Modus operandi agreed by Rio conventions

Montreal, 20 September 2011 – The Joint Liaison Group of the Rio Conventions has agreed to mechanisms and procedures that will improve their coordination and therefore their contribution to sustainable development.

The executive secretaries of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) are pleased to report the adoption of the terms of reference and modus operandi that sets the Joint Liaison Group’s mandate as:

- Enhancing coordination between the three conventions, including the exchange of relevant information
- Exploring options for further cooperation between the three conventions, including the possibility of a joint work plan and /or a workshop.

These will be implemented based on five guiding principles to ensure that the work of the Joint Liaison Group is based on country driven needs, is completed with existing resources and mandates, and minimizes the duplication of work while maximizing cost-effectiveness.

Luc Gnacadja, Executive Secretary of the UNCCD said: “The current famine and drought in the Horn of Africa highlights how closely climate change, desertification and biodiversity are interlinked. It is therefore timely that the secretariats of the three Rio conventions have agreed to work increasingly closely together. To tackle the major threats facing our planet, and particularly among the world’s most vulnerable, we need strong overarching policies focusing on sustainable development. The opportunity to apply policy instruments of each convention within an integrated approach will also allow us to address the major global goal of poverty eradication and food security.”

Ahmed Djoghlaf, Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity, said: “As the international community is preparing in the lead-up to Rio+20, which is also the twentieth anniversary of these three conventions, this initiative establishes a solid foundation to enhance synergies between these unique tools for sustainable development in a mutually supportive manner, that addresses the inter-related challenges of biodiversity loss, climate change and land degradation.”

The terms of reference and modus operandi will be posted on the websites of the three conventions, including at: www.cbd.int/cooperation/liaison.shtml