Distr.
GENERAL
FCCC/SB/1997/5
16 May 1997
Original: ENGLISH
SUBSIDIARY BODY FOR IMPLEMENTATION
Sixth session
Bonn, 28 July - 5 August 1997
Item 4 (a) of the provisional agenda
SUBSIDIARY BODY FOR SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNOLOGICAL ADVICE
Sixth session
Bonn, 28 July - 5 August 1997
Item 6 (a) of the provisional agenda
Paragraphs Page
I. INTRODUCTION 1 - 5 1
A. Mandate 1 - 3 3
B. Scope of the note 4 4
C. Possible action by subsidiary bodies 5 4
GE.97-
Paragraphs Page
II. OUTLINE OF THE SCHEDULE 6 - 12 4
A. Assumptions 6 4
B. Suggested outline 7 - 8 4
C. Review procedure 9 - 12 5
First national communications from Annex I Parties:
Review visit dates 6
1. The Conference of the Parties, at its first session (COP 1), by its decision 2/CP.1,(1)
established the process for the review of first communications from Parties included in
Annex I to the Convention (hereinafter referred to as "Annex I Parties"), including provisions for the in-depth review of first national communications(2) from such Parties. In its
decision 3/CP.1, the COP provided guidance on the preparation and
submission of national communications by Annex I
Parties.
2. The Conference of the Parties, at its second session (COP 2), by its decision 9/CP.2,(3) requested Annex I Parties to submit their second national communication by 15 April 1997. For those Parties which were due to submit the first communication in 1996, an update of this communication was to be submitted by the same date; second national communications by Parties with economies in transition should in principle be submitted not later than
15 April 1998. By the same decision, COP 2 requested the
secretariat to apply procedures for the review, including in-depth
reviews, as defined in decision 2/CP.1, to second national
communications from Annex I Parties; the in-depth reviews are to be
completed before the fifth session of the Conference of the
Parties.
3. The Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice (SBSTA), at its
fifth session, requested the secretariat to prepare a work plan, including a tentative schedule of the in-depth review of the second national communications of Parties included in Annex I to the Convention. Such a work plan should, inter alia, include a schedule for the preparation and distribution of the in-depth review for each Party, subject to modification in response to requests by the Parties concerned (see document FCCC/SBSTA/1997/4).
4. The present note contains a suggested outline schedule of the
in-depth review of the second national communications from Annex I
Parties based on the actual dates of the reviews of the first
national communications.
5. The subsidiary bodies are invited to consider this note and
provide guidance to the secretariat on the proposed outline of the
schedule of the in-depth review of the second national communications
from Annex I Parties, with the aim of considering a detailed schedule
at the next session of the subsidiary bodies.
6. It is assumed in the present note that the time available for
the review of the second communications from Annex I Parties will be
two years, with the final results of this review to be made available
to the extent possible for COP 5. The present note does not attempt
to anticipate any changes to the review process which might be
entailed by the outcome of negotiations on the Berlin
Mandate.
7. The proposed outline of the review schedule for second communications from
Annex I Parties follows the pattern of the review of first
communications (see annex).
8. The following outline for the second
review(4) is
suggested:
(a) At the end of 1997 three Parties: Canada, Sweden, United
States of America;
(b) In the first half of 1998 eleven Parties: Australia,
Austria, Denmark, Germany, Japan, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway,
Spain, Switzerland, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern
Ireland;
(c) In the second half of 1998 eleven Parties: Czech Republic,
European Community, Finland, France, Greece, Iceland, Ireland,
Italy, Luxembourg, Poland, Portugal;
(d) In the first half of 1999 nine Parties: Bulgaria, Estonia,
Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Russian Federation, Slovakia,
Ukraine(5).
9. Decision 2/CP.1 in paragraph 3 (c) states that the review teams
should conduct their work through in-depth "paper" reviews; if deemed
helpful, visits to clarify the communications, with the prior
approval of the Party concerned, might also be useful
(FCCC/CP/1995/7/Add.1). By its decision 9/CP.2, COP 2 decided that
the review process should be continued in accordance with the
relevant decisions of the Conference of the Parties
(FCCC/CP/1996/15/Add.1).
10. During the review of the first communications review teams
were invited to visit all the Annex I Parties that submitted their
communication in 1994-1996.(6) The
secretariat will seek to obtain similar invitations in conducting
future reviews. Other reviews would be conducted "on paper" at the
site of the secretariat; this would involve interaction with the
Party concerned by telephone or by electronic means. In-depth review
reports on the second national communication of each Annex I Party
would be prepared and published irrespective of whether a visit took
place or not.
11. It may be noted that the cost to the Convention budget of a
paper review would include travel by experts to the site of the
secretariat; financial savings would arise in the travel of
secretariat staff. There may also be saving in expert travel costs of
the same team of experts undertaking more than one paper
review.
12. Annex I Parties are invited to send to the secretariat by
15 September 1997 an indication of which quarter (or
preferably month) during 1997-99 they would be prepared to receive
the visit of a review team, or reply to its requests. The detailed
schedule for the preparation and distribution of the in-depth review
reports for each Annex I Party, based on the replies received by 15
September 1997 and consultations with the Parties concerned, will be
made available by the secretariat during the seventh session of the
subsidiary bodies.
First national communications from Annex I Parties: Review
visit dates
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Australia |
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Austria |
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Bulgaria |
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Canada |
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Czech Republic |
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Denmark |
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E.C. |
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Estonia |
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Finland |
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France |
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Germany |
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Greece |
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Hungary |
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Iceland |
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Ireland |
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Italy |
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