GENERAL

FCCC/SBI/1999/4

14 May 1999

Original: ENGLISH

SUBSIDIARY BODY FOR IMPLEMENTATION

Tenth session

Bonn, 31 May - 11 June 1999

Item 10 (a) of the provisional agenda

Paragraphs Page

I. INTRODUCTION 1 - 7 3

A. Mandate 1 - 2 3

B. Scope of the note 3 - 4 3

C. Possible action by the SBI 5 - 7 3

II. OVERVIEW OF THE PROPOSED WORK PROGRAMME 8 - 15 5

III. METHODOLOGY USED IN PREPARING THE BUDGET 16 - 18 8

A. Staff costs 16 8

B. Other costs and explanations 17 - 18 9

GE.99-

Paragraphs Page

IV. PROPOSED PROGRAMME BUDGET FOR THE BIENNIUM 2000-2001 19 - 48 10

A. Overview 19 - 22 10

B. Information by programme 23 - 46 13

C. Summary of secretariat-wide resource needs 47 - 48 27

V. CONTINGENCIES 49 - 57 29

A. Conference services 49 - 55 29

B. Process for the consideration of national communications from Parties not included in Annex I to the Convention 56 - 57 32

Trust Fund for Participation in the UNFCCC Process 35

1. The core administrative costs of the Conference of the Parties (COP), the subsidiary bodies and the secretariat are met through a biennial programme budget to which contributions are made each year by Parties on the basis of an indicative scale. The budget is to be adopted by consensus by the Conference of the Parties prior to the commencement of the financial period it covers, based on a proposal dispatched by the Executive Secretary at least 90 days prior to the opening of the COP session at which the budget will be adopted. (See the financial procedures, decision 15/CP.1, annex I, paras. 3 and 4.)⁽¹⁾

2. The COP at its fourth session (COP 4) requested the Subsidiary Body for Implementation (SBI) at its tenth session (SBI 10) to recommend a programme budget for the biennium 2000-2001 for adoption by the COP at its fifth session (COP 5). To this end, COP 4 requested the Executive Secretary to submit a programme budget proposal to SBI 10. It specified that this proposal should include a contingency for conference services, should the General Assembly at its fifty-fourth session decide not to include the needs of the secretariat in its regular budget for the biennium 2000-2001. (See decision 17/CP.4, paras. 17 and 18.)⁽²⁾ This note responds to that request.

3. The programme budget proposed by the Executive Secretary for the biennium 2000-2001 is contained in this document. This budget is based on the proposed work programme contained in document FCCC/SBI/1999/4/Add.1.

4. Information on the anticipated resource requirements for the Trust Fund for Participation in the UNFCCC Process is presented as an annex to the present document.

5. As noted in paragraph 2 above, the SBI has been requested by COP 4 to recommend to COP 5 a programme budget for the forthcoming biennium. To facilitate the review and consideration of the proposal made by the Executive Secretary, the Chairman of the SBI may wish to convene informal consultations at the start of SBI 10. He may also wish to invite the Chairman of the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice (SBSTA) to encourage delegations to involve their experts from the SBSTA in the review of those aspects of the programme budget relevant to the SBSTA and to the issues being considered jointly by the two subsidiary bodies.

6. As a result of its deliberations, the SBI may wish to:

(a) Recommend to COP 5 a budget decision with the following elements:

(i) A total programme budget of $31,981,400 for the biennium 2000-2001, for the purposes listed in table 2 below (not including contingency items);

(ii) A secretariat-wide staffing table broken down by level, as included in the present document in table 3;

(iii) A provision enabling the Executive Secretary to transfer resources among programmes within limits, repeating the provision contained in decision 17/CP.1, paragraph 5, and decision 15/CP.3,⁽³⁾ paragraph 5 (both of which are in accordance with paragraph 6 of the financial procedures); and

(iv) A working capital reserve level of 8.3 per cent.⁽⁴⁾

(b) Recommend to COP 5 that approved levels of resources be included in the programme budget on a contingency basis for the following activities:

(i) Conference servicing of meetings of the Convention bodies, should the General Assembly at its fifty-fourth session not provide for this in the regular budget of the United Nations for the biennium 2000-2001; and

(ii) Consideration of communications submitted by Parties not included in Annex I to the Convention (non-Annex I Parties).

