The United Nations Environment Assembly,

Recognizing the benefits to be gained by implementing the biodiversity-related conventions in a synergistic and coherent manner so as to enhance their implementation, efficiency and effectiveness, and for which the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity for the period 2011–2020, and the Aichi Biodiversity Targets provide a comprehensive framework;

Recalling decision SS.XII/3, on international environmental governance, adopted at the twelfth special session of the Governing Council of the United Nations Environment Programme, which recognizes the importance of enhancing synergies among the biodiversity-related conventions, without prejudice to their specific objectives, and recognizing their respective mandates, and invites the Executive Director to undertake, as appropriate, further activities to improve the effectiveness of and cooperation among biodiversity-related conventions, taking into account the autonomous decision-making authority of the conference of the parties,

Recognizing the opportunities for promoting synergies among the biodiversity-related conventions in the context of implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, in particular the Sustainable Development Goals and targets related to biodiversity,

Emphasizing the importance of acknowledging and building on past, existing and planned activities of biodiversity-related conventions and other relevant actors to identify and address opportunities to build synergies and increase coherence in the implementation of those biodiversity-related conventions, Recognizing the need for all actors, including Governments, United Nations bodies, governing bodies and secretariats of biodiversity-related conventions, other international and national agencies, and all other relevant stakeholders to continue to promote and undertake mutually supportive efforts and approaches aimed at enhancing cooperation and synergies among the biodiversity-related conventions,

Recalling paragraph 89 of the outcome document of the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, entitled “The future we want”, which acknowledges the work undertaken to enhance synergies among the three conventions in the chemicals and waste cluster and encourages parties to the biodiversity-related conventions to consider further measures, in those and other clusters, as appropriate, to promote policy coherence at all relevant levels, improve efficiency, reduce unnecessary overlap and duplication and enhance coordination and cooperation among biodiversity-related conventions,

Welcoming the decisions of the governing bodies of the biodiversity-related conventions that call for enhancing cooperation and synergies among the biodiversity-related conventions;

1. Welcomes the results of the project led by the United Nations Environment Programme on improving the effectiveness of and cooperation among biodiversity related conventions and exploring opportunities for further synergies, in particular the information document on elaboration of options for enhancing synergies among biodiversity-related conventions. Also welcomes the workshop on synergies among the biodiversity-related conventions, hosted by the Convention on Biological Diversity held in Geneva in February 2016, and requests the Executive Director to transmit to the conferences of the parties to the biodiversity-related conventions the results of the project;

2. Requests the Executive Director, in an effort to enhance synergies, to share information and to strive to align the programme of work of the United Nations Environment Programme with decisions and resolutions of the respective conferences of the parties of the biodiversity-related conventions, and invites the respective conferences of the parties to be mindful of the programme of work of the United Nations Environment Programme during their deliberations;

3. Also requests the Executive Director to promote the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity for the period 2011–2020 and the Aichi Biodiversity Targets and communicate at all levels the importance of the National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans as instruments for delivering coherent and effective implementation of the biodiversity-related conventions, including by, mainstreaming biodiversity and ecosystem services into relevant sectors and policies;

4. Further requests the Executive Director to cooperate with the secretariats of the biodiversity-related conventions and the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services to facilitate the interoperability of data, information, knowledge and tools and enhance sharing of information among the biodiversity-related conventions, the Intergovernmental Science Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services and the United Nations Environment Programme;

5. Further requests the Executive Director to strengthen coherent system-wide action on capacity building for facilitating coherent and effective implementation of the biodiversity-related conventions, inter alia, through cooperation within the Environment Management Group, and in cooperation with members of the Biodiversity Liaison Group, as appropriate, in particular through the National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans, including through the United Nations Environment Programme regional offices, and by linking that work of the United Nations Environment Programme with United Nations country teams to contribute to the United Nations Development Assistance Framework;

6. Further requests the Executive Director, to facilitate collaboration among the biodiversity-related conventions and other relevant United Nations bodies to contribute to the follow-up and review process of biodiversity related goals and targets of the Sustainable Development Goals by the High-Level Political Forum;

7. Invites the governing bodies of the biodiversity-related conventions, other relevant United Nations bodies and the Intergovernmental Science Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services, to further strengthen their cooperation and enhance synergies among them and invites them to consider the results of the project on improving the effectiveness of and cooperation among biodiversity-related conventions and exploring opportunities for further synergies;

8. Invites the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity to consider the development , in close cooperation with all relevant biodiversity-related conventions and other relevant organizations, such as the Food and Agriculture Organization and the United Nations Development Programme, of follow-up strategic framework to the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity for the period 2011–2020, and invites the United Nations Environment Programme to support that process, including the work that the Subsidiary Body on Implementation is undertaking in this regard;

9. Requests the Executive Director to report on the progress of implementation of the present resolution, as well as the other contributions of the United Nations Environment Programme to the implementation of the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity for the period 2011–2020, to the United Nations Environment Assembly at its next ordinary session.