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Conclusions: Progress towards the 2010 Target and Implementation of the Strategic Plan

The Parties committed themselves to achieving by 2010 a significant reduction of the rate of biodiversity loss at the global, regional, and national level as a contribution to poverty alleviation and to the benefit of all life on earth.

1. Iraqi progress towards the achievement of the 2010 target

PROVISIONAL FRAMEWORK FOR GOALS AND TARGETS		PROGRESS STATUS IN IRAQ	EVALUATION
Protect the components of biodiversity
Goal 1. Promote the conservation of the biological diversity of ecosystems, habitats and biomes	Target 1.1: At least 10% of each of the world's ecological regions effectively conserved.	Marshland areas (81% of the global ecoregion) “Tigris Euphrates alluvial salt marsh” (9.6% will be protected if Iraq protects the Hawizeh marsh Ramsar Site and the proposed Central Marshes National Park) Not yet protected but the law on protected areas is under approval to create a protected area in the marshlands.
	Target 1.2: Areas of particular importance to biodiversity protected	Marshlands (see above) Key Biodiversity Area in Iraq: 88 sites important to biodiversity conservation identified and surveyed but not yet protected
Goal 2. Promote the conservation of species diversity	Target 2.1: Restore, maintain, or reduce the decline of populations of species of selected taxonomic groups	Restoration of the marshland since 2003 has brought back many important bird species Tree plantation project in Iraq (1.000.000 trees) in 2008-2009; prohibition against forest clearing
	Target 2.2: Status of threatened species improved.	A list of the number of species (threatened, endemic) is in progress but protection for threatened species lacking 15 freshwater fish may have benefited from marshland restoration; other marine species now able to utilize nursery areas in the marshlands but lack of comprehensive assessments remain a problem; unsustainable fishing practices common
Goal 3. Promote the conservation of genetic diversity	Target 3.1: Genetic diversity of crops, livestock, and of harvested species of trees, fish and wildlife and other valuable species conserved, and associated indigenous and local knowledge maintained.	Gene bank of crop seed exists in the Ministry of Agriculture DNA bar code of microinvertebrates (Smithsonian Institute) University research on plant species genetics (Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research)	?
Promote sustainable use
Goal 4. Promote sustainable use and consumption.	Target 4.1: Biodiversity-based products derived from sources that are sustainably managed, and production areas managed consistent with the conservation of biodiversity.	Existence of a specific department for sustainable use and consumption at the MOE. It is not working yet, not implemented.	?
	Target 4.2: Unsustainable consumption, of biological resources, or that impacts upon biodiversity, reduced	Fishing moratorium to reduce overfishing in some areas of the KRG Some areas of the central marshes restrict unsustainable fishing practices (Tribal agreement) Tribal agreement in Barzan prohibits hunting activity No fishing in some areas of Iraq during the period of fish reproduction
	Target 4.3:No species of wild flora or fauna endangered by international trade	Nothing has been achieved and there are species of major concern (Saker Falcon and other birds of prey, Bustard, Wild Goats, otters....)
Address threats to biodiversity
Goal 5. Pressures from habitat loss, land use change and degradation, and unsustainable water use, reduced.	Target 5.1: Rate of loss and degradation of natural habitats decreased	IMOS/New Eden calculation for restoration rate of the Iraqi marshlands. Preliminary work was started to develop a habitat classification system for the Iraqi Marshlands but this work needs to be re-started and expanded to other habitat types.
Goal 6. Control threats from invasive alien species	Target 6.1: Pathways for major potential alien invasive species controlled.	There is some structure at the Cabinet level to carry on quality control on agricultural, pharmaceutical and food products, it could be improved to carry out alien species control
	Target 6. 2: Management plans in place for major alien species that threaten ecosystems, habitats or species.	Water Hyacinth management plan under Ministry of Water Resources in cooperation with Ministry of Agriculture and Ministry of Environment and Ministry Science and Technology and Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research.
Goal 7. Address challenges to biodiversity from climate change, and pollution	Target 7.1: Maintain and enhance resilience of the components of biodiversity to adapt to climate change	Tree plantation (as above) National desertification committee (structure exist)	?
	Target 7.2: Reduce pollution and its impacts on biodiversity	Municipalities planning for sewage treatment Ministry of Water Resources has some structure (largely unknown) for addressing pollution spills in Iraqi waterways Ministry of Environment has cleaned up two of the high priority hot spots The Radiation Centre of the Ministry of Environment has cleaned up the Tuwaitha Nuclear Site. International and national NGOs working in cooperation with the Iraqi Government and the KRG are clearing mine fields. Ministry of Environment has issued an order prohibiting brick factories from using black oil as fuel and requiring scrubbers in smoke stacks. Liquid medical waste is prohibited from being dumped in the rivers Prohibition against use of pesticides and electro-fishing to catch fishes from the rivers and lakes exist in some areas.
Maintain goods and services  from biodiversity to support human well-being
Goal 8. Maintain capacity of ecosystems to deliver goods and services and support livelihoods	Target 8.1: Capacity of ecosystems to deliver goods and services maintained.	Restoration of the marshlands has provided some improvement in comparison to the situation of the mid ’90 by providing for cleaner water, fisheries, buffalo, reeds, but the services provided are not stable.	?
	Target 8.2: Biological resources that support sustainable livelihoods, local food security and health care, especially of poor people maintained	The marshland resources and products have been partially restored and the local people have returned to the area and are benefitting from those services.
Protect traditional knowledge, innovations and practices
Goal 9 Maintain socio-cultural diversity of indigenous and local communities	Target 9.1: Protect traditional knowledge, innovations and practices	Reed constructions in the marshlands have been restored Traditional handcrafts from local communities are being promoted by local NGOs.	?
	Target 9.2: Protect the rights of indigenous and local communities over their traditional knowledge, innovations and practices, including their rights to benefit sharing	No information available	?
Goal 10. Ensure the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising out of the use of genetic resources	Target 10.1: All transfers of genetic resources are in line with the Convention on Biological Diversity, the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture and other applicable agreements.	No mechanism exists	?
	Target 10.2: Benefits arising from the commercial and other utilization of genetic resources shared with the countries providing such resources	No mechanism exists	?
Ensure provision of adequate resources
Goal 11: Parties have improved financial, human, scientific, technical and technological capacity to implement the Convention	Target 11.1: New and additional financial resources are transferred to developing country Parties, to allow for the effective implementation of their commitments under the Convention, in accordance with Article 20.	Iraq is not to be considered a developing country, but more a country with an economy in transition, although in some areas living conditions of rural communities have to be improved a great deal. Not enough information is available right now to assess whether financial resources are adequately transferred from other countries/donors and also from internal institutional bodies and/or private sector.	?
	Target 11.2: Technology is transferred to developing country Parties, to allow for the effective implementation of their commitments under the Convention, in accordance with its Article 20, paragraph 4.	Though Iraq is not a developing country, still some technology transfer, especially as regards pollution remediation, would be very useful. Information is only available on current practices used by NI and the New Eden Group for the collection and analysis of data. To some extent there has been an improvement in relation to monitoring techniques of the marshes and the KBA sites.