Distr.

LIMITED

FCCC/SBSTA/1996/L.2

17 December 1996

Original: ENGLISH

SUBSIDIARY BODY FOR SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNOLOGICAL ADVICE

Fourth session

Geneva, 16 - 18 December 1996

Item 8 of the agenda

Paragraphs Page

I. OPENING OF THE SESSION xx xx

II. ORGANIZATIONAL MATTERS xx xx

A. Adoption of the agenda xx xx

B. Election of officers other than the Chairman xx xx

C. Organization of the work of the session xx xx

D. Attendance xx xx

E. Documentation xx xx

GE.96-

Paragraphs Page

III. COOPERATION WITH THE INTERGOVERNMENTAL

PANEL ON CLIMATE CHANGE xx xx

IV. METHODOLOGICAL ISSUES xx xx

A. Longer-term programme of work xx xx

B. Possible revisions to the guidelines for the

preparation of communications by Parties included

in Annex I to the Convention xx xx

V. NATIONAL COMMUNICATIONS FROM PARTIES

INCLUDED IN ANNEX I TO THE CONVENTION xx xx

VI. ACTIVITIES IMPLEMENTED JOINTLY UNDER

THE PILOT PHASE xx xx

VII. DEVELOPMENT AND TRANSFER OF TECHNOLOGIES xx xx

VIII. REPORT ON THE SESSION xx xx

I. Lists of attendance xx

II. Documents before the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and

Technological Advice at its fourth session xx

1. The fourth session of the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice (hereinafter referred to as "the SBSTA") was held at Geneva from 16 to 18 December 1996.

2. The Chairman of the SBSTA, Mr. Tibor Faragó, opened the session on 16 December 1996. He welcomed all delegates and observers from non-parties, United Nations bodies and organizations, and intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations. He noted the need to work expeditiously, despite the substantial achievements of the SBSTA and the Conference of the Parties (COP) at their previous session.

3. The Chairman reported on the schedule of meetings of Convention bodies as decided by the Bureau of the Conference of the Parties. The fifth session of the SBSTA will be held from 25 to 28 February in Bonn, with subsequent sessions to be organized within the following periods:

Seventh session 28 July - 7 August 1997 Bonn

Eighth session 20 - 31 October 1997 Bonn

4. The Chairman informed the SBSTA that the Bureau of the COP had also decided that there would no meetings of the subsidiary bodies during or immediately preceding the third session of the COP.

5. At its 1st meeting, on 16 December, the SBSTA adopted the following agenda:

1. Opening of the session.

2. Organizational matters:

(a) Adoption of the agenda;

(b) Election of officers other than the Chairman;

(c) Organization of the work of the session.

3. Cooperation with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

4. Methodological issues:

(a) Longer-term programme of work;

(b) Possible revisions to the guidelines for the preparation of communications by Parties included in Annex I to the Convention.

5. National communications from Parties included in Annex I to the Convention.

6. Activities implemented jointly under the pilot phase.

7. Development and transfer of technologies.

8. Report on the session.

6. At its 1st and 2nd meetings, on 16th December, the SBSTA considered the item on election of officers other than the Chairman.

7. At its 1st meeting, on 16 December, the Chairman provided an oral report on the consultations on the election of the Vice-Chairmen and Rapporteurs of the SBSTA, the Subsidiary Body for Implementation (SBI) and the Ad Hoc Group on Article 13, carried out by the Chairman of the Ad Hoc Group on the Berlin Mandate (AGBM) at the request of the President of the Conference of the Parties, in which he indicated that agreement had not yet been reached on the issue.

8. Statements were made by the representatives of seven Parties. At its 2nd meeting, on 16 December, the SBSTA, in view of the persisting lack of agreement, agreed to consider further the issue at its next session.

9. At its 1st meeting, on 16 December, the Chairman recalled that services would be available for one morning and one afternoon meeting each day with interpretation from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. The SBSTA agreed to proceed on the basis of the proposed schedule of work contained in document FCCC/SBSTA/1996/14, annex II, with the addition, proposed by the Chairman following informal consultations, that the item on activities implemented jointly under the pilot phase be taken up also on the first day.

10. The Chairman recalled that the COP, at its second session, had not been able to reach an agreement on the rules of procedure, and that the President of the COP was continuing his consultations on this issue. The SBSTA agreed to the Chairman's proposal to follow the same arrangements as in previous sessions in using the draft rules of procedure.

