The multilateral assessment (MA) process is part of the newly established international assessment and review (IAR) process for developed country Parties. The IAR process is conducted under the Subsidiary Body for Implementation (SBI) and aims to promote the comparability of efforts among all developed country Parties with regard to their quantified economy-wide emission limitation and reduction targets.

The IAR process comprises two steps: a technical review of the national reports of each developed country, followed by the MA of the progress towards achieving the economy-wide target by developed country Parties.

The IAR started in January 2014, with the submission of the sixth national communications and the first biennial reports from Annex I Parties and the technical review of these reports by international expert review teams. The first round of the MA working group session will be convened at SBI 41 in Lima, where 17 Annex I Parties will be multilaterally assessed. The remaining Annex I Parties will be assessed next year at SBI 42 (June 2015, Bonn) and at SBI 43 (December 2015, Paris).

                    The MA process entails three stages:

• the preparation for the MA before the SBI working group session - encompassing a
  three-month "questions and answers" period; more
• the international assessment during the SBI working group session; more
• and the completion of the Party record after the SBI working group session. more

Timeline for the first round of MA in Lima:
	1 to 30 September 2014: submission of questions by any Party to the Parties under MA - using the MA portal;
	1 October to 28 November 2014: Preparation of answers by Parties under MA and posting of answers -  using the MA portal;
	1 October to 28 November 2014: upload compiled questions and answers by the secretariat onto the individual Party page upon completion of answers by the Party;
	SBI 41, 6 and 8 December 2014: multilateral assessment of each of the 17 Annex I Parties' progress towards emission reduction target;
	End of February 2015: publication of Party records for the 17 Annex I Parties.

To access the MA portal log-in credentials are required. All national focal points have been invited to submit nominations to the MA portal in June 2014.  Should further nominations be required national focal points are requested to contact the secretariat at MA-portal@unfccc.int.