Distr.

GENERAL

FCCC/CP/1997/6

9 December 1997

Third session

Kyoto, 1 to 10 December

Agenda Item 2 (i)

1. In accordance with rule 19 of the draft rules of procedure, as applied,"the credentials of representatives as well as the names of alternate representatives and advisers shall be submitted to the secretariat if possible not later than twenty-four hours after the opening of the session. Any later change in the composition of the delegation shall also be submitted to the secretariat. The credentials shall be issued either by the Head of State or Government or by the Minister of Foreign Affairs or, in the case of a regional economic integration organization, by the competent authority of that organization."

   
   
   

2. Furthermore, rule 20 of the draft rules of procedure, as applied, provides that "the Bureau of any session shall examine the credentials and submit its report to the Conference of the Parties."

   
   
   

3. The present report is submitted to the Conference of the Parties in the light of the foregoing.

   
   

of the Conference of the Parties

1. On 9 December 1997, the Bureau met to examine the credentials submitted by Parties to the Convention.

   
   
   

UKY.97-

1. The Bureau had before it a memorandum dated 9 December 1997 from the Executive Secretary on the status of credentials of representatives participating in the Conference. The information in this memorandum is reflected below.

   
   
   

2. As noted in the memorandum of the Executive Secretary, formal credentials issued by the Head of State or Government or by the Minister for Foreign Affairs, as provided for in rule 19 of the draft rules of procedure as applied, had been received by the secretariat for the representatives of the following 145 Parties participating in the Conference: Albania, Algeria, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bhutan, Botswana, Brazil, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Canada, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chile, China, Colombia, Cook Islands, Costa Rica, Côte d'Ivoire, Croatia, Cuba, Czech Republic, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Denmark, Dominica, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Eritrea, Estonia, Ethiopia, European Community, Fiji, Finland, France, Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea-Bissau, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran (Islamic Republic of), Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kenya, Kiribati, Kuwait, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Latvia, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Marshall Islands, Mauritius, Mexico, Micronesia (Federated States of), Monaco, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Nauru, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Niue, Norway, Pakistan, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Republic of Korea, Republic of Moldova, Romania, the Russian Federation, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Samoa, Saudi  Arabia, Senegal, Seychelles, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, South Africa, Spain, Sudan, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Syrian Arab Republic, Thailand, Togo, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, Uganda, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, United Republic of Tanzania, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Venezuela, Viet Nam, Yemen, Yugoslavia, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

   
   
   

3. As noted further in the memorandum, information concerning the appointment of representatives participating in the Conference had been communicated by means of facsimile in the form of letters or notes verbales from ministries, embassies, permanent missions to the United Nations or other Government offices or authorities, or through local United Nations offices, by the following 14 Parties participating in the Conference: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bolivia, Cambodia, Cameroon, Chad, Comoros, Congo, Guinea, Kazakstan, Mauritania, Sri Lanka, United States of America, and Vanuatu.

    

4. The Bureau noted the ruling by the President that the request to the delegation of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia to refrain from participating in the proceedings of the Conference should be maintained (FCCC/CP/1997/L.4, para. 19).

   
   
   

5. Consequently, the President proposed that the Bureau should accept the credentials of all the representatives mentioned in the memorandum of the Executive Secretary, on the understanding that formal credentials for the representatives referred to in paragraph 7 above would be communicated to the secretariat as soon as possible. The Bureau accepted the proposal and agreed to submit the present report to the Conference. The Bureau further agreed to recommend to the Conference that it take note of this report.