GENERAL

FCCC/SBI/1997/7

1 May 1997

Original: ENGLISH

SUBSIDIARY BODY FOR IMPLEMENTATION

Sixth session

Bonn, 28 July - 5 August 1997

Item 2 (a) of the provisional agenda

1. Arrangements have been made for the sixth session of the Subsidiary Body for Implementation (SBI) to be held at the Hotel Maritim, Bonn, from 28 July to 5 August 1997. The session will be opened by the Chairman at 10 a.m. on Monday, 28 July 1997.

2. The provisional agenda for the sixth session of the SBI, proposed after consultation with the Chairman, is as follows:

1. Opening of the session.

2. Organizational matters:

(a) Adoption of the agenda;

(b) Organization of the work of the session;

(c) Preparation by the SBI for the third session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 3).

3. Division of labour between the SBI and the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice (SBSTA).

GE.97-

4. National communications:

(a) Communications from Parties included in Annex I to the Convention;

(b) Communications from Parties not included in Annex I to the Convention.

5. Financial mechanism: Review process referred to in decision 9/CP.1.

6. Development and transfer of technologies.

7. Administrative and financial matters:

(a) Programme budget for 1998-1999;

(b) Volume of documentation.

8. Arrangements for intergovernmental meetings:

(a) Arrangements for COP 3;

(b) Arrangements for COP 4;

(c) Calendar of meetings for 1997-1999.

9. Matters arising from the United Nations General Assembly: Special session on Agenda 21.

10. Mechanisms for consultation with non-governmental organizations (NGOs).

11. Report on the session.

3. The sixth session of the SBI will be opened by the Chairman at 10 a.m. on

Monday, 28 July 1997.

(a) Adoption of the agenda

4. The provisional agenda for the sixth session of the SBI is presented for adoption

(see paragraph 2 above).

(b) Organization of the work of the session

(i) Documentation

5. The provisional agenda has been drawn up taking account of the expected timely availability of documentation in the six languages of the United Nations. There are some exceptions as indicated below.

6. Document FCCC/SBI/1997/8 may be late on account of the May 15 deadline for submissions by Parties, but is expected to be available in all languages.

7. Document FCCC/SBI/1997/10, Programme budget, may also be available late, but is expected to be available in all languages.

8. In order to provide delegates with the most up-to-date information, the following documents will be produced in English only and will be made available as soon as the information is complete: FCCC/SB/1997/4, FCCC/SB/1997/5, FCCC/SB/1997/6 and FCCC/SBI/1997/13.

9. A list of documents relating to the provisional agenda, as well as other documents available at the session, is contained in annex I below.

(ii) Schedule

10. The scheduling of meetings for the session will be based on the availability of facilities during normal working hours when services are available for one meeting with interpretation from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. There will also be some facilities for informal meetings without interpretation. Delegations are urged to use these facilities fully by attending all meetings promptly at the scheduled time. A suggested approach to the organization of work is contained in annex II below.

(c) Preparation by the SBI for COP 3

11. In addition to presenting its advice on the division of labour at its sixth session, the SBI will need to prepare at its seventh session its recommendations to COP 3 on other matters before it. The SBI may wish to take a similar approach as the INC/FCCC at its eleventh session, when it was preparing for COP 1 (A/AC.237/91/Add.1).

12. At its second session, the COP decided to take up at its third session the question of the division of labour between the SBI and the SBSTA. This will be done on the basis of recommendations made to it by the Chairmen of the two subsidiary bodies (FCCC/CP/1996/15, section II F, para. 24). The SBI will have before it document FCCC/SB/1997/2 prepared by the Chairmen of the SBI and the SBSTA. The SBI may wish to set up an informal contact group with the SBSTA which could prepare draft conclusions on their division of labour for adoption by the SBI and the SBSTA, including a draft decision for adoption by the COP at its third session.

(a) Communications from Parties included in Annex I to the Convention

13. At its second session, by its decision 9/CP.2, the COP decided that the review process should be continued in accordance with the relevant decisions of the COP (FCCC/CP/1996/15/Add.1). The secretariat will make an oral report on the progress achieved in the process of reviewing first communications from Parties included in Annex I to the Convention and on the status of submission of their second communications.

