Distr.
GENERAL
FCCC/SBI/1996/6
22 February 1996
ENGLISH ONLY
SUBSIDIARY BODY FOR IMPLEMENTATION
Second session
Geneva, 27 February - 4 March 1996
Item 7 (a) of the provisional agenda
Paragraphs Page
I. INTRODUCTION 1 - 4 3
A. Mandate 1 3
B. Scope of the note 2 - 3 3
C. Possible action by the Subsidiary Body for
Implementation 4 3
GE.96-
Paragraphs Page
II. IMPLEMENTATION OF DECISION 14/CP.1 5 - 20 3
A. Institutional linkage of the Convention secretariat
to the United Nations 5 - 7 3
B. Convention secretariat 8 - 9 4
C. Arrangements for administrative support 10 - 15 4
D. Conference services 16 - 20 5
III. CONVENTION BUDGET FOR 1996 21 - 30 6
A. Trust fund for the core budget of the UNFCCC 21 - 24
6
B. Trust fund for participation in the UNFCCC process 25 - 27 7
C. Trust fund for supplementary activities
under the UNFCCC 28 - 30 7
Table 1: Trust fund for the core budget of the UNFCCC:
statement of contributions 9
Table 2: Trust fund for participation in the UNFCCC process:
statement of contributions 10
Table 3: Trust fund for supplementary activities under the
UNFCCC process: statement of contributions 10
1. Decision 14/CP.1* of the Conference of the Parties (COP),
adopted at its first session, considers, inter alia, issues
related to the institutional linkage of the Convention secretariat to
the United Nations, the financing of conference-servicing costs, the
arrangements for the provision of administrative support and the
appointment of the head of the secretariat. These issues were further
considered at the first session of the Subsidiary Body for
Implementation (SBI), whose conclusions are contained in document
FCCC/SBI/1995/5, paragraph 29.
2. The present note provides a brief update on issues related to
the institutional linkage of the Convention secretariat to the United
Nations and the functioning of the Convention secretariat. The note
refers to relevant elements of General Assembly resolution 50/115 of
December 1995, entitled "Protection of the global climate for present
and future generations of mankind", in particular those elements
relating to administrative support for the Convention secretariat
from the United Nations Secretariat and the financing from the
regular programme budget of the United Nations of the
conference-servicing costs arising from sessions of the COP and its
subsidiary bodies. The note also reviews the budgetary situation for
1996 and reports on the status of payments to the trust funds of the
Convention.
3. A final report on the two extrabudgetary funds established by
General Assembly resolution 45/212, paragraphs 10 and 20, will be
presented to COP 2.
4. The SBI may wish to take note of the information provided in
this note. The SBI may also wish to encourage Parties with
outstanding contributions to the core administrative budget to pay
promptly and in full these contributions, which were due on 1 January
1996, and to encourage all Parties to help meet other voluntary
funding needs for that year.
5. The COP, at its first session, by its decision 14/CP.1, decided
that the Convention secretariat would be institutionally linked to
the United Nations, "while not being fully integrated in the work
programme and management structure of any particular department
or
___________
* For decisions adopted by the Conference of the Parties at its first session, see document FCCC/CP/1995/7/Add.1.
programme". The COP decided further to review the functioning of
the institutional linkage referred to in paragraph 2 of decision
14/CP.1 not later than 31 December 1999, in consultation with the
Secretary-General, with a view to making such modifications as may be
considered desirable by both parties.
6. This linkage was endorsed by the General Assembly in operative
paragraph 2 of its resolution 50/115. In the same resolution, the
General Assembly requested the Secretary-General to review the
functioning of this institutional linkage not later than 31 December
1999, in consultation with the COP, with a view to making such
modifications as may be considered desirable by both parties and to
report thereon to the General Assembly.
7. The General Assembly also requested that additional reviews be
carried out that could have a bearing on the institutional linkage
and financing arrangements. First, the General Assembly requested the
Secretary-General to review the financing arrangements relating to
the transitional arrangement for administrative support to the
Convention secretariat (see paragraph 11 below) and to the provision
of conference servicing (see paragraph 18 below) towards the end of
the biennium 1996-1997 and to report upon the results of this review
to the Assembly at its fifty-second session (in 1997). Second, the
General Assembly requested the Secretary-General to report to the
fifty-first session (in 1996) on the implementation of the
resolution.
8. The transition from interim secretariat to Convention
secretariat took place on 1 January 1996.
9. Following the request by the COP to the Secretary-General,
contained in decision 14/CP.1, the Secretary-General, after
consultation with the COP through its Bureau, has appointed the head
of the Convention secretariat, with the title of Executive Secretary
and at the level of Assistant Secretary-General, for a two-year term
of office starting on 1 January 1996. The two-year term reflects the
decision of the COP to review the level of this post at its third
session (decision 14/CP.1, para. 8).
