B - Convention on Biological Diversity

accordance with EC law and new on-going programmes and also takes into account international activities andagreements, is based on recommendations adopted at COP and emphasizes conservation of ecosystems andbiodiversity as a whole. The approach reflects realistic, specifically defi ned objectives and is based on the currentstate of affairs and local conditions in the CR.IV. Procedures and ObjectivesThe National Biodiversity Strategy of the Czech Republic has been prepared according to the structure andin accordance with the EC Strategy. The division of the individual chapters into strategic themes (ecosystemapproach; in-situ conservation, ex-situ conservation; sustainable use; etc.) and biodiversity into sectoral policies(agriculture, forest ecosystems, water and wetland ecosystems, etc.) is maintained. The individual chapters arealways adapted to the specific conditions in the CR. Implementation of the Strategy can substantially contributeto achieving the objectives set out in the Sustainable Development Strategy of the Czech Republic in December2004.All the individual steps that CBD requires (CBD, 2001) were included in preparing the Strategy:• Establishing an institutional framework for preparing the Strategy, including appointing a seniorofficer. The Strategy was prepared by the Department for the International Conservation of Biodiversity of theMinistry of the Environment in cooperation with the Ministry of Agriculture (MA). The responsible persons wereJana Brožová, MSc. at ME and Jiří Stehlík, Dipl. Techn. at MA.• Fundraising for the process. Funds were allocated from special subsidies for implementation of internationalconventions at ME. They were used primarily as fees for the individual authors and consultants for the chapters,working outside of the sector of the environment, and for promotional and public awareness activities relatedto the Strategy.• Evaluation of the state of biodiversity in the framework of the competence of the State was basedboth on conceptual materials from the individual sectors (the most important are the State Nature Conservationand Landscape Protection Programme of the Czech Republic and the State Environmental Policy of the CzechRepublic) and also on the experience and knowledge of the individual authors.• Formulation and discussion of the objectives of the Strategy through dialogue at a national levelwith the corresponding partners. Meetings of the working groups were held during the preparation of theStrategy, to which consultants for the individual chapters and also representatives of the private sector wereinvited. Two meetings were also held of the Czech Committee for the <strong>Convention</strong> on Biological Diversity andwith NGOs; the chapters were sent for consultation to experts at scientifi c institutions.• Comparison of current conditions with the general and individual objectives was carried outindividually for each chapter.• Formulation of steps that include specified key aspects and drawing up criteria and priorities forfacilitation of the choice among various alternatives and scenarios was the subject of consultations ofthe drafting party with the authors of the individual chapters, which took place throughout the preparation ofthe Strategy.• The assignment of actions to general objectives will be the further process of formulating individualbiodiversity conservation action plans.The Strategy contributes to a pro-active approach for nature conservation, where an isolated protectionapproach excluding human activity in nature conservation is no longer employed and emphasis is placed rather15