MINUTES OF THE INFORMAL CONSULTATIVE MEETING ON THE SUGGESTED
DRAFT BUDGET FOR THE CONVENTION ON BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY FOR THE
BIENNIUM 2009-2010
Geneva, 26 January 2008
1. The informal consultative meeting on the suggested draft budget for the Convention on
Biological Diversity and the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety for the biennium 2009-2010 was
held at International Environment House, Geneva, on 26 January 2008. The meeting was
attended by 26 representatives of the following Parties: Bahamas; Brazil; Cameroon; Chile;
European Community; Finland; Germany; Japan; Mexico; Netherlands; Norway, Russian
Federation; Slovenia; Spain; Switzerland; Ukraine; United Kingdom and Yemen, as well as by
the two Co-Chairs of the Ad Hoc Working Group on Access and Benefit Sharing. Seven
members of the COP-8 Bureau attended the meeting. The meeting was opened by the
representative of the President of the Eighth meeting of the Conference of the Parties, Mr.
Fernando Coimbra.
2. Dr. Ahmed Djoghlaf, Executive Secretary of the Convention, briefed the meeting on the
measures since COP8 taken to enhance the efficiency, effectiveness, transparency and
accountability of the operations of the secretariat as well as action initiated to align SCBD
processes with the established UN procedures. He highlighted the increase in voluntary funds
received thanking in particular Norway, the Netherlands, Germany and the European
Commission for their multi-year contributions to the Secretariat. He also noted that France, the
FAO and UNDP are seconding staff to the Secretariat (both full-time and part-time) and that it is
expected that UNESCO will also second someone on a part-time basis in the future. Dr.
Djoghlaf also paid tribute to Mr Achim Steiner, the Executive Director of UNEP for agreeing to
fund from the programme support costs two additional professional posts as well as the cost of
the organization of two training workshops of staff on team building. He also thanked the
Executive Director for agreeing on an exceptional basis and on a case by case basis to use the
13% from the voluntary fund for travel of participants to support additional participants to CBD
meetings. He informed the participants that for the first time in the history of the convention an
audit report prepared by the independent board of auditors of the United Nations General
Assembly will be submitted to COP9 and the auditors team is expected in Montreal during the
second week of March 2008.
3. Dr. Djoghlaf gave a brief description of the activities of the Secretariat including the
Retreat, the travel policy for staff, the organization of Task Teams, the management review and
the mobility planned for after COP-9. He also spoke of the MOUs entered into with ICAO and
UNON with regard to conference servicing of SCBD meetings, noting that the Secretariat had
convened 41 meetings in 2007 including six major meetings of established organs of the
convention and its protocol.
4. Dr. Djoghlaf then introduced the suggested draft budget of the Convention noting that 3
new Professional posts were being requested as well as a number of General Service posts. He
highlighted the losses to the Secretariat as a result of the devaluation of the US$ vis-à-vis the
Canadian$ and stated that an informal host committee with the Canadian authorities has been
established to discuss all issues including rent and security related to operations of the secretariat
in Montreal. A meeting with the Canadian authorities will take place before the next meeting of
COP.
5. Dr. Djoghlaf also introduced the draft budget for the Biosafety Protocol noting that three
professional posts and 1 GS post from the shared costs have been moved 100% to the Biosafety
budget in keeping with the reality of their work. He also highlighted the request for an increase