The CMS Secretariat, in cooperation with the Government of Chile, will host a Regional Preparatory and Negotiations Workshop on 11-13 August in Santiago, Chile.  The primary objective is to introduce the important issues of COP 11 to National Focal Points (NFPs) from the Latin American region.

This includes practical implementation of the 11^th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP11), and negotiation skills, as well as an introduction to the most important COP documents.  The desired outcome is to improve the involvement of Latin American NFPs during COP11 by ensuring they are well informed prior to the conference itself.

The CMS preparatory workshops in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Pacific will focus on training representatives from these four regions for COP11 which is being held on 4-9 November this year  in Quito, Ecuador.

The Pre-COP Preparatory Workshop will also work to build capacity by equipping participants with the necessary negotiation techniques and skills to deploy at the upcoming COP as well as future environmental meetings. 

Additionally, this training will introduce important CMS tools for NFPs in an effort to provide continued support.  Acquainting participants with the CMS Family Manual, a reference book that summarizes the roles and responsibilities of NFPs at the national and international level, and with the new e-community platform ensures they can access important information even after the COP meeting and maintain their relationships through continued contact.

This meeting is part of a larger initiative promoted by the thematic programme for Environment and Sustainable Management of Natural Resources including Energy (ENRTP0.  It focuses on strengthening the presence of developing countries in CMS activities.  The regional preparatory workshops will provide National Focal Points with an improved perspective by offering both a top-down and bottom-up approach to the facilitation of CMS.  For more information and updates on the Latin American Preparatory Workshop, please e-mail Francisco Rilla, CMS Capacity Building Officer: [email protected]

Related Links:

Latin America Preparatory Workshop
CMS Family Manual
E-community