Distr.
LIMITED
FCCC/CP/1998/L.1
1 October 1998
Original: ENGLISH
CONFERENCE OF THE PARTIES
Fourth session
Buenos Aires, 2-13 November 1998
Item 2 (g) of the provisional agenda
1. At its eighth session, held in Bonn, 2-12 June 1998, the Subsidiary Body for Implementation requested the secretariat to prepare a draft decision on the modalities for participation of representatives of non-governmental organizations in contact groups (FCCC/SBI/1998/6, para. 83).
2. In response to this request, the secretariat has prepared the following draft decision (see annex) for the consideration of the Parties. The draft decision also addresses the participation of intergovernmental organizations in contact groups as the two matters are closely related.
3. Since this matter affects the Conference of the Parties and all of its subsidiary bodies, any consultations required on the draft decision could be conducted by a Vice-President of the COP. That Vice-President could be invited to report to the plenary on Friday, 6 November for final decision on this item.
GE.98-
The Conference of the Parties,
Having considered the conclusions of the Subsidiary Body for Implementation at its eighth session on involvement of non-governmental organizations in the Convention process,(1)
Considering that arrangements for the participation of observers in contact groups should also cover representatives of intergovernmental organizations,
Recalling Article 7, paragraph 6, of the Convention, and rule 6 of the draft rules of procedure being applied,(2)
1. Decides that representatives of intergovernmental and non-governmental
organizations (IGOs and NGOs) may be invited to participate as observers in any open-ended
contact group established under the Convention process, unless at least one third of the Parties
present at the session of the Convention body setting up that contact group object and on the
understanding that the presiding officers of such contact groups may determine at any time
during their proceedings that they should be closed to IGOs and NGOs;
2. Invites the presiding officers of Convention bodies, at the time of their
establishment of such a contact group, to ascertain if there are objections from Parties to
participation by IGOs and NGOs in that contact group under the conditions set out in
paragraph 1 above.