From bionet2@igc.org Tue Jun  5 13:15:57 2001
Date: Mon,  4-Jun-2001 17:35:20 GMT
From: Stas Burgiel 
To: biodiv-conv@igc.topica.com
Subject: Pacific Regional Global Biodiversity Forum

PACIFIC GLOBAL BIODIVERSITY FORUM

Global Forces and their Impacts on the Pacific's Biodiversity: 
Towards Local and Regional Response Strategies
1st Regional Session of the Global Biodiversity Forum for the Pacific
25-28 September 2001
East-West Center, 1601 East-West Rd., Honolulu, Hawaii  96848-1601, USA

Organizers:

Asian Development Bank (ADB)
Bureau to the Ramsar Convention
College of Indigenous Australian Peoples
Conservation International (CI)
Global Environment Facility (GEF)
Government of Switzerland (SDC) 
Indigenous Peoples Biodiversity Network (IPBN)
International Marinelife Alliance (IMA)
IUCN - The World Conservation Union
Marine Aquarium Council
Pacific Science Association
Royal Order of Kamehameha I (Hawaii)
Secretariat to the Convention on Biological Diversity (SCBD)
South Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP)
The Bishop Museum
The East-West Center (EWC)
The Nature Conservancy (TNC)
United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)
World Bank (WB)
World Resources Institute (WRI)


The 1st Regional Session of the Global Biodiversity Forum for the 
Pacific (GBF-Pacific) will be convened in Honolulu, Hawaii, on 25-28 
September 2001. The Forum will include four parallel workshops 
addressing: Climate Change, Biodiversity and Livelihoods on Small 
Islands: Understanding and Mitigating Impacts; Traditional Knowledge, 
Traditional Resource Management and Biodiversity: Issues, Practices, and 
Policies; The Impact of Trade in Marine Commodities on the Pacific's 
Biodiversity: Strategies for Sustainability and Equity; and Invasive 
Species in the Pacific: Strategies for Countering the Threats.

THE PURPOSE OF THE GBF
The Global Biodiversity Forum (GBF) provides an independent, open and 
strategic mechanism to foster analysis, dialogue and debate among all 
interested parties to address significant ecological, economic, 
institutional and social issues related to the options for action to 
conserve biodiversity and use biological resources sustainably and 
equitably.  It contributes to the further development and implementation 
of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and other 
biodiversity-related instruments at the international, regional and 
national levels. It complements intergovernmental processes by: 1) 
providing a broad spectrum of perspectives, proposals and experiences 
from all stakeholders; 2) building diverse partnerships among 
stakeholders (including governments, indigenous groups, local 
communities, NGOs and the private sector); and 3) identifying key issues 
and areas that require further development and attention.
Background to the GBF

The Forum concept was initially proposed by the Global Biodiversity 
Strategy (WRI, IUCN, UNEP, 1992).  The following sessions of the Forum 
have been held:
	GBF1-Gland, October 1993 prior to the ICCBD1
	GBF2-Nassau, November 1994 prior to CBD COP1 
	GBF3-Jakarta, November 1995 prior to CBD COP2
	RBF-Latin America (Colombia), May 1996 
	GBF4-Montreal, August 1996 prior to CBD SBSTTA2  
	RBF-East Africa 1 (Kenya), September 1996 
	GBF5-Buenos Aires, November 1996 prior to CBD COP3
	GBF6-New York, April 1997 in association with CSD
	GBF7-Harare, June 1997 prior to CITES COP10 
	GBF8-Montreal, August 1997 prior to CBD SBSTTA3 
	RBF-East Africa 2 (Kenya), November 1997 
	GBF9-Kyoto, December 1997 during the Climate Change Convention COP3
	RBF-Asia (China), March 1998 prior to Asian CBD COP4 preparatory 
session 
	GBF10-Bratislava, May 1998 prior to CBD COP4
	GBF11-Buenos Aires, November 1998, during the Climate Change Convention 
COP4
	GBF12-Dakar, December 1998, during the Desertification Convention COP2
	NBF-Moscow, May 1999 
	GBF13-San José, May 1999 prior to Ramsar COP7
	GBF14-Montreal, June 1999 prior to CBD SBSTTA4
	RBF-South and Southeast Asia (Sri Lanka), October 1999 
	RBF-East and Southern Africa 3 (Kenya), February 2000 
	GBF-15-Nairobi, May, 2000 prior to CBD COP5
(GBF - global sessions; RBF - regional sessions; NBF - national 
sessions)