10. At its first session, the SBI took note of the information
provided by the Executive Secretary in response to decision 14/CP.1,
paragraph 2, with respect to the allocation of the overhead charge on
the Convention budget, and invited him to pursue to a satisfactory
conclusion his discussions on this matter with the United Nations
Department of Administration and Management on the basis indicated by
him and taking into account the additional administrative staffing
needs resulting from the relocation of the Convention secretariat to
Bonn (FCCC/SBI/1995/5, paragraph 29 (e)).
11. Following consultations on this matter and taking into account
the related conclusion of the SBI, the Secretary-General proposed to
institute a transitional arrangement for administrative support to
the Convention secretariat for the first two years of its existence,
namely, from 1 January 1996 to 31 December 1997 (General Assembly
document A/50/716). During this period, a programme support charge of
13 per cent will be levied on the funds of the Convention, as
indicated in the note by the Secretary-General of 5 April 1995
(FCCC/CP/1995/5/Add.4, annex, appendix) and provided for in the
approved Convention budget. Drawing on the proceeds of this charge,
the United Nations Secretariat, through the Department of
Administration and Management, will provide full administrative
support services to the Convention secretariat, including
administrative staff. The services provided will evolve to cover the
administrative needs resulting from the decentralized functioning of
the Convention secretariat at Bonn.
12. The Secretary-General further proposed that, once this
transitional arrangement is in operation, a review be undertaken by
the Department of Administration and Management and the Convention
secretariat to ascertain the way in which administrative functions
could best be shared on a long-term basis between the central United
Nations services and the Convention secretariat at Bonn. This review
should also assess the adequacy of the programme support charge in
relation to the costs of the administrative services provided by the
United Nations to the Convention secretariat. The findings of the
review would be reported to the General Assembly and to the COP in
1997 and reflected in the proposed Convention budget for
1998-1999.
13. The General Assembly, in resolution 50/115, took note of this
transitional arrangement for administrative support, with particular
reference to the implications arising from the report of the COP on
its first session, which should facilitate the relocation of the
secretariat and assist it in addressing any initial financial and
personnel problems that may be encountered in this context.
Subsequently, the arrangements proposed by the Secretary-General have
been put into effect.
14. As noted in paragraph 7 above, the General Assembly, by its
resolution 50/115, requested the Secretary-General to report on this
and related matters at its fifty-first (in 1996) and fifty-second (in
1997) sessions, and again, but not later than, at its fifty-fourth
session (in 1999).
15. As indicated in the note verbale of 1 November 1995 from the
Executive Secretary to the Permanent Missions to the United Nations,
as a result of the agreement of the United Nations Secretariat,
through the Department of Administration and Management, to provide
the Convention secretariat with full administrative support services,
the cost of three positions for administrative staff has been
deducted from the Convention budget for 1996. Including overheads,
this results in a saving of US$400,000 to the Convention budget in
1996.
16. The COP, by its decision 14/CP.1, requested the General
Assembly, bearing in mind the institutional linkage of the Convention
secretariat to the United Nations and the large number of States that
are Parties to the Convention, to decide to finance from the regular
programme budget of the United Nations the conference-servicing costs
arising from sessions of the COP and its subsidiary bodies for the
duration of the institutional linkage approved in paragraph 2 of the
decision.
17. The SBI, at its first session, recommended, in view of the
workload arising from the decisions of the COP, that, in addition to
the 10 weeks of meeting time during the 1996-1997 biennium envisaged
in decisions 15/CP.1 and 17/CP.1, two additional weeks of meeting
time in 1997 be requested from the General Assembly at its fiftieth
session.
18. By its resolution 50/115, the General Assembly decided to
include in the calendar of conferences and meetings for 1996-1997 the
sessions of the COP and its subsidiary bodies envisaged for that
biennium entailing 12 weeks of conference-servicing facilities. This
provision takes account of the above-mentioned recommendation by the
SBI. The General Assembly requested the Secretary-General to make the
necessary arrangements to include in the calendar of conferences and
meetings for the biennium 1998-1999 those sessions of the COP and its
subsidiary bodies that the Conference may need to convene in that
period.
19. The Fifth Committee noted that the conference-servicing costs of the meetings of the COP and its subsidiary bodies in 1996 are estimated at US$3,522,200 at full cost. The actual amount required under Section 26 E of the proposed United Nations programme budget for 1996-1997, including the need for an additional appropriation, will be considered by the General Assembly at its resumed session in 1996 on the basis of revised estimates by the Secretary-General. Such an appropriation would be subject to the guidelines for the use and operation of the contingency fund.
20. As noted in paragraph 7 above, the General Assembly, by its
resolution 50/115, requested the Secretary-General to report on this
and related matters at its fifty-first (in 1996) and fifty-second (in
1997) sessions, and again, but not later than at its fifty-fourth
session (in 1999).