14. At the request of the SBSTA, at its fifth session (see FCCC/SBSTA/1997/4), the secretariat has prepared a workplan, including a tentative schedule of the in-depth review (IDR) of second national communications of Parties included in Annex I to the Convention. The SBI may wish to take note of this document (FCCC/SB/1997/5) and the conclusions of the SBSTA on this matter.

15. An informal workshop on Annex I communications will be held in the afternoon on Thursday, 31 July. The secretariat is preparing an initial compilation and synthesis report on second national communications for the sessions of the subsidiary bodies scheduled to be held in Bonn in October 1997. The secretariat intends to present a preliminary overview of data which may include, to the extent available, trends in past greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and projections of future emissions (FCCC/SB/1997/6).

(b) Communications from Parties not included in Annex I to the Convention

(i) Secretariat activities to facilitate the provision of financial and technical support

16. At its second session, by its decision 10/CP.2, paragraph 1 (a), the COP requested the secretariat, in accordance with Article 8.2(c), to facilitate assistance to Parties, particularly developing country Parties, in the preparation of their initial communications through the organization of workshops at the regional level; to provide a forum for the exchange of experiences in the development of emission factors and activity data for the estimation of the inventory, as well as, on request, for other elements of information in the initial communication; and to provide a report to the SBI and the SBSTA at each of their sessions (FCCC/CP/1996/15/Add.1). The secretariat will provide a progress report on these issues in document FCCC/SBI/1997/9.

17. The secretariat had provided information to the fifth session of the SBI on the expected dates of publication of the initial communications of 47 non-Annex I Parties (see FCCC/SB/1997/INF.1 annex I). The secretariat will provide any new information on such expected dates in document FCCC/SBI/1997/13.

(ii) Information on relevant action by the

Council of the Global Environment Facility (GEF)

18. At its second session, by its decision 10/CP.2, paragraph 1 (b), the COP requested the secretariat to make available to the SBI, at each of its sessions, details of the financial support provided to non-Annex I Parties by the GEF for the preparation of their initial communications (see FCCC/CP/1996/15/Add.1). The secretariat will make this information available in document FCCC/SBI/1997/MISC.4.

(iii) Views of Parties on a process for considering non-Annex I communications

19. Further, in anticipation of the submission of initial national communications from non-Annex I Parties, and in order to prepare for further discussions, the secretariat has invited Parties to provide views on a process for considering these communications. The secretariat, consistent with decision 10/CP.2, will present a compilation of these views in document FCCC/SBI/1997/MISC.5.

20. At its second session, by its decision 11/CP.2, paragraph 4, the COP requested the SBI at its fifth session to undertake the review process referred to in decision 9/CP.1 and to report on the outcome to the COP at its third session (FCCC/CP/1996/15/Add.1).

21. At its fifth session, the SBI welcomed the information at its disposal, which comprised a report prepared by the GEF, discussions at two workshops conducted by the GEF, and a question and answer session between the GEF and the SBI. The SBI noted that Parties would need additional time to review the content of the documents and agreed to begin the review process on the basis of the agreed guidelines (FCCC/SBI/1997/6

paras. 27-28).

22. At the same session, the SBI also invited Parties to submit views by 15 May 1997 on their experiences regarding the financial mechanism and requested the secretariat to prepare a compilation of the submissions (FCCC/SBI/1997/6 para. 28). The SBI also requested the secretariat, on the basis of the submissions received and other information as enumerated in the guidelines, to prepare a synthesis report for consideration by the SBI at its sixth session (FCCC/SBI/1997/6 para. 28).

23. In response to these requests, the secretariat will provide a compilation of the views submitted by Parties (FCCC/SBI/1997/MISC.3) and a synthesis report (FCCC/SBI/1997/8).

24. At its fifth session, the SBSTA took note of activities undertaken by the secretariat to prepare reports on topics, such as adaptation technologies, the terms of transfer of technology and know-how and technology information centres. It urged the secretariat to accelerate these activities.

