The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) requires all Parties to develop a National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP), and has established that NBSAPs are the key mechanisms for national implementation. CBD, CMS, as well as the other global Multilateral Environmental Agreements have agreed that NBSAPs are tools for implementation of not only CBD, but the whole cluster of biodiversity-related conventions.
 
The 10th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP10), held in Nagoya, Japan in 2010 adopted the 20 Aichi Targets for Biodiversity (see Box 4), including Target 17, which states that countries should have developed adopted and commenced implementation of revised NBSAPs by 2015. This provides a unique opportunity for countries to ensure coherent implementation of CBD and CMS and for conservation of migratory species to be effectively incorporated and mainstreamed into national policies for biodiversity, including into new national targets.
 
This publication seeks to assist CMS Parties in this endeavour. It provides a set of guidelines, mainly directed to CMS Family Focal Points, on how they could best become involved and influence the coming processes of revising and updating NBSAPs. The guidelines, however, are also targeted at competent authorities of non-Parties, CBD focal points and other stakeholders in the NBSAP processes to raise awareness about migratory species and their importance for biodiversity and ecosystem functioning.
 
In addition, the publication provides an overview of the latest developments in the CBD with relevance to CMS, obligations, measures set up by the CMS and its associated instruments. Finally, it includes an assessment of existing NBSAPs and the extent to which they reflect migratory species concerns.
 
These guidelines propose the following:
 
Process:
 
1) Establish contact and collaboration with the national CBD and the other biodiversity-related conventions focal
points
2) Become familiar with CBD decisions, work programmes, targets etc. and their relevance for CMS
3) Create a separate CMS planning process to identify and feed CMS priorities into the NBSAP process. The process should consider how CMS tools could best contribute to achieving the overall 2020 target for biodiversity and the 20 accompanying Aichi Targets.
4) Promote coherent integration of migratory species in Range States’ NBSAPs
5) Become fully involved in the NBSAP process
6) Provide basic information on migratory species for which the country is a Range State to the NBSAP process
 
Tools for implementation:
 
7) Promote enhanced monitoring of and research into migratory species
8) Promote targets and indicators for migratory species
9) Promote the establishment of protected areas networks as beneficial for migratory species
10) Promote restoration of habitats for migratory species
11) Promote provisions for sustainable use of migratory species in NBSAPs
12) Promote integration of migratory species in Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA)
13) Promote outreach and communication activities related to migratory species
14) Explore the value of migratory species and the potential to create incentives for the conservation and sustainable use
15) Promote the preservation of local communities‘ and indigenous peoples’ traditional knowledge, innovations and practices related to migratory species
16) Resource mobilization
 
Addressing threats to migratory species:
 
17) Climate change
18) Invasive alien species
19) Threats caused by economic sector activities