(c) Recommend to COP 5 that it take note of the funding estimate for the Trust Fund for Participation in the UNFCCC Process; and

(d) Authorize the Executive Secretary to notify the Parties by 1 October 1999 of their indicative contributions due to the core budget by 1 January 2000 on the basis of the budget it recommends to COP 5.

7. It would be very advantageous for the Parties to agree on the programme budget at SBI 10, and not wait until COP 5. Knowing the level of the next budget well in advance would facilitate work programming and contribution planning, on behalf of both the Parties and the secretariat. It would also enable the Executive Secretary to notify Parties in a timely manner of contributions due for the coming year, and would help to avoid cash flow problems. Finally, early agreement on the programme budget would allow COP 5 to focus its efforts on other substantive matters.

8. The proposed programme budget for the biennium 2000-2001 reflects both the increasing intergovernmental activity resulting from the decisions of the third and fourth sessions of the COP and a prudent investment in the capacities of the secretariat to respond in an orderly and cost-effective manner to the technical and institutional needs of the Parties in the medium term. The COP at its third session (COP 3) produced results that were not foreseen in the programme budget that had been recommended for adoption at that session, such as the extensive preparatory work on the Kyoto Protocol mechanisms. The new programme activities have had to be accommodated in the approved programme budget for the current biennium, through the use of contingency funds and the redeployment of existing resources. The Buenos Aires Plan of Action (decision 1/CP.4) emphasizes the need for technical work on ways of ensuring the credibility both of commitments (under the Convention and eventually under the Protocol) and of mechanisms to aid their fulfilment. It creates a strong demand for technical inputs from government experts and from the secretariat, within a compressed time-frame that aims at the completion of many tasks by the COP at its sixth session (COP 6). At the same time, there is a continuing need for the secretariat to support an intergovernmental negotiating process, up to and beyond COP 6.

9. In this proposed programme budget, elements of preparatory work for the entry into force of the Kyoto Protocol are planned on the basis of mandates given by COP 4. Although the ultimate value of this work is contingent upon such entry into force, much of it (for example, work on inventory methodologies, review processes and adverse effects) is also supportive of the implementation of the Convention.⁽⁵⁾

10. The proposed programme budget contains a number of new features which seek to capture the consequences for the secretariat work programme of the decisions of COP 3 and COP 4:

(a) A cross-cutting emphasis on capacity-building for developing countries and economies in transition to contribute to the implementation of the Convention and eventually of the Protocol. This is reflected in several sections of the proposed work programme, in particular those on support for national communications of developing countries (including greenhouse gas (GHG) inventories), the development and transfer of technologies and know-how, and preparatory work on the mechanisms of the Kyoto Protocol;

(b) A strong focus on ensuring the highest possible quality of inventory data and effective technical review processes, as foundations for the credible implementation of commitments related to emissions. This is accompanied by strengthened efforts on methodological issues, including land-use change and forestry and hydrofluorocarbons and perfluorocarbons (HFCs and PFCs), as well as on inventory guidelines and analysis of policy options. This work will be integrated in the Science and Technology (S&T) and Implementation (IMP) programmes and lines of responsibility will be streamlined in consequence;

(c) Redeployment of capacity in the IMP programme to support the work of the Parties on compliance and on the analysis of adverse effects of climate change and of response measures;

(d) An organizational arrangement for work on emerging issues (EI), pending the eventual integration of such activities in the programme structure. In the coming biennium, this arrangement will provide for mandated preparatory work on the mechanisms envisaged in Articles 6, 12 and 17 of the Protocol, in pursuit of decision 7/CP.4;

(e) An organized effort, led by the Information and Outreach (IO) programme, to reach out to partner organizations, aiming in particular at mobilizing coherent technical inputs from United Nations bodies, in response to needs expressed by the Parties, e.g. for the implementation of decision 7/CP.4. This work also aims to build cooperative linkages with other convention secretariats and consolidate secretariat relations with non-governmental organizations; and

(f) A central focus of responsibility for ensuring coherence in the contribution of the secretariat to the technical underpinning of the preparatory work on the Protocol in the framework of decision 8/CP.4 (see para. 12 (d) below).

11. Moreover, in response to the interest of the Parties in the Third Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), additional resources are sought in the S&T programme to strengthen the relationship with the IPCC.