THEME AND RATIONALE FOR GBF-PACIFIC 
The theme for the Regional Session of the GBF for the Pacific 
(GBF-Pacific) is "Global Forces and Their Impacts on the Pacific's 
Biodiversity:  Towards Local and Regional Response Strategies."  The 
Pacific is a vast and widely dispersed region made up of numerous small 
island states and thousands of communities, many of them isolated from 
one another, and from the rest of the world.  The region is rich in 
biodiversity, including a high percentage of endemic species. Hence, the 
Pacific region possesses great cultural and biological diversity, a 
wealth of traditional knowledge about biodiversity and important 
traditional systems for managing and utilizing biological resources.

Global forces, such as climate, trade, and economic policies, over which 
Pacific Islanders have little control threaten the region's 
biodiversity, its knowledge about biodiversity and how to manage it.  As 
a set of isolated ecological systems, the Pacific is particularly 
vulnerable to global forces and its capacity to mitigate such forces 
depends heavily on coherent and coordinated approaches and strategies 
locally, regionally, and globally. 

The purpose of GBF-Pacific is to better understand these forces, analyze 
their impacts, and formulate local and regional strategies that respond 
effectively to the significant impacts these forces have on biodiversity 
and on the livelihoods of the Pacific Islanders who depend on that 
biodiversity.  GBF-Pacific will address four priority issues:

	Climate Change
	Trade in Marine Biological Resources
	Invasive Species
	Protecting and Using Traditional Knowledge 

The first three topics deal with threats to the Pacific's biodiversity 
that originate in global processes beyond the region, but are having 
profound regional impacts - many of them negative. The fourth topic 
concerns development of strategies, tools and models for conserving and 
using both biological resources and traditional knowledge in the face of 
global trends, including the analysis of conservation strategies, such 
as "protected areas", that may not be appropriate in the Pacific 
context.  

WORKSHOP DESCRIPTIONS
GBF-Pacific will run for three days and include four parallel workshops 
in addition to opening and closing  plenary sessions as described below 
and in the general agenda section. A background paper for each workshop 
is being prepared by workshop organizers and will be sent electronically 
to all pre-registered participants prior to the Forum. In addition, the 
background papers and other relevant information will be posted on the 
GBF web site (www.gbf.ch) as of 30 June 2001. Participants interested in 
a particular workshop are encouraged to contact the workshop focal 
contact directly (details are provided below). 

Climate Change, Biodiversity and Livelihoods on Small Islands: 
Understanding and Mitigating Impacts 
Organizers:  IUCN, East-West Center, SPREP, others to be invited
Pacific Island nations face the most immediate and severe potential 
impacts of climate change, despite the region's minuscule contribution 
to global greenhouse gas emissions. Sea level rise, coral bleaching, 
changes in abundance and behavior of fish stocks, and increases in storm 
severity threaten small island biodiversity and livelihoods. Small 
Island Developing States are particularly vulnerable because of their 
dependence on coastal resources and the lack of alternatives to sustain 
their livelihoods. There is an urgent need for the nations and peoples 
of the Pacific to formulate adaptation response strategies to mitigate 
these impacts. Pacific Island nations need to take advantage of the 
opportunities within the FCCC, CBD, and other fora to address the 
region's predicament. This workshop will discuss climate change, 
biodiversity and livelihood issues in the Pacific, and identify 
opportunities to further adaptation efforts in the region.
Focal contact: Brett Orlando, IUCN-The World Conservation Union, Rue 
Mauverney 28, 1196 Gland, Switzerland, Tel: (+41-22) 999-0290, Mobile: 
(+41-79) 416-7240, Fax: (+41-22) 999-0025, Email: brett.orlando@iucn.org 


