Harmonization of national reporting – an overview of the key issues Peter Herkenrath, UNEP-WCMC...

Workshop on harmonization of reporting, St Lucia

Harmonization of national reporting – an overview of the key issues

Peter Herkenrath, UNEP-WCMC

23-25 Jan 2013


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

23-25 Jan 2013


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

23-25 Jan 2013


Purpose of national reportingo 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

23-25 Jan 2013


Managing biodiversity knowledge

InformationReporting

23-25 Jan 2013

Implementation


Challenges to national reporting

23-25 Jan 2013

• 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 2001-2003)

• Haasrode workshop (2004) on pilot project results (Belgium, UK, UNEP-WCMC, 2004)

• UNEP – MEA secretariats Knowledge Management project (2006-08)

• Streamlining reporting by Pacific Island Countries (DEWHA, SPREP)

• An Action Plan for Harmonization of Reporting to Biodiversity-related Conventions in the ASEAN Region

23-25 Jan 2013


Recent COP mandates

• CBD: VIII/14, VIII/20, IX/19, X/10, X/20, X/33• CITES: Decision 14.38 (Rev. CoP15)• Ramsar: Resolutions IX.5, X.11, XI.6• CMS: Resolutions 8.11, 8.24, 9.4, 10.21• International Treaty on Plan Genetic Resources for Food & Agriculture: Resolution 2/2011• UNCCD: Decision 8/COP.9

23-25 Jan 2013


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

23-25 Jan 2013


Promising tools & approaches

1. Identification of and agreeing on information needs and sources

2. Joint reporting portals3. Core report4. Joint thematic reporting5. Online reporting6. Streamlining at the national level

23-25 Jan 2013


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)

23-25 Jan 2013


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

23-25 Jan 2013


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

23-25 Jan 2013


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)

23-25 Jan 2013


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)

23-25 Jan 2013


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

23-25 Jan 2013


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 2011-2020• Testing of a joint reporting format: found useful23-25 Jan

2013

Workshop on harmonization of reporting, St Lucia23-25 Jan

2013

Modular approach to reporting

Informationmodulesprovided

Informationmodulesrequired

InternationalConvention

(i)


(ii)


(iii)

NationalAgency

A

NationalAgency

B

NationalAgency

C


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

23-25 Jan 2013


The global environment is naturally synergistic

United Nations University. 1999. Inter-Linkages – Synergies and Coordination between Multilateral Environmental Agreements. Tokyo.

23-25 Jan 2013

Harmonization of national reporting – an overview of the key issues Peter Herkenrath, UNEP-WCMC...

Documents

Transcript of Harmonization of national reporting – an overview of the key issues Peter Herkenrath, UNEP-WCMC...