12. The proposed programme budget also seeks to enhance the capacities of the secretariat to respond efficiently and effectively to demands placed upon it by the Parties. The main elements of this investment in "internal capacity-building" include:

(a) An integrated framework for managing information in the secretariat, aiming at consistency of data, reduced duplication and improved information dissemination, with the IO programme providing strategic guidance, management services and technical advice. The thrust will support work on data quality and data analysis (see para. 10 (b) above) and enhance access by Parties to information needed for capacity-building;

(b) The integration in one programme, Resources, Planning and Conferences (RPC), of all services related to the planning and organization of intergovernmental meetings, with a view to increasing cost-effectiveness;

(c) A substantial provision for training and staff development, to ensure that the technical capacities of the secretariat are up to date and that staff are motivated to maintain their commitment to high quality output; and

(d) The designation of a programme Coordinator as Deputy Executive Secretary to advise and assist the Executive Secretary in programme management, representation, strategic planning and institutional development and to undertake ad hoc tasks in this context. In the coming biennium, these ad hoc tasks will include the coordination of secretariat inputs to the implementation of decision 8/CP.4.

13. The strengthening of the capacities of the secretariat is also sought through improvements in administrative policies, procedures and systems. Considerable effort is being put into the development and application of a personnel policy, a performance appraisal system and the installation of a new computerized management information system. An experiment in simplifying travel procedures, consistent with United Nations regulations and rules, will be attempted during the biennium. Particular attention is being given to responses to recommendations by external and internal auditors. The direct costs of these activities are chargeable to overheads and not to the programme budget. However, their results are intended to strengthen the performance of the secretariat as a whole.

14. A number of assumptions relating to the work of the Convention bodies in the biennium have had to be made in preparing this proposal, namely:

(a) That the calendar of meetings of Convention bodies will continue to provide for two sessional periods, each lasting two weeks and one of which would incorporate a session of the COP, in each of 2000 and 2001;

(b) That COP 6 will be hosted by a Party away from Bonn and will reach agreement on the various tasks assigned to it by the Buenos Aires Plan of Action;

(c) That the level of secretariat activity generated in 2001 by COP 6 decisions will be comparable to that required in 2000, though considerable redeployment of resources might be needed in order to deal with new tasks;

(d) That the seventh session of the COP will be held in Bonn in 2001; and

(e) That the first session of the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol (COP/MOP 1) will not be convened in the biennium 2000-2001.

15. In addition, the proposal provides for two contingencies (the first of which reiterates a provision in the proposed programme budget for 1998-1999):

(a) That the General Assembly of the United Nations at its fifty-fourth session may decide to cease funding the conference services required by the Convention bodies (or that COP 5 may decide to include the costs of these services in the Convention budget); and

(b) That a process for the consideration of initial national communications by non-Annex I Parties may start up in 2001.

16. The figures used in calculating staff costs in the programme budget proposed for the biennium 2000-2001 are based on the standard figures for the biennium, as provided by the United Nations, taking Bonn as the duty station. The figures include both salaries and common staff costs (benefits and entitlements estimated at 33.7 per cent of net salary plus post adjustment for Professional staff members, and 25 per cent of net salary for General Service staff members). The assumed exchange rate is US$ 1 = DM 1.76. These figures are listed in table 1. They are less than the corresponding amounts used in the 1998-1999 budget, due to a significant decline in the post adjustment for Bonn, resulting from changes in exchange rates, as well as a slight overestimation in the projected base salary rates.

Level	2000	2001
Assistant Secretary-General (ASG)	168,900	168,900
D-2	150,600	150,600
D-1	142,500	142,500
P-5	131,200	131,200
P-4	115,500	115,500
P-3	96,100	96,100
P-2	77,800	77,800
General Service	54,300	55,100

17. Based on the approach taken to preparing the previous programme budget, the following methods have been used in preparing the budget proposed for the coming biennium:

(a) Programme support costs (such as furniture and equipment, supplies, and communications) have been grouped under the financial management and administration subprogramme (see section IV.B.6. below) of the RPC programme, rather than being distributed by programme. Resources related to information technology (hard- and software) have been assigned to the IO programme's information support subprogramme;