21. The SBI, at its first session, invited all Parties to the
Convention to pay promptly and in full their contributions to the
core administrative budget, due on 1 January 1996, and to other
voluntary funding needs for that year, taking advantage of any
opportunity to make such contributions before the due
date.
22. As at 10 February 1996, contributions from 15 Parties had been received by the contributions section of the United Nations (see annex, table 1). The contributions amounted to a total of US$1,174,307, equivalent to approximately 16 per cent of the approved core budget of the UNFCCC for 1996. In addition, the Government of Germany, as host Government, has paid its special contribution to the trust fund for the core budget of the
UNFCCC of US$967,700, which is equivalent to DM1.5 million calculated at the exchange rate of US$1 = DM1.55, quoted in the secretariat's note verbale of 1 November 1995.
23. Parties are encouraged to pay their outstanding contributions.
It is recalled that these contributions were due by 1 January
1996.
24. In keeping with decision 17/CP.1, the Executive Secretary will
report to COP 2 on income and budget performance, and will propose
any adjustment that may be needed in the Convention budget for
1996-1997, taking account of the evolving programme and the
relocation to Bonn.
25. As at 10 February 1996, the contributions section of the
United Nations had received a voluntary contribution to the trust
fund for participation in the UNFCCC process of US$44,762.44, made by
the Government of Norway. This contribution is acknowledged with
gratitude (see annex, table 2).
26. The unspent end-1995 balance in the special voluntary fund for
participation in the negotiation process was sufficient to allow the
secretariat to offer funding to all eligible Parties for
participation in the current sessions of the subsidiary bodies.
Allowing for deductions of 15 per cent for the operating reserve and
13 per cent for support costs, the estimated amount of US$1,536,139
is required to fund the participation of two delegates from each
eligible Party to participate in COP 2 (or US$1,112,502 if the
participation of two delegates from only small island developing
countries and least developed countries is funded and one delegate
from all other eligible Parties). In addition, the estimated amount
of US$786,134 is required to fund the participation of one delegate
from each eligible Party to the sessions of the subsidiary bodies in
Geneva in late 1996.
27. The receipt of contributions to this fund is of central
importance to the participation of developing countries in the
negotiation process. Governments are encouraged to contribute
generously to the fund. It is hoped that additional contributions
will be made, of an adequate and timely nature, to enable the
participation of two delegates per eligible Party at COP 2. A further
factor of note is the increasing number of eligible
Parties.
28. As at 10 February 1996, the contributions section of the
United Nations had received voluntary contributions to the trust fund
for supplementary activities under the UNFCCC amounting to a total of
US$36,837.86, made by the Governments of New Zealand and Norway (see
annex, table 3). These contributions are acknowledged with
gratitude.
29. Discussions are under way concerning payment of the
supplementary contribution of DM3.5 million by the Government of
Germany, as host Government. The host Government has indicated that
for 1996 a certain portion of this amount should be placed in the
trust fund for participation in the UNFCCC process.
30. The cost of financing supplementary activities under the
UNFCCC has been estimated at US$1,310,000, consistent with decision
18/CP.1 on other voluntary funding for the biennium 1996-1997 (see
also FCCC/SBI/1996/4, para. 20).
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New Zealand |
17 796 |
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24.11.95 |
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Iceland |
2 226 |
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5.12.95 |
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Namibia |
726 |
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7.12.95 |
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Australia |
109 832 |
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14.12.95 |
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China |
54 545 |
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19.12.95 |
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Myanmar |
726 |
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22.12.95 |
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Sweden |
91 094 |
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26.12.95 |
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Slovakia |
6 122 |
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28.12.95 |
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Liechtenstein |
726 |
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3.1.96 |
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Germany |
671 050 |
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5.1.96 |
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Egypt |
5 195 |
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23.1.96 |
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Malaysia |
10 389 |
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26.1.96 |
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Russian Federation |
200 000 |
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8.2.96 |
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Estonia |
3 154 |
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8.2.96 |
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Jordan |
726 |
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9.2.96 |
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Total |
1 174 307 |
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a/ Information on contributions as at 10 February 1996. All
contributions will be subject to a charge of 13 per cent for
overheads to determine amounts available for allotment.
b/ Partial payment of contribution.
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Norway |
44 762.44 |
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Total |
44 762.44 |
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a/ Information on contributions as at 10 February 1996. All
contributions are gross. Deductions of up to 15 per cent for
operating reserve and of 13 per cent for support costs are applicable
to determine amounts available for allotment.
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New Zealand |
21 166.34 |
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Norway |
15 671.52 |
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Total |
36 837.86 |
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a/ Information on contributions as at 10 February 1996. All contributions are gross. Deductions of up to 15 per cent for operating reserve and of 13 per cent for support costs are applicable to determine amounts available for allotment.