Implementation of GSPC Targets
Summary based on the Analysis of Third National Report to the CBD
National Reports were received by the CBD from thirty-one the current forty-seven members of the Council of Europe, representing 66% of the countries. Among Council of Europe members, 32 (68%) countries are involved in the Planta Europa network.
Status and trends
In general, most parties have not developed specific national and/or regional responses but rather have interpreted the implementation of the GSPC targets in the context of pre-existing national and/or regional initiatives, plans, policies, legal and institutional frameworks. Only one party has developed national GSPC targets and thus, the responses indicated in the figure below refer to general targets implicit within pre-existing national biodiversity strategies and action plans as well as sectoral policies that correlate with the relevant GSPC targets.
Achievements and development (Progress made)
Countries whose national institutions are actively involved in regional and international initiatives related to the GSPC targets have reported progress. Planta Europa’s Important Plant Areas Project in Eastern Europe, European Strategy for Plant Conservation (ESPC) and the Natura 2000 Project of the European Community within Birds and Habitats Directives of the European Union have been named by parties as directly contributing to the national implementation of the Strategy.
When asked about these mechanisms and agreements a large majority of the received reports indicate these instruments as useful tools to develop national programmes and, as an example, CITES regulation is accepted by more than half of the consulted countries and Planta Europa ESPC guidelines are used by Slovenia as the primary means for implementing targets 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10 and 14.
Other international initiatives have been cited as contributing to national GSPC implementation as well and include various international and regional networks such as Botanic Gardens Conservation International, the Global Biodiversity Information Facility and the International Plant Genetic Resources Institute, the IUCN-Species Survival Commission and programmes such as Food and Agriculture (FAO) International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources and in European Co-operative Programme for Crop Genetic Resources (EU) (ENSCONET) .
Obstacles encountered in implementation
The main observation noted is that Parties have not developed national and/or regional targets, so this requirement should be analyzed in order to identify constraints, necessary steps or guidelines to promote this adoption.
A serious lack of human resources and financial support is affecting almost all the analysed targets. It also emphasized an insufficient or inexistent policy and framework to provide national baselines, concrete milestones or an appropriate system of indicators for monitoring progress. This is compounded by lack of awareness of the Strategy at national level. Whilst national institutions and various agencies are contributing to the implementation of various facets of the Strategy, some countries reported insufficient data and knowledge for planning and decision-making when developing their own national strategies. These skills should be strengthened or underpinned by efficient cooperation mechanisms and appropriate measures should be enabled to deal with lack of resources.
General comments on the implementation of GSPC
Most of the countries reported that actions aiming at conservation of plant biological diversity have been conducted for years within the national environmental policies of nature conservation so some of the targets are already covered in the overall framework of different national strategies. There are many processes going on, which help the implementation of the GPCS and several of these were and are actually initiated not by the GPCS. In general, the Strategy does not play an independent role but is largely compatible with existing biodiversity policies.
There are few countries that indicated that no special plans for plant conservation exist or that not many opportunities have been given to carry out actions towards the implementation.
Several parties are of the view that Targets of Global Strategy for Plant Conservation and 2010 targets are duplicating on many subjects and, this fact makes the process more difficult or unnecessary complicated.
Progress by Target
In decision VII/25, the Conference of the Parties endorsed the format of the third national reports, which included an elaborate section on the progress in the implementation of the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation. In particular, parties were requested to provide information for each target ( http://www.biodiv.org/reports/analyzer.aspx), indicating: whether a national target has been set; whether the global or national target has been incorporated into the relevant plans, programmes and strategies; the current status; measures taken to achieve target indicating activities, legislative measures and other steps taken with a view to achieve the target; progress made towards the target specifying indicators used to monitor progress towards the target; constraints to achieving progress towards the target and any other relevant information.
From the current forty-seven (47) Parties members of the Council of Europe, thirty-one (31) National Reports have been received by the Executive Secretary representing 65,96% of the countries. Among Council of Europe members, 32 countries are involved in Planta Europa Network (68, 09%) for plant biodiversity conservation.
The target 1 (Elaboration of plant check-lists), 2 (Red Lists of threatened species), 4 (Protection of ecological regions), 11 (CITES Convention), 14 (Educational programmes) and 16 (Networking) have been adopted by more than 50% of the countries, reflecting special development of “Understanding and Documenting plant diversity” and “Promoting education and building capacities in conservation of plant diversity” general GSPC objectives.
Medium priority targets, incorporated by 30-50% of the countries are target 3 (Protocols for conservation and sustainable use), target 15 (Increase number of trained staff) and target 16 (Networking).
On the other hand, targets related to the area of interest of conservation as target 5 (Conservation of important areas for plant diversity), 7 (Conservation in-situ) and target 10 (Management of alien invasive species) and target 13 (Biodiversity aspects towards poverty alleviation and promotions of sustainable livelihoods) have been included in less than 30% of the countries and specially highlighted should be poor adoption of target 8 (Conservation ex-situ), target 6 (Management of production lands), target 9 (Conservation of genetic diversity of crops and plants associated to local and indigenous knowledge) and target 12 (sustainable origin of plant-based products) that have been taken into account in less than a 20% of the national target setting processes. (Figure1)
Incorporation of the GSPC Targets in relevant plans, programmes or strategies
Simultaneously, targets 2,4,11 and 14 also have been widely included in other sorts of national strategies, plans or programmes.
Targets 6 and 8, not significantly evaluated as priority areas are more widely represented in these other programmes and plans by 30-50% of parties; same relevance is given to targets 1, 3, 5, 7, 9 and 16. Out of these objectives, target 3, target 10 and target 16 have been slightly less adopted (less than 40%). In contrast the situation of targets related to sustainable use of plant diversity stands out, either as management of production lands or as a tool in poverty alleviation or improvement of livelihoods (12 and 13), included in plans or strategies by less than 30% of the countries. (Figure 2)