(b) Temporary assistance and overtime costs have been assigned at the programme level, and are allocated to the management and coordination subprogramme of each programme;

(c) The programme support (overhead) charge payable to the United Nations has been calculated at a rate of 13 per cent;⁽⁶⁾ and

(d) In accordance with the financial procedures of the Convention (see decision 15/CP.1, annex I, para. 14), the level of the working capital reserve has been calculated at a rate of 8.3 per cent.⁽⁷⁾

18. In addition to the assumptions relating to the Convention bodies spelled out in paragraph 14 above, two additional budgetary assumptions have been followed in preparing the proposed programme budget:

(a) The portion of the overheard charge returned to the secretariat will be sufficient to cover all costs related to administrative staff; and

(b) The 'Bonn Fund'⁽⁸⁾ will be sufficient to cover a portion of the staff costs of the conference support subprogramme.

19. The programme budget proposed for the biennium 2000-2001 is summarized in table 2. The proposed staffing table is included in table 3, while the accompanying figure presents a snapshot of the proposed structure and staffing levels. Additional information on the requirements of each programme can be found in the following section, while more detailed descriptions of the activities to be undertaken by each subprogramme may be found in the addendum to this document (FCCC/SBI/1999/4/Add.1).

20. While reviewing this document, Parties are requested to bear in mind that the programme budget as proposed constitutes resources required to implement the programme of work contained in document FCCC/SBI/1999/4/Add.1. Consequently, any change in the proposed budget will need to be accompanied by adjustments in the programme of work.

21. The proposed level of expenditure in 2000 is 36.7 per cent higher than the comparable figure for the 1999 approved budget (see subtotal (I) in table 2). Similarly, the proposed level of expenditure in 2001 is 37.6 per cent higher than the 1999 approved level. This reflects a total increase of 49.8 per cent in level of expenditure between the biennium 1998-1999 and the biennium 2000-2001.

22. As at the end of 2001, there would be an increase of 22 posts in the Professional category and 15 posts in the General Service category over the levels approved by the COP for the biennium 1998-1999.⁽⁹⁾ This constitutes an increase in the number of posts of 55.5 per cent in 2000 and 58.7 per cent in 2001 over 1999 levels. The bulk of these new posts have been created in response to the requests by Parties for additional work in new areas, and reflect the immediate demands associated with implementation of the Buenos Aires Plan of Action. The increases include approximately 10 posts related to work on the Protocol mechanisms, under the heading of emerging issues, seven posts to support work related to strengthening data management including inventory data and technical review processes, one new post associated with compliance and analysis of adverse effects, and four posts to further outreach and external relations activities. Further details are contained later in this section.

^a Standard 13 per cent applied by the United Nations for administrative support.

^b In accordance with the financial procedures (decision 15/CP.1, annex I, para. 14). This will bring the level of the working capital reserve to $1,308,600 in 2000 and $1,310,000 in 2001.

^c Based on the prevailing United Nations rate of exchange in May 1999 (US$ 1 = DM 1.85).

	1999	2000	2001
A. Professional category and above
Executive Secretary	1	1	1
D-2	2	3	3
D-1	5	4	4
P-5	6	10	10
P-4	9	13	13
P-3	12	18	19
P-2	6	13	13
Total Professional category and above	41	62	63
B. Total General Service category	22	36	37
TOTAL (A+B)	63	98	100

23. The programme budget for the biennium 2000-2001 consists of six programmes of work:

• Executive Direction and Management (EDM);

• Emerging Issues (EI);

• Science and Technology (S&T);

• Implementation (IMP);

• Information and Outreach (IO); and

• Resources, Planning and Conferences (RPC).

24. This section of the document contains tables detailing the staffing and resource requirements from the core budget for each of these programmes, together with a summary description of each programme's main responsibilities and task areas. An explanation of major changes from the budget for the biennium 1998-1999, with an emphasis on reasons for any increases, is also provided. Each programme, other than the EDM programme, comprises at least three individual subprogrammes. This includes in each case a management and coordination subprogramme, responsible for overall direction of the programme and for carrying out assorted cross-cutting tasks. Further information on the specific activities and resource requirements of each subprogramme is provided in the addendum to this document (FCCC/SBI/1999/4/Add.1).

