1. The Norwegian authorities’ efforts to meet the obligations in the Convention on Biodiversity with focus on the National Mapping and Monitoring programme and management of protected areas.
Presentation at seminar in Sofia, 2-5 November 2004 held by Deputy Director General Trond Hjelle of the Office of the Auditor General of Norway.

2. Focus of the presentation
Background of our investigation
Audit criteria
Objective and research questions
A brief presentation of our findings

3. Background
The Norwegian Parliament ratified the Convention on Biodiversity in 1992.
Preliminary analysis of risks and where our focus should be:
National Mapping and Monitoring Programme on Biodiversity.
The authorities´ management of biodiversity in protected areas.

4. Audit criteria
The Convention on Biodiversity is a starting point of our audit criteria.
Article 1 about the objectives of the Convention
Article 6 about strategies, plans and programmes
Article 7 about identification and monitoring
Article 8 about conservation

5. Objective and research questions
The objective is to shed light on the authorities´ efforts to meet the obligations in the Convention on Biodiversity – with focus on the National Mapping and Monitoring Programme and management of protected areas.
To what extent are the objectives and guidelines for National Mapping and Monitoring Programme implemented?
Are protected areas managed as required in the targets decided for each area?

6. Management of protected areas
Data collection:
Document analysis
Interviews
Inspections of protected areas
Expert panel
Web-survey

7. State of protected areas

8. Origin of threats

9. Consequences of threats

10. Required efforts

11. Causes for lacking efforts

12. What have we learn, so far?
Web-survey is very efficient.
Inspections of protected areas gave us better understanding and good examples. 
Use of Expert Panel is good for the quality of our investigation.
Using the Convention on Biodiversity as a starting point to the audit criteria is possible.