Distr.
GENERAL
FCCC/AG13/1996/3
6 November 1996
Original: ENGLISH
AD HOC GROUP ON ARTICLE 13
Third session
Geneva, 16-18 December 1996
Item 2 (a) of the provisional agenda
1. Arrangements have been made for the third session of the Ad Hoc Group on
Article 13 (AG13) to be held at the Palais des Nations, Geneva, from
16 to 18 December 1996. The session will be opened by the Chairman
at 10 a.m. on Monday, 16 December 1996 in conference room
XIX.
2. The provisional agenda for the third session of the AG13,
proposed after consultation with the Chairman, is as
follows:
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;
(d) Organization of the work of future sessions.
3. Responses to the questionnaire on the establishment of a
multilateral consultative process and other inputs.
4. Proposed schedule of work.
GE.96-
5. Report on the session.
3. The third session of the Ad Hoc Group on Article 13 (AG13) will
be opened by the Chairman at 10 a.m. on Monday, 16 December 1996 in
conference room XIX.
(a) Adoption of the agenda
4. The provisional agenda is presented for adoption (see paragraph
2 above).
(b) Election of officers other than the Chairman
5. Rule 27 of the draft rules of procedure of the Conference of
the Parties, as applied, provides for the election of a Bureau to the
AG13. The Vice-Chairman and Rapporteur have yet to be elected. Under
the authority of the President of the COP, consultations are being
held with the regional coordinators regarding the election of the
Vice-Chairmen and Rapporteurs of the subsidiary bodies other than the
AGBM. The Chairman will provide an oral report on the status of those
consultations.
(c) Organization of the work of the
session
(i) Documentation
6. In accordance with the conclusions of the AG13 at its second
session (FCCC/AG13/1996/2, para. 12), the main documents for the
session will consist of the responses to the questionnaire on the
establishment of a multilateral consultative process under Article 13
(FCCC/AG13/1996/MISC.1 and Add.1, FCCC/AG13/1996/MISC.2 and Add.1))
and the synthesis of these responses prepared by the secretariat
(FCCC/AG13/1996/1). The documents raise issues relating to the
mandate, functions, composition and working methods of a possible
multilateral consultative process, as well as to the organization of
the future work of the AG13.
7. 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
8. The scheduling of meetings for the session will be based on the
availability of facilities during normal working hours, with services
available for one meeting with interpretation from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
and from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. There will also be some facilities
available for informal meetings without interpretation, should they
be needed. Delegations are urged to use these facilities fully by
starting all meetings promptly at the scheduled time. A suggested
approach to the organization of work is contained in annex II
below.
(d) Organization of the work of future
sessions
9. It may be useful to look ahead to the programme of work of future sessions of the AG13. The fourth session of the AG13 could be convened for three days between
27 February and 7 March 1997, and the fifth session for three days
in the August meeting schedule, subject to the review of the calendar
by the Bureau of the Conference of the Parties (COP). The Chairman
will provide an oral report on the decisions of the Bureau of the COP
relating to the schedule of meetings under the Convention in 1997.
This would permit the scheduling of sessions to avoid overlapping
with the sessions of the Ad Hoc Group on the Berlin Mandate
(AGBM).
10. The AG13, at its first session, decided to request Parties to
make written submissions on issues considered relevant to the
establishment of a multilateral consultative process
(FCCC/AG13/1995/2, para. 17). Compilations of submissions from
Parties and non-parties (FCCC/AG13/1996/MISC.1) and from
intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations
(FCCC/AG13/1996/MISC.2) relating to the questionnaire circulated by
the secretariat on the multilateral consultative process and its
design were made available to participants in the February/March 1996
sessions of the subsidiary bodies. Additional submissions were
presented in documents FCCC/AG13/1996/MISC.1/Add.1 and
FCCC/AG13/1996/MISC.2/Add.1. In addition, a synthesis of these
submissions identifying areas of common understanding that seem to be
emerging was made available to participants in time for the July 1996
session (FCCC/AG13/1996/1). The AG13, at its second session, noted
with approval the synthesis of responses to the questionnaire on the
establishment of a multilateral consultative process, and agreed that
it would form a useful basis for substantive discussions at the third
session.
11. The report of the Chairman on the panel presentation and the
discussions on existing consultative, non-compliance and dispute
settlement procedures, convened on 9 July 1996, is included in the
report on the work of the second session
(FCCC/AG13/1996/2).
12. The Conference of the Parties, at its first session,
established the AG13 to study all issues relating to a multilateral
consultative process and its design (see decision 20/CP.1 contained
in FCCC/CP/1995/7/Add.1). The Conference of the Parties, at its
second session, decided that the AGBM may, in any consideration of a
multilateral consultative process, seek such advice as may be deemed
necessary from the AG13 on this matter (see decision 5/CP.2 contained
in FCCC/CP/1996/15/Add.1). Any conclusions of the AGBM at its fifth
session, scheduled to be held from 9 to 13 December 1996, that are
relevant to the work of the AG13 will be made available to the
Group.
13. In the context of the decisions of the COP, the secretariat
proposes the following sub-themes for the schedule of work of the
session: general discussion on proposals by Parties; discussion on
the scope of the proposed mechanism and elements of the procedures to
be adopted; and discussion on the future work of the AG13. A proposed
schedule of work is given in annex II below.
14. The relatively short length of the session, as well as the
nature of the discussion, may affect the extent to which a draft text
of the report on the work of the session could be available at the
end of the session. The AG13 may wish to adopt decisions or texts of
substantive conclusions under the relevant items of the agenda and,
as at its first and second sessions, authorize the Chairman (or
Rapporteur, if elected, under the guidance of the Chairman) to
complete the report after the session, with the assistance of the
secretariat. While every effort will be made to have conclusions
available in all languages, this can only be possible if sufficient
time is available for translation.
FCCC/AG13/1996/3 Provisional agenda and annotations
FCCC/AG13/1996/1 Questionnaire on the establishment of a
multilateral consultative process under Article 13: synthesis of
responses
FCCC/AG13/1996/2 Report of the Ad Hoc Group on Article 13 on the
work of its second session, held at Geneva on 10 July
1996
FCCC/AG13/1996/MISC.1 Responses to questionnaire relating to the establishment
and Add.1 of a multilateral consultative process: submissions by
Parties and non-parties
FCCC/AG13/1996/MISC.2 Responses to questionnaire relating to the establishment
and Add.1 of a multilateral consultative process : submissions by
intergovernmental and non-governmental bodies
FCCC/CP/1995/7 and Add.1 Report of the Conference of the Parties
on its first session, held at Berlin from 28 March to 7 April
1995
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
A/AC.237/59 Consideration of the establishment of a multilateral
consultative process for the resolution of questions regarding
implementation (Article 13)
A/AC.237/MISC.46 Consideration of the establishment of a
multilateral consultative process for the resolution of questions
regarding implementation (Article 13): submissions from delegations
relating to Article 13
FCCC/CP/1995/MISC.2 Consideration of the establishment of a
multilateral consultative process for the resolution of questions
regarding implementation (Article 13): a review of selected
non-compliance, dispute resolution and implementation review
procedures
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