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The Conference of the Parties (COP), at its seventeenth session, adopted the guidelines contained in decision 2/CP.17, annex III, for the preparation of biennial update reports (BURs) from Parties not included in Annex I to the Convention (non-Annex I Parties). These guidelines outline the objectives and scope of the information to be reported. Also by decision 2/CP.17, the COP decided that non-Annex I Parties, consistent with their capabilities and the level of support provided for reporting, should submit their first BUR by December 2014, and that the least developed country Parties and small island developing States may submit BURs at their discretion.  It also decided that non-Annex I Parties shall submit a BUR every two years, either as a summary of parts of their national communication in the year in which the national communication is submitted or as a stand-alone update report.

Recognizing the important role of the CGE in facilitating technical advice and support for non-Annex I Parties, the COP, by decision 18/CP.18, extended for a term of one year, the Consultative Group of Experts on National Communications from Parties not included in Annex I to the Convention (CGE). In that same decision, the COP requested the CGE to develop at its first meeting in 2013, a work programme for 2013, taking into account the current and future needs of Parties not included in Annex I to the Convention.

The CGE, in response to that request, prepared its work programme at the first meeting in 2013 and agreed to focus on providing technical support to non-Annex I parties, in the preparation of their first biennial update reports. The group recognized that the existing updated CGE training materials were relevant to the BUR, but the group agreed to develop supplementary training materials in accordance with the BUR guidelines, to address areas not adequately covered in the existing updated training materials, namely:

1. Institutional arrangements for the preparation of national communications and BURs on a continuous basis;
    - presentation (282 kB)
    - handbook (692 kB)

2.  Mitigation actions and their effects (1921 kB) , including associated methodologies and assumptions;

3. Constraints and gaps and related financial, technical and capacity needs, including a description of the support needed and received and information on the level of support received to enable the preparation and submission of BURs.
    - presentation (265 kB)
    - handbook (352 kB)  

To ensure that these training materials meet the requirements of non-Annex I Parties, the supplementary training materials were subjected to an in-depth peer review at an expert workshop, organized by the CGE, with the support of the secretariat. The useful feedback and recommendations enabled the group to further improve and align the materials to the needs of non-Annex I Parties.

The revised materials were presented for the first time at a global training workshop on the preparation of BURs, in Bonn, conducted by experts from the CGE. The objectives of the workshop were to provide technical support to non-Annex I Parties on how to report information in their BURs, pursuant to annex III to decision 2/CP.17, by using training materials developed by the CGE and to seek feedback on the training materials, including its design and technical content, with a view to ensuring that these training materials respond effectively, to the technical assistance needs of non-Annex I Parties.

The workshop participants raised issues that were clarified by the CGE and where appropriate, the secretariat. They commended the CGE on developing the training materials on the preparation of BURs within the short timespan available and also recognized that the newly developed training materials could significantly facilitate non-Annex I Parties in the preparation and submission of their first BURs. They further highlighted the need for periodic revision of the training materials and the conduct of regional workshops, with a view to further enhancing the effectiveness and benefits of the training materials.

At its 10th meeting, held back to back with this global workshop, the CGE took stock of the feedback and recommendations received from the participants, on ways to address some of the key recommendations, which could possibly be implemented in the remaining period of its term up to December 2013. In this regard, the training materials were further improved to cover all elements identified as the objectives of the guidelines for the preparation of BURs in decision 2/CP.17, annex III, as well as to provide additional guidance on templates, to report information on cross cutting issues.

These materials are not intended to replace any of the methodologies or tools referred to or mentioned in its various modules.  For further detail and explanation, the reader is therefore always encouraged to go back to the original documents or tools referred to. 
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