Traditional Knowledge, Traditional Resource Management and Biodiversity: 
Issues, Practices, and Policies 
Organizers: College of Indigenous Australian Peoples (Southern Cross 
University), SPREP, IMA, IPBN, WRI, and CI.
In the Pacific, the control of most forest, coastal resources and coral 
reefs is subject to customary laws and practices of local communities 
and indigenous peoples. Worldwide, there is growing recognition of the 
important role of traditional knowledge, innovation, and practices 
relating to access, use and management of biological resources for their 
conservation and sustainable use, and of the intrinsic, social, 
cultural, spiritual, environmental and economic value of such knowledge. 
The CBD Article 8(j) highlights the importance of protecting traditional 
and indigenous knowledge related to biological and genetic resources, 
and a CBD working group on Article 8(j) has been established by the 
Parties to the Convention. Further, the South Pacific region is 
currently developing model legislative measures for the protection of 
traditional knowledge and cultural expressions, based upon respect for 
customary law and practice. At the same time, traditional authority and 
customary laws may be undermined where permits for access to and 
exploitation of resources are granted at the national or provincial 
levels, leading to increasing conflicts between national legislation and 
customary rights. This workshop will discuss the range of issues linking 
traditional knowledge with the use and conservation of biological and 
genetic resources, including: the role of customary law and practice for 
securing the protection of traditional knowledge, and conservation and 
sustainable use of resources; the interface between national regulation 
and customary law; the impacts of the global intellectual property 
rights regime on traditional knowledge and biodiversity in the Pacific; 
strategies for Pacific adaptation and application of the evolving 
international legal and policy structure for the protection of 
traditional knowledge related to biodiversity; and emerging models for 
using traditional resource management practices for the conservation and 
sustainable use of biological resources at the community level.
Focal contact: Brendan Tobin, International Marinelife Alliance, 
Stangenwald Building, Suite 610, 119 Merchant Street, Honolulu, Hawaii. 
Tel: (+1-808) 523-0143 to 0145, Fax: (+1-808) 523-0140; Email: 
brendantobin@yahoo.co.uk.

The Impact of Trade in Marine Commodities on the Pacific's Biodiversity: 
Strategies for Sustainability and Equity 
Organizers:  IMA, WRI, others to be invited
Marine resources, particularly biodiversity-rich coral reefs and other 
coastal ecosystems, are essential to the nations and peoples of the 
Pacific, and the region contains the greatest concentration of marine 
biodiversity on the planet.  Over the past decade, the Pacific has been 
increasingly targeted as a key source region for the booming 
international trade in marine commodities, including coral reef 
organisms (corals, live reef aquarium and food fish, and invertebrates), 
shark fin, and various commercial fish stocks.  While this trade may be 
a potentially longer term source of livelihood for some Pacific Island 
communities and countries, it poses significant threats to marine 
ecosystems through the use of destructive capture methods, overfishing, 
and competition with local subsistence fisheries and dive tourism 
operations.  This workshop will: assess the extent and impacts of the 
trade in marine commodities in the Pacific; discuss examples of 
community-level methods for minimizing threats and maximizing potential 
benefits; analyze key policy and management issues facing governments; 
and explore possibilities for strengthening regional cooperation in 
monitoring and managing the growing trade in marine commodities.
Focal contact: Charles Barber, World Resources Institute, 14 Cabbage 
Street, Valle Verde 5, Pasig, Manila, Philippines, Tel: (+63-2) 
631-0421, Fax: (+63-2) 631-0406, Email: cvbarber@attglobal.net 