25. The EDM programme supports the Executive Secretary in ensuring the smooth operation of the secretariat, providing policy advice to the Convention bodies, maintaining effective external relations and promoting partnerships with other organizations. To this end, the programme staff organize and support internal management processes, ensure an appropriate information flow throughout the secretariat, coordinate secretariat representation at external meetings, provide substantive briefs to the Executive Secretary and organize the schedule of the Executive Secretary.

26. The programme draws upon inputs from all other programmes, notably those for IO and RPC.

27. In the coming biennium, the programme will make additional efforts in two areas. The first is fund-raising, where - with the support of the IO and RPC programmes - the Executive Secretary will actively seek contributions to the trust funds of the secretariat and provide policy guidance on secretariat projects for using these funds. Funding will be sought from governmental and non-governmental sources. The second area is that of developing and strengthening partnerships with United Nations bodies working on climate change, so as to enhance the coherence of their technical inputs to the Convention process in response to the needs of Parties. In this task, the efforts of the Executive Secretary will be supported by the IO programme.

28. In addition, the immediate staff of the Executive Secretary, which has not grown since the start of work on the Convention process in 1991, needs to be strengthened to cope with a workload that has vastly increased since that time and will be required to provide increased substantive support.

29. The growth in demand upon the EDM programme will be met in the following ways: by designating a programme coordinator as Deputy Executive Secretary to advise and assist the Executive Secretary in management, representation, strategic planning and institutional development; by up-grading the function of Special Assistant from P-4 to P-5; and by adding a P-2 Programme Officer. The Deputy Executive Secretary will also undertake ad hoc tasks, including the coordination of secretariat inputs to the implementation of decision 8/CP.4. An increase in travel funds is also required to accommodate growing representational responsibilities, to be fulfilled by the Executive Secretary and the Deputy Executive Secretary.

30. A subset of staff attached to this programme provides registry, mail and messenger services and supports records management within the secretariat. An increase in this category of staff is justified by the overall increase in the level of activity of the secretariat.

31. Table 4 below lists all of the core staffing requirements of the EDM programme for the coming biennium. Table 5 summarizes its resource requirements from the core budget. The programme whose head is designated as Deputy Executive Secretary will bear the direct costs related to that function.

	1999	2000	2001
A. Professional category and above
Executive Secretary	1	1	1
P-5	-	1	1
P-4	1	-	-
P-2	-	1	1
Total Professional category and above	2	3	3
B. Total General Service category	4	5	5
TOTAL (A+B)	6	8	8

Item of expenditure	1999	2000	2001
A. Staff costs	588.8	685.9	690.2
B. Travel on official business	54.0	95.0	95.0
TOTAL	642.8	780.9	785.2

32. The EI programme will be the home for activities in an early stage of development, pending definitive guidance from the Conference of the Parties regarding their integration in the work programme structure. The programme will consist of a management and coordination subprogramme and one or more substantive subprogrammes corresponding to the ad hoc activities under way. In the biennium 2000-2001 these ad hoc activities will focus on the implementation of decision 7/CP.4 (work programme on the Kyoto Protocol mechanisms).

33. The work on the implementation of decision 7/CP.4 will be carried out through two subprogrammes, one on project-based mechanisms (dealing with work related to Articles 6 and 12 of the Kyoto Protocol as well as any residual activities under the pilot phase of activities implemented jointly) and one on emissions trading (dealing with Article 17 of the Protocol). These two subprogrammes will incorporate resources that were formerly dedicated to the cooperative implementation subprogramme in the S&T programme; that subprogramme is consequently terminated. To ensure that the above activities may be effectively carried out, the five existing posts will be supplemented by ten additional new posts.

34. Table 6 presents core staffing requirements of the EI programme for the coming biennium. Table 7 summarizes the core resource requirements of the programme.

	1999a	2000	2001
A. Professional category and above
D-2	-	1	1
D-1	1	1	1
P-5	1	1	1
P-4	1	2	2
P-3	1	3	3
P-2	-	2	2
Total Professional category and above	4	10	10
B. General Service category	1	5	5
TOTAL (A+B)	5	15	15

^a Consists of posts from the former cooperative implementation subprogramme of the S&T programme.

