Distr.

GENERAL

FCCC/SBI/1995/4

29 August 1995

Original: ENGLISH

SUBSIDIARY BODY FOR IMPLEMENTATIONFirst session

Geneva, 31 August - 1 September 1995

Item 3 (c) of the provisional agenda

1. The purpose of this note is to report on the status of the two extrabudgetary funds established under General Assembly resolution 45/212, namely, the special voluntary fund for participation (under paragraph 10 of that resolution) and the trust fund for the negotiating process (under paragraph 20 of that resolution). The latter fund contributes to meeting the expenses of the interim secretariat. The two tables (in English only) attached to this note present the latest information on the two funds, updating that presented to the Conference of the Parties at its first session (COP 1) (FCCC/CP/1995/5/Add.3).

2. The Executive Secretary would like to acknowledge the efforts of contributors, in a difficult financial period, to make generous voluntary contributions that have enabled the Convention process to continue to advance. However, the level of contributions to the special voluntary fund has not permitted funding to be offered to all eligible Parties for the meetings of subsidiary bodies in August and September 1995. As already indicated, funding has had to be limited to eligible Parties that are least developed countries or small island developing countries or that provide officers to the Bureau of the Conference of the Parties and to its subsidiary bodies. Fifty-five such Parties were offered financial support for the participation of one delegate each.

GE.95-

3. Table 1 shows that the outstanding pledges to the special voluntary fund for participation currently total approximately US$630,000. A further US$150,000 would suffice to enable funding to be offered to 110 eligible Parties at the October sessions of the Ad hoc Group on the Berlin Mandate and that on Article 13. Some of this amount could become available if the offers of financing for the August/September sessions are not all taken up.

4. The estimated cost of funding 110 Parties for participation in the two weeks of subsidiary body meetings scheduled for February/March 1996 is of the order of US$850,000.

5. With regard to the funding of the interim secretariat, the balance of pledges shown in table 2 is approaching the amount needed to maintain the present level of activity to the end of 1995 and make a modest increase in it, including a staffing complement that will be somewhat short of that envisaged in the agreed staffing table for 1996 (decision 17/CP.1, para. 4). The additional amount needed is approximately US$350,000. These estimates include the cost of work on in-depth reviews of national communications by Annex I Parties, including travel and subsistence of Government experts and secretariat staff involved in country visits.

6. The Executive Secretary invites contributors to the two funds to pay in their pledges as soon as possible and to mobilize the additional resources required.

7. Effective 1 January 1996, the bulk of secretariat expenses will be funded by the Convention budget, though some supplementary extrabudgetary funding will still be sought, as indicated in decision 18/CP.1. Meanwhile, it may be noted that the interim secretariat continues to include staff made available by organizations and by Governments. It has recently been strengthened by the addition of one staff member whose post is funded bilaterally by the Government of the United States of America.

8. Early in October 1995, the Executive Secretary will inform Parties of the amounts due by them to the core administrative budget on 1 January 1996 and of extrabudgetary funding requirements in 1996 for participation in meetings and for secretariat activities.