Invasive Species in the Pacific: Strategies for Countering the Threats 
Organizers: Bishop Museum, SPREP, and IUCN.
The issue of invasive alien species has become a major global concern.  
While the Pacific has long suffered from this problem, growing 
international concern may offer new opportunities for fostering the 
support which will be needed to address the threat.  The draft Invasive 
Species Strategy for the Pacific Islands Region prepared by SPREP offers 
a sound foundation upon which to build, and the Global Invasive Species 
Programme (a collaborative effort of IUCN, CABI, UNEP, and Diversitas) 
is keen to expand work in the region.  Under the CBD, Article 8(h) deals 
directly with invasive alien species, and the 6th meeting of the CBD's 
Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical, and Technological Advice 
(SBSTTA) held in Montreal in January 2001 addressed this article in 
considerable detail.  This session will: further define the levels of 
threat (both biological and economic) for the Pacific; explore ways of 
building broader public interest and support; build partnerships among 
those who are working on the issue (or interested in doing so) in the 
region; discuss ways of linking science, management, and policy; 
consider cultural and social aspects of invasives; and identify major 
investment opportunities.  This session should be of interest to 
biologists, anthropologists, Pacific peoples, government agricultural 
and natural resources agencies, NGOs, and donor agencies.
Focal Contact:  Jeffrey McNeely , Chief Scientist, IUCN - The World 
Conservation Union, Rue Mauverney 28, 1196 Gland, Switzerland, Phone: 
++41 (22) 999-0284, Fax: ++41 (22) 999-0025 e-mail: 
jeffrey.mcneely@iucn.org.

CALL FOR PAPERS, CASE STUDIES, PRESENTATIONS, AND OTHER CONTRIBUTIONS
Interested individuals from all sectors of society are invited to submit 
1-2 page abstracts of contributions by 15 July 2001 for possible 
presentation at one of the workshops of GBF-Pacific. Presentations may 
be summaries of more conventional academic papers, may take the form of 
case studies, and/or oral or audio-visual presentations of a more 
diverse and informal nature, appropriate to the backgrounds and cultures 
of the potential speakers.  Please note that the GBF is not an academic 
seminar, and at least 50 percent of the time in workshops will be 
devoted to open discussion. All written material received will be posted 
on the GBF Web site and made available to GBF participants.

A limited number of papers/presentations will be chosen for formal 
presentation by Workshop Organizers on the basis of relevance to the 
topic, quality, balance among sectors, and geographical balance. All 
individuals that have made submissions will be notified in due course.

Please use the attached Pre-Registration and Presentation Submission 
Form and send in your contribution to Ms Laurence Christen, by e-mail if 
possible (e-mail: laurence.christen@iucn.org/ fax: +41 22 999-0025).  
Participation at the GBF

The GBF-Pacific is open to all who have an interest in biodiversity. 
While the selection of speakers/presenters is normally based on 
experience that could be useful to forum discussions, participation in 
GBF sessions is not restricted in any way. Inherent in this principle is 
that during the organization of each GBF session, a wide range of 
stakeholders should be targeted and actively encouraged to participate. 

To have an estimate of the number of GBF participants so as to best 
prepare the facilities to accommodate participates, we request that you 
use the enclosed Pre-registration and Presentation Submission Form to 
notify the Organizers of your intent to participate. Please send the 
form to Ms. Laurence Christen (e-mail: laurence.christen@iucn.org/ fax: 
+41 22 999-0025) by 30 August 2001. 

REGISTRATION
Registration for GBF-Pacific will begin on 25 September 2001 at 13:00 at 
the East-West Center and will continue until 27 September at 12:30. A 
registration fee of US$ 25 will be collected from all GBF participants 
during registration.  
The registration fee is used to offset costs for the provision of 
documents for participants as well as for the production of the 
GBF-Pacific report, which will be made available to GBF participants 
free of charge as soon as possible after the GBF meeting.

General Agenda 
Day 1 
13:00 - 17:00		Registration
18:00 - 20:00		Opening Reception and Welcoming Remarks

Day 2 
09:00 - 10:30		OPENING PLENARY
10:30 - 11:00		Coffee/Tea Break
11:00 - 12:30		Workshop Session 1 (Workshops in parallel)
12:30 - 14:00		Lunch
14:00 - 15:30		Workshop Session 2 (Workshops in parallel)
15:30 - 16:00		Coffee/Tea Break
16:00 - 17:30		Workshop Session 3 (Workshops in parallel) 