Item of expenditure	1999a	2000	2001
A. Staff costs	638.5	1 428.8	1 433.2
B. Consultants	40.0	260.0	224.0
C. Travel on official business	23.5	126.0	126.0
D. Travel of participants	18.0b	200.0	200.0
TOTAL	720.0	2 014.8	1 983.2

^a Consists of resources allocated to the former cooperative implementation subprogramme of the S&T programme.

^b Allocated as resources for expert groups in the biennium 1998-1999.

35. The S&T programme coordinates the support of the secretariat to the SBSTA, its chairperson and its Bureau, and carries out the work of the secretariat related to methodology, technology (including its transfer and the analysis of related technical issues), and science. It also serves as the principal interface of the secretariat with the IPCC and other intergovernmental processes of a scientific and/or technical nature. Its resource requirements include the contribution by the UNFCCC to the IPCC budget.

36. In the previous biennium, the S&T programme consisted of four programmes. This number has decreased to three for the biennium 2000-2001, given that the new EI programme will subsume the responsibilities and resources of the former cooperative implementation subprogramme. The activities undertaken by the three remaining subprogrammes of the S&T programme will continue to evolve and expand in the coming biennium, in response to the new needs and priorities being identified by the Parties. The changes in activities from the current biennium, and the corresponding changes in required resource levels, broken down by subprogramme, may be summarized as follows:

• The methodology subprogramme will increase its capacity to support the Convention bodies in their consideration of Articles 3, 5 and 7 of the Protocol, including issues relating to national systems and land-use change and forestry. It will also take on new work related to the methodological analysis of greenhouse gas inventory data from non-Annex I Parties, adaptation strategies, and special topics such as electricity trades and HFCs and PFCs. Overall, it will spearhead efforts by the secretariat to increase the quality of inventory data and ensure a comprehensive approach to reporting and management of GHG data. These new activities will necessitate the addition of one Programme Officer post to the subprogramme;

• Building on its previous activities relating to information and work on adaptation technology, the technology subprogramme will take the lead on the technology transfer consultation process and any initiatives that may arise from it. It will move to the design and creation of a technology inventory system containing data on projects being undertaken in various sectors. It will also strengthen its ability to assist non-Annex I Parties in better adapting, absorbing and upgrading environmentally-sound technologies. This will be done primarily by catalysing capacity-building workshops and facilitating the production of training materials. Although the addition of these activities will not necessitate any new posts, the subprogramme will require a substantial increase in its resources available for consultants;

• The management and coordination subprogramme will take on new responsibilities relating to the integration of science in the Convention process, and will play a stronger role in coordination between the secretariat and international organizations responsible for scientific activities. The subprogramme will also increase its level of interaction with the IPCC, coordinating the involvement of the secretariat in the preparation of the Third Assessment Report. As a result of these new activities, the subprogramme will require one additional Programme Officer post. The UNFCCC grant to the IPCC is proposed to increase.

37. Table 8 presents the core staffing requirements of the S&T programme for the upcoming biennium. Table 9 summarizes the core resource requirements of the programme.

	1999a	2000	2001
A. Professional category and above
D-2	1	1	1
D-1	1	-	-
P-5	1	2	2
P-4	2	2	2
P-3	4	5	5
P-2	1	2	2
Total Professional category and above	10	12	12
B. Total General Service category	4	4	4
TOTAL (A+B)	14	16	16

^a Does not include posts required for the cooperative implementation subprogramme during the biennium 1998-1999

(see table 6).

Table 9. S&T resource requirements from the core budget by object of expenditure

Item of expenditure	1999a	2000	2001
A. Staff costs	1 646.0	1 555.8	1 559.3
B. Consultants	195.0	240.0	240.0
C. Travel on official business	131.0	136.5	136.5
D. Travel of participants	90.0b	200.0	200.0
E. Grants and contributions	400.0	500.0	500.0
TOTAL	2 462.0	2 632.3	2 635.8

^a Does not include resources required by the cooperative implementation subprogramme during the biennium 1998-1999

(see table 7).

^b Allocated as resources for expert groups in the biennium 1998-1999.

38. The IMP programme coordinates the support of the secretariat to the SBI, its chairperson and its Bureau and to the intergovernmental process on compliance. It will also support the Multilateral Consultative Committee (MCC), once established. The programme carries out the work of the secretariat on the compilation and synthesis of information relating to the implementation of the Convention by Parties; guidelines and future processes for the consideration of communications from Parties; the facilitation of support to non-Annex I Parties; Article 4.8 and 4.9 of the Convention; and the financial mechanism. The programme is the principal interface of the secretariat with the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and other financial institutions, and acts as the focal point of the secretariat on adaptation.

