<div dir="ltr"><div class="gmail_default" style="font-size:large"><br></div>From: <b class="gmail_sendername" dir="auto">K.M. Gopakumar</b> <span dir="auto"><<a href="mailto:kumargopakm@gmail.com">kumargopakm@gmail.com</a>></span><br><div class="gmail_quote"><br><div dir="ltr"><div class="gmail_quote"><div dir="ltr"><div class="gmail_quote"><div link="#0563C1" vlink="#954F72" lang="EN-GB"><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black">Civil Society Organisations has sent a letter to the </span><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black" lang="EN-US">UN Secretary-General and the Director-General of the World Health Organization on <b>COVID-19: Operationalizing Fair and Equitable Benefit Sharing of Medical Products</b> signed by 40 global and regional civil society organizations and networks, 228 national organizations and networks as well as 124 individuals from 77 countries.</span><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black"></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black" lang="EN-US"> </span><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black"></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black" lang="EN-US">Given the strong possibility of a shortage of medicines and vaccines in developing and least developed countries, <b>the CSO letter based on the access and benefit-sharing principles of the Convention on Biological Diversity and the Nagoya Protocol urgently calls on the UN and the WHO to: <br></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black" lang="EN-US"></span><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black"></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black">1. Secure binding commitments from biopharmaceutical companies and other manufacturers for the rapid supply of existing and future medical products, especially diagnostics, therapeutics and vaccines to developing and least developed countries at an affordable price. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black">2. Organize open platforms for the widespread and unconditional sharing of technology and knowledge including technical specifications, designs, blueprints and any other know-how to scale- up local/regional manufacturing of medical products required for COVID-19 response including diagnostics, therapeutics and vaccines; and towards that end to secure binding commitments from biopharmaceutical companies and other medical product manufacturers. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black">3. Proactively coordinate and direct COVID-19 R&D by setting up an open innovation platform for the rapid public sharing of all research outcomes, knowledge gaps and problem solving, and towards that end secure binding commitments from entities and individuals engaged in the R&D. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black">4. Ensure that intellectual property rights do not affect or hinder efforts to curb the Covid outbreak</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black"></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black">Please do not hesitate to contact me should you require further information. Nice if you can write about it. <br></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black"></span><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black">Gopa</span><br><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black"></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:115%;margin:0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial"><b><u><span style="font-size:11pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black"><span><span style="text-decoration:none"> </span></span></span></u></b></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:115%;margin:0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial"><b><u><span style="font-size:11pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black">CIVIL SOCIETY LETTER TO THE
SECRETARY GENERAL OF THE UNITED NATIONS AND THE DIRECTOR GENERAL OF THE WORLD
HEALTH ORGANIZATION <span></span></span></u></b></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:115%;margin:0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial"><b><u><span style="font-size:11pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black"><span><span style="text-decoration:none"> </span></span></span></u></b></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0cm 0cm 0.0001pt 36pt;line-height:115%;font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial"><b><u><span style="font-size:11pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black">COVID-19: Operationalizing Fair and Equitable Benefit Sharing of
Medical Products</span></u></b><span style="font-size:11pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black"><span></span></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:115%;margin:0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial"><span style="font-size:11pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman""><span> </span></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:115%;margin:0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial"><span style="font-size:11pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman"">24^th
April 2020<span></span></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:115%;margin:0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial"><span style="font-size:11pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman""><span> </span></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:115%;margin:0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial"><span style="font-size:11pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black" lang="PT-BR">Mr. António Guterres</span><span style="font-size:11pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black"><span></span></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:115%;margin:0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial"><span style="font-size:11pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black" lang="PT-BR">Secretary-General</span><span style="font-size:11pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black"><span></span></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:115%;margin:0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial"><span style="font-size:11pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black">United Nations<span></span></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:115%;margin:0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial"><span style="font-size:11pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black"> <span></span></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:115%;margin:0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial"><span style="font-size:11pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black">Dr. Tedros Adhanom
Ghebreyesus <span></span></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:115%;margin:0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial"><span style="font-size:11pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black">Director General<span></span></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:115%;margin:0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial"><span style="font-size:11pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black">World Health Organization<span></span></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:115%;margin:0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial"><span style="font-size:11pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black">  <span></span></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:115%;margin:0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial"><span style="font-size:11pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black">Dear </span><span style="font-size:11pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black" lang="PT-BR">Mr. António Guterres and </span><span style="font-size:11pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black">Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, <span></span></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%;margin:0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial"><span style="font-size:11pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black"><span> </span></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%;margin:0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial"><span style="font-size:11pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black">We, the undersigned organizations, are writing to request the
United Nations (UN) working with the World Health Organization (WHO) to
operationalize fair and equitable benefit sharing arising from the sharing of SARS-CoV-2
digital sequence information and samples as recognized by the Convention
on Biological Diversity (which has 196 Parties) and its Nagoya Protocol (which
has 123 Parties). <span></span></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%;margin:0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial"><span style="font-size:11pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black"> <span></span></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%;margin:0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial"><span style="font-size:11pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black">The CBD and its Nagoya Protocol are binding international