Day 3
09:00 - 10:30		Workshop Session 4 (Workshops in parallel) 
10:30 - 11:00		Coffee/Tea Break
11:00 - 12:30		Workshop Session 5 (Workshops in parallel)
12:30 - 14:00		Lunch
14:00 - 15:30		Workshop Session 6 (Workshops in parallel)
15:30 - 16:00		Coffee/Tea Break
16:00 - 17:30		Workshop Session 7 (Workshops in parallel) 

Day 4
09:00 - 10:30		Workshop Session 8 (Workshops in parallel) 
10:30 - 11:00		Coffee/Tea Break
11:00 - 12:30		Workshop Session 9 (Workshops in parallel)
12:30 - 13:30		Lunch
13:30 - 16:00		CLOSING PLENARY

FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE
Limited financial assistance for travel and/or per diem may be available 
for developing country participants chosen to make presentations or 
otherwise contribute substantively to the Forum.  Please send your 
requests for financial assistance to the focal contact of the workshop 
you are interested in contributing to. Participants requiring financial 
assistance are also urged to also seek travel support from the local 
offices of international donor organizations.

HOTEL RESERVATIONS
Participants are requested to make their own hotel reservation for 
GBF-Pacific. A list of hotels is attached for your reference. If you 
need assistance, please contact Cathy Hirano, East-West Center, phone: 
+1 808 944-7159; fax: +1 808 944-7170; e-mail: 
hiranoc@eastwestcenter.org.   

PRACTICAL INFORMATION
 	Visas.  Participants are responsible for acquiring their own visas, if 
necessary, for entrance into the United States.  Formal invitation 
letters will be sent to participants on request to the GBF Secretariat, 
if necessary for obtaining a visa.  Participants should inquire to the 
local U.S. Embassy or Consulate concerning visa requirements, and make 
sure to leave ample time for visa processing.
	Airport.  Honolulu International Airport is approximately 10 km from 
downtown Honolulu (and the GBF venue).  Taxis cost approximately $20-25. 
 Busses are available, but do not accept passengers with bulky baggage.
	Time zone.   Honolulu is GMT -10:00.
	Language. GBF-Pacific will be held in English.
	Currency. The official currency is the US dollar.  Currency exchange 
facilities and ATMs are widely available the airport and in Honolulu.
	Weather.   Honolulu weather is mostly warm and sunny.  Rain is possible 
but not frequent.
	Credit cards.  Major credit cards are widely accepted.
	Electricity.  110 Volts, using two-prong flat US plugs.
For further information on GBF-Pacific, please contact:

Charles Barber, GBF-Pacific Coordinator, World Resources Institute, 14 
Cabbage Street, Valle Verde 5, Pasig, Manila, Philippines, Tel: (+63-2) 
631-0421, Fax: (+63-2) 631-0406, Email: cvbarber@attglobal.net 


PLEASE ALSO VISIT THE GBF WEB SITE (www.gbf.ch) AS OF 30 JUNE 2001

LIST OF HOTELS IN HAWAII
Participants are requested to make their own hotel arrangements. All of 
the hotels listed are in Waikiki and are about a 15 minutes taxi ride to 
the East-West Center where GBF-Pacific will be held. 

** 30 rooms have been blocked at the Waikiki Terrace Hotel to provide 
GBF participants a discount rate of US$ 88 instead of US$ 150-180. When 
booking, please mention that you are part of the "GBF Pacific Planning". 
These rooms are available on a first come first served basis.


(Key: Hotel, Estimated price in US$, Address, Phone, Fax, e-mail)

Waikiki Terrace Hotel, 4 star, $88
2045 Kalakaua Ave., Hono, 96815
t: 1 808 955-6221
f: 1 808 955-7749

Ala Moana, 4 star, $140-180
410 Atkinson
Drive Hono HI
96814-4722
t: 1 808 955-4811
f: 1 808 944-2974
e: Tulinh.amh@verizon.net  

Hilton Hawaiian Village, 5 star, $179
2005 Kalia Road
Hono HI 96815
t: 1 808 949-4321
f: 1 808-947-7914
e: www.hnlhvhh.res@hilton.com