25. The SBSTA will have before it a progress report on these activities (FCCC/SB/1997/3) and an update to this report (FCCC/SB/1997/4). The SBSTA will also have available a technical paper (FCCC/TP/1997/1) on recent investment trends and financial flows and specific information, particularly related to multilateral financial institutions. This technical paper will be the first in a series of papers on terms of transfer following the proposal in document FCCC/SB/1997/1, paragraphs 34-40. The SBSTA will discuss these issues further at its sixth session and refer to the SBI any matter that may require its consideration.

(a) Programme budget for 1998-1999

26. At its fifth session, in accordance with the financial procedures of the Convention (see decision 15/CP.1), the SBI requested the Executive Secretary to propose a programme budget for the biennium 1998-1999 for consideration at its sixth session in July/August 1997 (FCCC/SBI/1997/6, para. 29 (a) (i)). In response to this request, the Executive Secretary proposes the programme budget contained in document FCCC/SBI/1997/10. This proposed budget contains information on the activities the secretariat is mandated to undertake in the coming biennium, the results it expects these activities to achieve, and the financial and human resources estimated as necessary to do so. The SBI is invited to review the proposed budget, and to recommend a budget decision to the COP for adoption at its third session. As was agreed by the SBI at its fifth session, this budget decision should include a total budget with allocations by programme, a secretariat-wide staffing table, broken down by level, and a provision enabling the Executive Secretary to transfer resources among programmes within limits (see FCCC/SBI/1997/6, para. 29 (a) (ii)). It may also include the recommendation to the COP of some elements of the programme budget as contingencies, pending decisions by the United Nations General Assembly and the COP itself at its third session. In addition, the SBI may wish to authorize the Executive Secretary to notify the Parties by 1 October 1997 of their indicative contributions due to the core budget for 1998 on the basis of the recommended budget decision; to recommend that the COP take note of funding requirements outside of the core programme budget; and to recommend to the COP the levels of remuneration of the Executive Secretary and the other senior posts during the coming biennium.

(b) Volume of documentation

27. At its fifth session, the SBI was informed that the Executive Secretary required more

time to prepare recommendations on this matter and would submit them to the SBI at its sixth

session. The SBI will have before it document FCCC/SBI/1997/12, containing a number of proposed options for reducing the volume and cost of documentation for the sessions of the COP and its subsidiary bodies, and on action taken in response to the conclusions of the SBI at its fifth session (see FCCC/SBI/1997/6, para. 32).

(a) Arrangements for COP 3

28. The SBI will have before it document FCCC/SBI/1997/11 containing

updated information on arrangements being made by the secretariat in connection with

COP 3, a list of possible elements for a provisional agenda for the session and suggestions

concerning the organization of the work of the session, including the organization of the

ministerial segment and the arrangements for the communication of views by organizations. The SBI may wish to take note of the information received and give guidance on these matters.

(b) Arrangements for COP 4

29. The SBI called on Parties to submit by its sixth session offers to host COP 4 and decided that, after consideration of such offers, it would recommend its date and venue in accordance with the provisions of the Convention.

(c) Calendar of meetings for 1997-1999

30. The SBI also requested the secretariat to propose at its sixth session a calendar of

meetings for 1997-1999 based on holding two blocks of sessions of the Convention bodies each year, each block comprising two weeks of meetings. This calendar is presented in document FCCC/SBI/1997/11.

Special session on Agenda 21

31. At its fifth session, the SBI agreed upon the input of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) to the special session of the General Assembly as contained in document FCCC/SBI/1997/L.1/Add.1. This input was transmitted and circulated in document E/C.N.17/1997/21 at the fifth session of the Commission on Sustainable Development held from 7 to 25 April 1997 in New York.

32. The UNFCCC input will be transmitted and circulated in a note by the

Secretary General at the special session of the General Assembly due to be held in New York from 23 to 27 June 1997.

33. Any decisions of the special session of the General Assembly that are relevant to the UNFCCC will be drawn to the attention of the SBI at its sixth session.

