ISSUES - NATIONAL COMMUNICATIONS ANNEX I

National Communications Annex I

Background

Under the Convention, all Parties should report on the steps they are taking to implement the Convention (Articles 4.1 and 12). Most of the 41 Annex I Parties submitted their first report (known as a "national communication") in 1994 or 1995, their second in 1997–1998 and the third after 30 November 2001. The fourth national communications were due on 1 January 2006; by 15 June 2008, UNFCCC secretariat had received 40 communications. Since 1996, Annex I Parties should also submit an annual inventory of their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to the secretariat. Separate reporting and review procedures have been established for Annex I GHG inventories.

Preparation of the fifth national communications by Annex I Parties

Annex I Parties are requested to submit a fifth national communication to the secretariat by 1 January 2010 ( (PDF)

decision 10/CP.13). In preparing these national communications, Annex I Parties should follow the revised reporting guidelines for the preparation of national communications. Additionally, a number of decisions and conclusions should be taken into account. In order to facilitate the preparation of the fourth national communications, the secretariat organized a workshop in Dublin in September 2004. more>>

Annotated Outline for Fifth National Communications of Annex I Parties under the UNFCCC, including Reporting Elements under the Kyoto Protocol

The UNFCCC guidelines for the preparation of national communications by Parties included in Annex I to the Convention (FCCC/CP/1999/7) and the Guidelines for the preparation of the information required under Article 7, of the Kyoto Protocol, including on reporting of supplementary information under Article 7, paragraph 2 (part II of the annex to decision 15/CMP.1) provide guidance for the Parties included in Annex I to the Convention (Annex I Parties) on the structure and content of the national communications. The secretariat prepared an annotated outline as a compilation of provisions of these guidelines with the view to support Parties in preparing, in accordance with these guidelines, their fifth national communication (NC5).

In accordance with decision 10/CP.13 on the compilation and synthesis of fourth national communications, NC5 of Annex I Parties are to be submitted to the UNFCCC secretariat by 1 January 2010. In accordance with decision 8/CMP.3 on the compilation and synthesis of supplementary information incorporated in fourth national communications submitted in accordance with Article 7, paragraph 2, of the Kyoto Protocol, the NC5 of Annex I Parties that are also Parties to the Kyoto Protocol shall include the necessary supplementary information under Article 7, paragraph 2 of the Kyoto Protocol.

The secretariat would encourage Annex I Parties that are also Parties to the Kyoto Protocol to submit their NC5 to the UNFCCC secretariat through the submission portal using the annotated outline is provided pdf-icon here (278 kB) .

Reporting guidelines

In preparing their national communications, Annex I Parties should follow reporting guidelines. These guidelines have now been revised twice, at COP 2 (Geneva, July 1996) for the preparation of the second round of communications, and again at COP 5 (Bonn, October/November 1999), where revised reporting guidelines were adopted for the preparation of third national communications.

Review of information

According to decisions 2/CP.1, 9/CP.2, 6/CP.3 and 33/CP.7, 26/CMP.1 and 7/CP.11 each national communication of an Annex I Party is subject to an "in-depth" review. The in-depth review is conducted by an international team of experts, coordinated by the UNFCCC secretariat. The review of each national communication typically involves a desk-based study and an in-country visit, and aims to provide a comprehensive, technical assessment of a Party's implementation of its commitments. The in-depth review results in an in-depth review report, which typically expands on and updates the national communication. The in-depth review reports aim to facilitate the work of the COP in assessing the implementation of commitments by Annex I Parties. The reports also allow easier comparison of information between the national communications of Parties, although no common indicators are employed. The in-depth review of fourth national communications is due to be finished in 2009. more >>

Recent developments

COP 11, CMP 1, SBI 23 (Montreal, December 2005):

The SBI considered options for the review process, based on a note prepared by the secretariat on streamlining review processes under the Convention and the Kyoto Protocol (FCCC/SBI/2005/16). The SBI prepared draft decisions to the COP and CMP on this matter. The SBI also took note of a status report on the review of third national communications (FCCC/SBI/2005/INF.9).

The COP adopted decision 7/CP.11 entitled “Review processes during the period 2006–2007 for Parties included in Annex I to the Convention” , recognizing that streamlining of the review procedures is required during the period 2006–2007 in order to ensure the effective use of resources needed to meet additional review requirements for Annex I Parties that are also Parties to the Kyoto Protocol. It requested the secretariat to organize a centralized review of fourth national communications, and an in-country, in-depth review of the fourth national communication for those Parties that request one. It also requested the secretariat to prepare the compilation and synthesis report on fourth national communications for consideration by the Conference of the Parties at its thirteenth session (December 2007). The CMP, by its decision 26/CMP.1, requested the secretariat to prepare the compilation and synthesis of supplementary information included in fourth national communications, in accordance with Article 7, paragraph 2, of the Kyoto Protocol, submitted by Annex I Parties to the Convention that are also Parties to the Kyoto Protocol, for consideration at its third session (December 2007).

COP 12, CMP 2, SBI 25 (Nairobi, November 2006):

Under the agenda item 'National communications from Parties included in Annex I to the Convention', the SBI considered the sub-item 'Synthesis of reports demonstrating progress in accordance with Article 3, paragraph 2, of the Kyoto Protocol'. It had before it document FCCC/SBI/2006/INF.7, which provides information on the status of submission and review of the NC4 and RDPs. As informal consultations on this issue could not reach agreed conclusions, the SBI agreed to forward the item to the twenty-sixth session of the SBI (May 2007). The views of the Group of 77 and China submitted during the session are contained in document FCCC/SBI/2006/MISC.17.

COP 13, CMP 3, SBI 27 (Bali, December 2007):

Under the agenda item 'National communications and greenhouse gas inventory data from Parties included in Annex I to the Convention', the SBI considered the sub-item 'Compilation and synthesis of fourth national communications'. It had before it documents FCCC/SBI/2007/INF.6 and Add.1 and 2, which contains the compilation and synthesis report of the NC4 and RDPs. Following a recommendation of the SBI, the COP emphasized that the national communications and annual greenhouse gas inventories submitted by Annex I Parties are the main source of information for reviewing the implementation of the Convention by these Parties, and that the reports from the in-depth reviews of these national communications provide important additional information for this purpose,and welcomed the work of the secretariat in preparing the compilation and synthesis report on fourth national communications. It requested Annex I Parties to submit to the secretariat a fifth national communication by 1 January 2010, with a view to submitting the sixth national communication four years after this date, and concluded that the review of the national communications and consideration of the outcomes of this review have proved to be useful and should continue in accordance with decisions 2/CP.1, 6/CP.3 and 11/CP.4. It further decided that national communications can be submitted to the secretariat in electronic format only. The CMP further requested Annex I Parties that are also Parties to the Kyoto Protocol to include, in their fifth national communications, the necessary supplementary information required under the guidelines for reporting supplementary information under Article 7, paragraph 2, of the Kyoto Protocol contained in the annex to decision 15/CMP.1, in accordance with Article 7, paragraph 2, of the Kyoto Protocol.

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