Aston Waikiki Sunset, 3 star, $180-215
229 Paoakalani Ave, 
Hono, Hawaii 96815
t: 1 808 922-0511
f: 1 808 923-8580
e: Susan.osborn@aston-hotels.com

Sheraton Hotels and Resorts, Princess Kaiulani, $160-330
120 Kaiulani Ave, 
Hono, Hawaii 96815
t: 1 808 922-5811
 
 
Moana Surfrider, $265-530
2365 Kalakaua Ave, 
Hono, Hawaii 96815
t: 1 808 922-3111
 
Sheraton Waikiki Hotel, $280-490
2365 Kalakaua Ave., 
Hono, Hawaii 96815
t: 1 808 922-4422
 
Royal Hawaiian Hotel, $420
2259 Kalakaua Ave, 
Hono, Hawaii 96815
t: 1 808 923-7311
 
 
GBF-Pacific
PRE-REGISTRATION AND PRESENTATION SUBMISSION FORM
PLEASE RETURN THIS FORM BY FAX or EMAIL TO: Laurence Christen, IUCN-The 
World Conservation Union, 28 Rue Mauverney, CH-1196 Gland, Switzerland 
(e-mail: laurence.christen@iucn.org; tel: +41 22 999 0281; fax: +41 22 
999 0025)  
Deadline for submission of abstracts/papers/contribution: 15 July 2001
Deadline for pre-registration: 30 August 2001

Mr/Ms/Dr/Prof.:
First name:
Family name:
Organization:

Address:
			 
 

Phone:	
Fax:
       country code - area code - number	
e-mail:
Http:

Do you regular access to the Internet?	( yes		( no
Preferred language: 	( English     ( French      ( Spanish
Are you submitting an abstract/paper? 	( yes		( no
Please mark the workshop in which you plan to participate and/or for 
which you are submitting a presentation: 
* Climate Change, Biodiversity and Livelihoods on Small Islands: 
Understanding and Mitigating Impacts
* Traditional Knowledge, Traditional Resource Management and 
Biodiversity: Issues, Practices, and Policies 
* The Impact of Trade in Marine Commodities on the Pacific's 
Biodiversity: Strategies for Sustainability and Equity
* Invasive Species in the Pacific: Strategies for Countering the Threats 



The responses to the next section will be used to evaluate the GBF event 
according to the GBF Monitoring and Evaluation Plan and to register you 
in the GBF participants database. Thank you in advance for taking the 
time to respond to all the questions.
1. Have you attended a previous session of the GBF? 		( yes		( no
If yes, did you use the results of GBF session you attended in your 
work? 
	( yes		( no
2. What sector do you primarily represent (tick one):
Non-governmental organizations:	
	( grassroots  
	( national 
	( international 
Government:   
	( Federal/national  
	( Provincial/state 
	( development aid agency       
IGO
	( UN family	
	( other international governmental org. (please 
		specify).....................
Academia: 	
	( university    			
	( high school	
Industry: 	
	( pharmaceutical/biotechnology  
	( tourism	
	( forestry 
	( agricultural  
	( fisheries 		
	( energy		
	( other - please specify).........................
Civil sector: 	
	( farmer/fisher group 	
	( indigenous peoples group	
	( local community group  
	( private individual/researcher
3. What is your primary field of responsibility (please tick one)? 
	( biodiversity-related policy-making   	
	( implementation of the CBD   
	( other (please specify)..........................
4. What are your main areas of biodiversity expertise (please choose no 
more than 3)?
	( access and benefit-sharing	
	( agriculture
	( arid and semi-arid ecosystems
	( biodiversity assessment/monitoring
	( biodiversity planning
	( climate change
	( economics/finance
	( environmental education
	( environmental law
	( forest ecosystems
	( inland water/freshwater ecosystems
	( in situ conservation
	( Intellectual property rights 
	( marine and coastal ecosystems 	
	( mountain ecosystems 
	( protected areas management 
	( rural development/poverty alleviation 
	( sustainable use of biodiversity
	( trade
	( traditional knowledge
	( other (please specify):...........................

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