39. In response to new priorities and areas of interest identified by the Parties in the past two years, the work of the programme's four subprogrammes will evolve in the biennium 2000-2001. A breakdown of the changes and additions by subprogramme is as follows:

• The implementation process subprogramme will transfer its responsibilities for data management to the Annex I subprogramme (see below). This transfer will include one Programme Officer post. The subprogramme will instead turn its attention more to supporting the Convention bodies in their consideration of Article 4.8 and 4.9, to strengthening its capacities in support of new work related to intergovernmental negotiations on compliance, to supporting the new MCC (when established), and to launching new work on environment and trade. These additional areas of responsibility will necessitate one new Programme Officer post as from 200l;

• In response to the increasing importance and volume of GHG inventories from Annex I Parties,⁽¹²⁾ the Annex I implementation subprogramme will consolidate efforts to collect and process inventory data.⁽¹³⁾ As a result, this subprogramme will require five new posts (two Programme Officers and three General Service staff members, one from 2001). In addition, the subprogramme will benefit from one Programme Officer post transferred from the implementation process subprogramme. The subprogramme will also support the S&T programme on consideration of issues related to national systems for the estimation of anthropogenic emissions by source and removal by sinks of greenhouse gases and the consideration by Parties of issues related to the eventual verification of commitments under the Protocol. The resources in this subprogramme allocated for conducting in-depth reviews (IDRs) of national communications will be used at the beginning of the biennium to complete reports on IDRs undertaken in 1999. Resources will then be redeployed to intensify reviews of national inventories and for policies and measures under Article 2.1(b) of the Protocol as mandated by COP 4;

• The non-Annex I implementation subprogramme will increase its support to non-Annex I Parties for the preparation of national communications, and strengthen its capacity to deal with pertinent technical and methodological issues arising from the growing number of communications being submitted to the secretariat. It will also undertake new tasks aimed at facilitating capacity-building activities related to the development of integrated climate change programmes and national action plans to promote effective implementation of Convention provisions. It will also support the negotiations of the Convention bodies on possible processes for the consideration of initial national communications.⁽¹⁴⁾ These additions to the workload of the subprogramme necessitate two additional posts (one Programme Officer and one General Service staff member);

• In addition to assuming responsibility for secretariat relations with the GEF, the management and coordination subprogramme will also assume substantive responsibilities in two additional areas. First, it will coordinate the burgeoning work of the secretariat and in the Convention bodies on adaptation. Second, it will carry out initial work on the report on implementation, in response to Article 7.2(f) of the Convention and decision 7/CP.1. These new tasks necessitate a new Programme Officer post to support the Coordinator.

40. Taking these new areas of work into consideration, table 10 indicates the core staffing requirements for the IMP programme. Table 11 summarizes the resource requirements of the programme from the core budget.

	1999	2000	2001
A. Professional category and above
D-2	1	1	1
D-1	1	1	1
P-5	2	2	2
P-4	4	5	5
P-3	4	5	6
P-2	1	3	3
Total Professional category and above	13	17	18
B. General Service category	5	8	9
Total (A+B)	18	25	27

Item of expenditure	1999	2000	2001
A. Staff costs	2 117.8	2 376.9	2 543.1
B. Consultants	170.0	168.0	168.0
C. Travel on official business	204.0	238.5	247.5
D. Travel of participants	183.0a	300.0	300.0
TOTAL	2 674.8	3 083.4	3 258.6

^a Allocated as resources for expert groups in the biennium 1998-1999.

41. The IO programme develops and implements secretariat-wide policies on information management. It also maintains the systems of the secretariat for managing, publishing and disseminating information, and undertakes the bulk of the substantive outreach activities of the secretariat to the United Nations system and observer organizations (namely other intergovernmental organizations and non-governmental organizations). The programme also produces information products related to the Convention process (including the UNFCCC Web site), maintains the computer and data management systems of the secretariat, ensures the participation of observer organizations in the Convention process, and works to achieve an effective level of communication and collaboration between the secretariat and other agencies, programmes and organizations involved in issues related to climate change. This programme is the prime interface of the secretariat with the information media.