instruments based on the principles of fairness and equity, linking access to
biological resources with fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from
the utilization of such resources. These principles are endorsed by WHO Member
States as they form the basis of WHO’s Pandemic Influenza Preparedness Framework
(PIP Framework), a multilateral instrument which recognizes the importance of
sharing influenza viruses of pandemic potential on an “equal footing” with
benefit sharing, considering both “as equally important parts of the collective
action for global public health”. <span></span></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%;margin:0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial"><span style="font-size:11pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black">We are heartened by the
sharing of COVID-19 samples with reference laboratories for
rapid confirmation and analysis as well as the sharing of digital sequence
information.<a name="_ftnref1"></a><a style="color:rgb(5,99,193);text-decoration:underline" href="#_ftn1" name="_ftnref1" title=""><span><span class="gmail-MsoFootnoteReference" style="vertical-align:super"><span><span class="gmail-MsoFootnoteReference" style="vertical-align:super"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black">[1]</span></span></span></span></span></a><span></span> The first genetic sequence data for
2019-nCoV from China was freely and rapidly shared with the Global Initiative
of Sharing All Influenza Data (GISAID)<a name="_ftnref2"></a><a style="color:rgb(5,99,193);text-decoration:underline" href="#_ftn2" name="_ftnref2" title=""><span><span class="gmail-MsoFootnoteReference" style="vertical-align:super"><span><span class="gmail-MsoFootnoteReference" style="vertical-align:super"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black">[2]</span></span></span></span></span></a><span></span>. Since then, samples and digital sequence
information continue to be shared by developing countries. Mounting
evidence that, like influenza, the CoV-2 virus is mutating as it spreads around
the world implies an ongoing need for epidemiological surveillance to collect
and sequence CoV-2 strains from around the world to ensure that any new
treatments will remain effective. <span></span></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%;margin:0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial"><span style="font-size:11pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black">We recognize that sharing SARS-CoV-2 samples as well as sequence
information continues to be pivotal for the development of diagnostics,
therapeutics and vaccines. <b>But a collective global public health
response requires fair and equitable benefit sharing on an equal footing.</b><span></span></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%;margin:0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial"><span style="font-size:11pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black"> <span></span></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%;margin:0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial"><span style="font-size:11pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black">WHO’s R&D Blueprint titled “A Coordinated Global Research
Roadmap: 2019 Novel Coronavirus” agrees that “virus materials, clinical samples
and associated data should be rapidly shared for immediate public health
purposes <b>and that fair and equitable access to any medical products or
innovations that are developed using the materials must be part of such
sharing” </b>(“emphasis added”). The Blueprint also recognizes that
“Access to the benefits of research is critical” and that the “scale up
manufacturing of products (speed, access, cost)” is an important component of a
successful implementation of the Roadmap. It further calls on research funding
grants to “include clauses that promote timely sharing of research data
relevant to the outbreak response”.<span></span></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%;margin:0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial"><span style="font-size:11pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black"> <span></span></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%;margin:0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial"><span style="font-size:11pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black">Despite the good intentions, it remains unclear whether and how
these elements are being operationalized, with fair and equitable benefit
sharing realized. <span></span></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%;margin:0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial"><span style="font-size:11pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black"> <span></span></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%;margin:0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial"><span style="font-size:11pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black">We are very distressed over the scramble for medical supplies to
curb the COVID-19 outbreak, with developed countries, especially the United
States and European countries leveraging their influence and spending, at the
expense of the needs of developing and least developed countries around the
world.<a name="_ftnref3"></a><a style="color:rgb(5,99,193);text-decoration:underline" href="#_ftn3" name="_ftnref3" title=""><span><span class="gmail-MsoFootnoteReference" style="vertical-align:super"><span><span class="gmail-MsoFootnoteReference" style="vertical-align:super"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black">[3]</span></span></span></span></span></a><span></span> <span></span></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%;margin:0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial"><span style="font-size:11pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black"> <span></span></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%;margin:0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial"><span style="font-size:11pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black">We are extremely concerned by the lack of guarantee from
biopharmaceutical, and diagnostic companies to ensure rapid availability and
affordability of medical products (especially diagnostics, therapeutics and
vaccines as they are developed and rolled out) to all in need in developing and
least developed countries, and to ensure dissemination of manufacturing
technologies to rapidly scale-up diagnosis and treatment. <span></span></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%;margin:0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial"><span style="font-size:11pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black"> <span></span></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%;margin:0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial"><span style="font-size:11pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black">The UN General Assembly Resolution A/74/L.52 calls on the UN
system “under the leadership of the Secretary-General, to work with all
relevant actors in order to mobilize a coordinated global response to the
pandemic and its adverse social, economic and financial impact on all
societies”.  The UN Resolution<span> 
</span>A/74 L.56 on “International cooperation to ensure global access to
medicines, vaccines and medical equipment to face COVID-19” requests “the
Secretary-General, in close collaboration with the World Health Organization,
to take the necessary steps to effectively coordinate and follow up on the
efforts of the United Nations system to promote and ensure global access to
medicines, vaccines and medical equipment needed to face COVID-19..”.<span></span></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%;margin:0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial"><span style="font-size:11pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black"><span> </span></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%;margin:0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial"><span style="font-size:11pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black">The spread of COVID-19 has already disproportionately impacted
high risk populations including the elderly, the poor, the malnourished, those
with pre-existing medical conditions and migrant workers. Women across the
world are facing increased domestic violence and bearing a range of
disproportionate socio-economic impacts. Timely access to diagnostics, medical
treatments and potential vaccines for these populations require special
attention, especially in developing and least developed countries. <span></span></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%;margin:0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial"><span style="font-size:11pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black"><span> </span></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%;margin:0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial"><span style="font-size:11pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black">We urgently need the UN and WHO to take urgent steps to secure