34. At its fifth session, the SBSTA urged the secretariat to complete work on this agenda by the sixth session of the subsidiary bodies and, in the light of the division of labour between the SBI and the SBSTA, invited the SBI to consider this agenda item.

35. The secretariat has prepared a brief paper (FCCC/SBI/1997/14) containing a number of recommendations on ways to enhance or strengthen existing consultation arrangements and/or mechanisms between NGOs and the UNFCCC. This paper is based on consultations of the secretariat with NGOs and a background paper that was prepared by the

Global Environment Information Centre of the United Nations University (GEIC/UNU). This background paper will be made available for information as document FCCC/SBI/1997/MISC.6.

36. The SBI may wish to provide comments on the above-mentioned recommendations and take into account their respective financial implications.

37. Due to the relatively short duration of the session and the number of items on its agenda, a complete draft text of the report might not be available at the end of the session. The SBI may wish to adopt decisions or texts of substantive conclusions, and authorize the Rapporteur to complete the report after the session with the assistance of the secretariat. Subject to the availability of sufficient time for their translation, conclusions will be made available in all languages.

FCCC/SBI/1997/7 Provisional agenda and annotations.

FCCC/SBI/1997/8 Financial mechanism: Review process referred to in decision 9/CP.1. Synthesis report.

FCCC/SBI/1997/9 Communications from Parties not included in Annex I to the Convention: Secretariat activities to facilitate the provision of financial and technical support. Progress report.

FCCC/SBI/1997/10 Programme budget of the Convention for the biennium 1998-1999.

FCCC/SBI/1997/11 Arrangements for intergovernmental meetings.

FCCC/SBI/1997/12 Volume of documentation.

FCCC/SBI/1997/13 Communications from Parties not included in Annex I to the Convention: Information on the submission of initial national communications.

FCCC/SBI/1997/14 Mechanisms for consultations with non-governmental organizations (NGOs).

FCCC/SBI/1997/MISC.3 Financial mechanism: Review process referred to in decision 9/CP.1. Compilation of submissions by Parties.

FCCC/SBI/1997/MISC.4 Communications from Parties not included in Annex I to the Convention: Information on relevant action by the Council of the Global Environment Facility.

FCCC/SBI/1997/MISC.5 Communications from Parties not included in Annex I to the Convention: Views of Parties on a process for considering non-Annex I communications.

FCCC/SBI/1997/MISC.6 Mechanisms for consultations with non-governmental organizations (NGOs): Background report.

FCCC/SB/1997/2 Division of labour between the SBI and the SBSTA: Note by the Chairmen.

FCCC/SB/1997/5 Communications from Parties included in Annex I to the Convention.

FCCC/SBI/1997/6 Report of the Subsidiary Body for Implementation on the work of its fifth session, Bonn 25 February - 6 March 1997.

FCCC/SBI/1997/L.1/Add.1 Matters arising from the United Nations General Assembly: Special session on Agenda 21. Inputs from UNFCCC.

FCCC/SB/1997/1 Progress report on technology and technology transfer: Note by the secretariat.

FCCC/SB/1997/3 Development and Transfer of Technologies: Progress report.

FCCC/SB/1997/4 Development and Transfer of Technologies: Update to progress report.

FCCC/SB/1997/6 Communications from Parties included in Annex I to the Convention: Inventory and projection data.

FCCC/SB/1997/INF.1 Communications from Parties not included in Annex I to the Convention: Secretariat activities to facilitate the provision of support to non-Annex I Parties for the preparation of their initial national communications. Note by the secretariat.

FCCC/TP/1997/1 Terms of transfer of technology and know-how: Trends and basic data on financial flows to developing countries.

FCCC/CP/1996/15 and Add. 1 Report of the Conference of the Parties on its second session, held at Geneva from 8 to 19 July 1996.

FCCC/SBSTA/1997/4 Report of the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice on the work of its fifth session, Bonn, 25-28 February 1997.

A/AC.237/91/Add.1 Report of the intergovernmental negotiating committee for a Framework Convention on Climate Change on the work of its eleventh session held at New York from

6 to 17 February 1995. Part two: Recommendations to the Conference of the Parties and other decisions and conclusions of the committee.