11. The SBSTA, at its third session, had requested the secretariat to organize a round table on activities implemented jointly under the pilot phase (AIJ) in conjunction with the fourth session of the SBSTA to provide for the exchange of information and experience on ongoing AIJ projects and programmes (see FCCC/SBSTA/1996/13, para. 38 (b)). The round table on AIJ took place on Tuesday, 17 December 1996.

12. The lists of attendance at the fourth session of the SBSTA are given in annex I below.

13. The documents prepared for the fourth session of the SBSTA, as well as other documents available for information, are listed in annex II below.

14. At its ... meeting, on ... December, the SBSTA considered the item on cooperation with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). It had before it one document prepared by the Convention secretariat, FCCC/SBSTA/1996/18 and Add.1. Copies of a technical report, "Technologies, policies and measures for mitigating climate change", prepared by the IPCC for the AGBM, and the Revised 1996 IPCC Guidelines for National Greenhouse Gas Inventories were made available by the secretariat of the IPCC, for information purposes.

15. Statements were made by the representatives of ... Parties.

by Parties included in Annex I to the Convention

INCLUDED IN ANNEX I TO THE CONVENTION

16. At its ... meeting, on ... December 1996, the Rapporteur presented the draft report on the session (FCCC/SBSTA/1996/L.2). The SBSTA considered and adopted the draft report. It also requested the Chairman, with the assistance of the secretariat, to complete the report taking into account the discussions that had taken place during the session and the need for editorial adjustments.

17. The Chairman, after thanking all participants for their constructive cooperation, declared the fourth session of the SBSTA closed.

The following documents were before the SBSTA at its fourth session:

FCCC/SBSTA/1996/9/Add.1 Communications from Parties included in Annex I to the Convention: guidelines, schedule and process for consideration. Possible revisions to the guidelines for the preparation of national communications by Parties included in Annex I to the Convention: methodological issues

FCCC/SBSTA/1996/9/Add.2 Communications from Parties included in Annex I to the Convention: guidelines, schedule and process for consideration. Detailed information on electricity trade and international bunker fuels

FCCC/SBSTA/1996/14 Provisional agenda and annotations

FCCC/SBSTA/1996/15 Activities implemented jointly under the pilot phase. Uniform reporting format

FCCC/SBSTA/1996/16 Methodological issues. Longer-term programme of work

FCCC/SBSTA/1996/16/Add.1 Methodological issues. Longer-term programme of work. Project descriptions

FCCC/SBSTA/1996/17 Activities implemented jointly under the pilot phase. Update on activities implemented jointly under the pilot phase

FCCC/SBSTA/1996/17/Corr.1 Activities implemented jointly under the pilot phase. Update on activities implemented jointly under the pilot phase. Corrigendum

FCCC/SBSTA/1996/18 Cooperation with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Progress report

FCCC/SBSTA/1996/18/Add.1 Cooperation with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Progress report. Revised 1996 IPCC Guidelines for National Greenhouse Gas Inventories

FCCC/SBSTA/1996/19 Activities implemented jointly under the pilot phase. Initial list of methodological issues

FCCC/SBSTA/1996/MISC.5 Methodological issues. Comments from Parties

FCCC/SBSTA/1996/MISC.5/Add.1 Methodological issues. Comments from a Party

FCCC/SBSTA/1996/L.2 Draft report of the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice on the work of its fourth session

The following documents were also available:

FCCC/SBSTA/1996/8 Report of the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice on the work of its second session, held at Geneva from 27 February to 4 March 1996

FCCC/SBSTA/1996/13 Report of the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice on the work of its third session, held at Geneva from 9 to 16 July 1996

A/AC.237/NC/1 - 14 Executive summaries of communications

and from Parties included in Annex I to the

FCCC/NC/1 - 19 Convention

FCCC/IDR.1/(...) Reports on in-depth reviews of communications from Parties included in Annex I to the Convention

FCCC/CP/1996/12 Commitments in Article 4. Second compilation and synthesis of first national communications from Annex I Parties: executive summary

FCCC/CP/1996/12/Add.1 Commitments in Article 4. Second compilation and synthesis of first national communications from Annex I Parties: report by the secretariat

FCCC/CP/1996/12/Add.2 Commitments in Article 4. Second compilation and synthesis of first national communications from Annex I Parties: tables of inventories of anthropogenic emissions and removals and projections for 2000

FCCC/CP/1996/15 Report of the Conference of the Parties on its second session, held at Geneva from 8 to 19 July 1996. Part One: Proceedings

FCCC/CP/1996/15/Add.1 Report of the Conference of the Parties on its second session, held at Geneva from 8 to 19 July 1996. Part Two: Action taken by the Conference of the Parties at its second session