timely availability and affordability of medical products for developing and
least developed countries. WHO’s PIP Framework sets a precedent for securing
binding commitments from manufacturers in the context of a pandemic. However,
the extensive outbreak of COVID-19 will require far more ambitious guarantees
from manufacturers. <span></span></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%;margin:0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial"><b><span style="font-size:11pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black"> </span></b><span style="font-size:11pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black"><span></span></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%;margin:0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial"><b><span style="font-size:11pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black">Therefore we urgently call on the UN and the WHO to:</span></b><span style="font-size:11pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black"><span></span></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%;margin:0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial"><b><span style="font-size:11pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black"> </span></b><span style="font-size:11pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black"><span></span></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%;margin:0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial"><b><span style="font-size:11pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black">1. Secure binding commitments from biopharmaceutical companies and
other manufacturers for the rapid supply of existing and future medical
products, especially diagnostics, therapeutics and vaccines to developing and
least developed countries at an affordable price.</span></b><span style="font-size:11pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black"><span></span></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%;margin:0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial"><b><span style="font-size:11pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black"> </span></b><span style="font-size:11pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black"><span></span></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%;margin:0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial"><b><span style="font-size:11pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black">2.</span></b><span style="font-size:11pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black"> <b>Organize open
platforms for the widespread and unconditional sharing of technology and
knowledge including technical specifications, designs, blueprints and any other
know-how to scale-up local/regional manufacturing of medical products required
for COVID-19 response including diagnostics, therapeutics and vaccines; and
towards that end to secure binding commitments from biopharmaceutical companies
and other medical product manufacturers. </b><span></span></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%;margin:0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial"><b><span style="font-size:11pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black"> </span></b><span style="font-size:11pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black"><span></span></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%;margin:0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial"><b><span style="font-size:11pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black">3. Proactively coordinate and direct COVID-19 R&D by setting
up an open innovation platform for the rapid public sharing of all research
outcomes, knowledge gaps and problem solving, and towards that end secure
binding commitments from entities and individuals engaged in the R&D.</span></b><span style="font-size:11pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black"><span></span></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%;margin:0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial"><b><span style="font-size:11pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black"> </span></b><span style="font-size:11pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black"><span></span></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%;margin:0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial"><b><span style="font-size:11pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black">4. Ensure that intellectual property rights do not affect or
hinder efforts to curb the Covid outbreak<a name="_ftnref4"></a><a style="color:rgb(5,99,193);text-decoration:underline" href="#_ftn4" name="_ftnref4" title=""><span><span class="gmail-MsoFootnoteReference" style="vertical-align:super"><span><span class="gmail-MsoFootnoteReference" style="vertical-align:super"><b><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black">[4]</span></b></span></span></span></span></a></span></b><span></span><span style="font-size:11pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black"><span></span></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%;margin:0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial"><span style="font-size:11pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black"> <span></span></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:115%;margin:0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial"><span style="font-size:11pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black">cc. H.E. Tijjani
Muhammad-Bande<span></span></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:115%;margin:0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial"><span style="font-size:11pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black">President of the United
Nations General Assembly<span></span></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:115%;margin:0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial"><span style="font-size:11pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black">United Nations<span></span></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:115%;margin:0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial"><span style="font-size:11pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black"> <span></span></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:115%;margin:0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial"><span style="font-size:11pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black">cc. H.E Mona Juul<span></span></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:115%;margin:0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial"><span style="font-size:11pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black">President of ECOSOC<span></span></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:115%;margin:0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial"><span style="font-size:11pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black"> <span></span></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:115%;margin:0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial"><span style="font-size:11pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black">cc. Ms. Elizabeth Maruma
Mrema<span></span></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:115%;margin:0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial"><span style="font-size:11pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black">Acting Executive Secretary<span></span></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:115%;margin:0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial"><span style="font-size:11pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black">Convention on Biological
Diversity<span></span></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%;margin:0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial"><span style="font-size:11pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black"> <span></span></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%;margin:0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial"><span style="font-size:11pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black">cc. Ms. Michelle Bachelet<span></span></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%;margin:0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial"><span style="font-size:11pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black">UN High Commissioner for Human Rights<span></span></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:115%;margin:0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial"><span style="font-size:11pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black"> <span></span></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:115%;margin:0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial"><b><span style="font-size:11pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black">SIGNATORIES<span></span></span></b></p></div><div><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><span class="gmail_default" style="font-size:large">392 signatories</span> <br></span></div></div>
</div></div>
</div></div>
</div></div>