Reporting: Forest Portal Access to forest-related information from reporting to various conventions and processes Search national reports by process (e.g. MEAs) or country See what information other processes are requesting See what your country has reported to other processes Not operational anymore Jan 2013Workshop on harmonization of reporting, St Lucia

3. Core report concept The model of the human rights conventions: A common core report for all the treaties Smaller treaty-specific reports Addresses the issue of different reporting cycles Adapted version applied in streamlined reporting project in Pacific Island Countries Jan 2013Workshop on harmonization of reporting, St Lucia

4. Joint thematic reporting Joint reporting templates for issues of joint concern; examples as discussed by MEAs: Inland water ecosystems (CBD & Ramsar) Dryland biodiversity (CBD & UNCCD) Migratory species (CMS & Agreements) Jan 2013Workshop on harmonization of reporting, St Lucia

5. Online reporting Relevance for harmonization: Pooling web-based tools could facilitate harmonization Exists for Indian Ocean South-East Asia Marine Turtle Memorandum of Understanding (IOSEA), African-Eurasian Waterbird Agreement (AEWA), CMS In development for CITES (biennial reports) [& Ramsar] UNCCD: Performance Review and Assessment of Implementation System (PRAIS) Jan 2013Workshop on harmonization of reporting, St Lucia

6. Streamlining at the national level: Experience from Rio Reporting Project “Piloting Integrated Processes and Approaches to Facilitate National Reporting to Rio Conventions” (FNR_Rio) Three Rio Conventions: Biodiversity (CBD), Desertification (UNCCD), Climate Change (UNFCCC) GEF project, implemented by UNEP, executed by UNEP-WCMC Pilot countries (LDCs and SIDS): Afghanistan, Eritrea, Lao PDR, Liberia, Palau and Mauritius THREE OBJECTIVES: Integrated data/information management nationally Increased synergies in reporting Improved planning & decision-making for implementation Jan 2013Workshop on harmonization of reporting, St Lucia

6. Streamlining at the national level: Key lessons from Rio Reporting Project and other processes Coordination & cooperation at national level Management of environmental data & information Stakeholder involvement Option for collaboration through updating of National Biodiversity Strategies & Action Plans (NBSAPs) through the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity Testing of a joint reporting format: found useful Jan 2013Workshop on harmonization of reporting, St Lucia

23-25 Jan 2013Workshop on harmonization of reporting, St Lucia

Conclusions and outlook for harmonization National level: Key issues: coordination & data management Regional level: Support Parties in implementation & reporting Gather experience from Parties & inform the global (MEA) process with lessons and insights Develop a roadmap for harmonization (CARICOM, SPREP) Global level: Feed in Parties’ experience Address reporting burden Promote harmonization and synergies Jan 2013Workshop on harmonization of reporting, St Lucia

The global environment is naturally synergistic United Nations University Inter-Linkages – Synergies and Coordination between Multilateral Environmental Agreements. Tokyo Jan 2013Workshop on harmonization of reporting, St Lucia