All Parties must report on the steps they are taking or envisage undertaking to implement the Convention (Articles 4.1 and 12).  In accordance with the principle of "common but differentiated responsibilities" enshrined in the Convention, the required contents of these national communications and the timetable for their submission is different for Annex I and non-Annex I Parties.  Each non-Annex I Party shall submit its initial communication within three years of the entry into force of the Convention for that Party, or of the availability of financial resources (except for the least developed countries, who may do so at their discretion).

Of the 153 non-Annex I Parties, 137 have submitted their initial national communications, 24 their second national communications, one party each their third and fourth national communications.  In addition, 92 non-Annex I Parties are presently engaged in the preparation of their second national communications.  The Global Environment Facility (GEF), as an operating entity of the financial mechanism of the Convention, provides financial assistance in accordance with guidance of the Conference of the Parties (COP) to non-Annex I Parties through its implementing agencies (UNDP, UNEP and the World Bank).  Some bilateral agencies also provide financial and technical assistance to many non-Annex I Parties in preparing their national communications. 

The COP, at its eleventh session, took decisions on submission of second, and where appropriate, third national communications from NAI Parties (Decision 8/CP.11).  The thirtieth session of the SBI also agreed on conclusions which could influence the way national communications are planned and implemented (see paragraph 7 of FCCC/SBI/2009/L.12). The SBI, at its thirty-second session, will discuss the further implementation of Article 12, paragraph 5, of the Convention.

Guidelines for the preparation of initial national communications from non-Annex I Parties were adopted at COP 2 in Geneva in 1996.  COP 5 (Bonn, 1999) established a Consultative Group of Experts on National Communications from Parties not included in Annex I to the Convention (CGE) in order to improve the process of preparation of national communications by non-Annex I Parties.  At COP 8 (New Delhi, 2002) Parties adopted the revised guidelines for the preparation of national communications from non-Annex I Parties and decided to continue the mandate of the CGE.  The preparation of second and, where appropriate third and initial national communications are based on these revised guidelines. 

The secretariat has produced a user manual to facilitate the usage of the new guidelines, available in 3 UN languages ( English, French and Spanish), , as well as a Resource Guide for preparing the national communications of non-Annex I Parties (please see the four Modules available at:   http://unfccc.int/resource/docs/publications/09_resource_guide1.pdf, http://unfccc.int/resource/docs/publications/08_resource_guide2.pdf, http://unfccc.int/resource/docs/publications/09_resource_guide3.pdf, http://unfccc.int/resource/docs/publications/08_resource_guide4.pdf).

The GEF has prepared operational procedures for the expedited financing of national communications from non-Annex I Parties to assist eligible countries to formulate and submit proposals based on COP 8 guidelines.  Under these operational procedures, up to US$405,000 is made available to each non-Annex I Party for the preparation of its national communication.  The GEF also provides an additional US$15,000 per country for stocktaking exercise and stakeholder consultations in preparation of the project proposals.

Most Initial National communications from non-Annex I Parties have been compiled and synthesized by the secretariat; but are not subject to in-depth review.  The secretariat has prepared six compilation and synthesis reports of initial national communications between 1999 and 2005, to take account of new submissions by Parties.

One of the functions of the secretariat is to facilitate the provision of financial and technical assistance to non-Annex I Parties in preparing their national communications.  This assistance includes facilitating the work of the CGE, the organization of workshops, collaboration with bilateral and multilateral support programmes, the dissemination of information through participation in regional workshops and expert group meetings, promoting information exchange, and capacity-building.  The secretariat provides regular reports to the SBI on these activities. 

Updated 30 June 2010