42. This programme builds on the former Conference and Information Support programme from the biennium 1998-1999. It was felt that it would be more efficient to shift the conference support subprogramme to the RPC programme, where it could work more closely with the Secretary of the Conference of the Parties and the financial management and administration subprogramme (see section IV.B.6. below). The revamped IO programme consists of three subprogrammes, which will be taking on additional tasks in the coming biennium. The major changes to these subprogrammes are as follows:

• The information support subprogramme will provide data management services to the other programmes, provide for technical coordination and support for electronic publishing and dissemination and ensure that the secretariat has the best possible system for managing its knowledge base. This will include developing and maintaining the tools and systems needed to provide the Parties with high-quality data. The subprogramme will also strengthen its capacities related to the World Wide Web, as this medium for the exchange of information becomes increasingly important to Parties and the public. These increases in the workload of the subprogramme necessitate five new posts (three Programme Officers, and two General Service staff members). In view of the importance of data and information in the work of the Convention, there is now a need to provide strategic oversight and management in this area. It is therefore proposed that the post of subprogramme Manager be shifted from supplementary funding into the core budget for the coming biennium.⁽¹⁵⁾ It should also be noted that the level of resources required for computer equipment, assigned to this subprogramme for the entire secretariat, has risen based on the need to equip new staff, to replace obsolete equipment and to undertake limited new purchasing of network equipment and software;

• The outreach subprogramme will bring together and strengthen existing activities relating to external outreach,⁽¹⁶⁾ creating new ones as additional priorities emerge. This is an area that will be given much greater priority in the coming biennium than in the past, due mainly to the growing number of related requests coming from the Parties and to the increasing number of actors becoming involved in the Convention process. The subprogramme will reach out to United Nations bodies and other intergovernmental organizations to mobilize coherent technical inputs in response to needs expressed by the Parties (such as in decision 7/CP.4). This subprogramme will also build cooperative linkages with other convention secretariats, in particular those of the Convention on Biological Diversity and the Convention on Desertification. One specific area of growth will be outreach to non-governmental organizations (an area new to the core budget), with a view to facilitating the participation of different constituencies and drawing upon their expertise. As a result of these new areas of work, the subprogramme will require three new posts (one Manager, one Programme Officer, and one General Service staff member);

• In addition to its responsibilities for coordinating the work and staff of the IO programme, the management and coordination subprogramme will take a new lead role in external relations functions. The work of the subprogramme will be focused in particular on the development and initiation of new outreach activities with key observer organization constituencies.

43. The core staffing needs of the IO programme are contained in table 12. Table 13 summarizes the core resource requirements of the programme.

	1999a	2000	2001
A. Professional category and above
D-1	1	1	1
P-5	-	2	2
P-4	1	2	2
P-3	1	3	3
P-2	3	4	4
Total Professional category and above	6	12	12
B. General Service category	3	7	7
TOTAL (A+B)	9	19	19

^a Does not include posts allocated to the conference support subprogramme in 1999.

Item of expenditure	1999a	2000	2001
A. Staff costs	1 092.6	1 687.7	1 693.8
B. Consultantsb	50.0	180.0	148.0
C. Travel on official businessc	52.0	127.5	127.5
D. Equipment	204.5	300.0	300.0
TOTAL	1 399.1	2 295.2	2 269.3

^a Does not include resources allocated to the conference support subprogramme in 1999.

^b The increase in resource requirements for consultants from 1999 results from the necessity to further develop a number of major projects intended to bring information to Parties in more effective ways, to make the secretariat's work more efficient, and to improve channels for communication between Parties and the secretariat.

^c The increase in travel from 1999 relates mainly to the travel-intensive nature of outreach/external relations activities.

44. The RPC programme coordinates the substantive support of the secretariat to the COP and its Bureau, provides legal support to the Convention bodies, and supports the Executive Secretary in drawing up, monitoring and mobilizing resources for the secretariat's work programme. It is responsible for running the internal planning mechanism of the secretariat, and for helping to ensure the integration of work undertaken by the various programmes of the secretariat. The programme also ensures that the Convention bodies receive the facilities, documentation and other services necessary for their work before and during official sessions and inter-sessional events. Finally, it provides the secretariat with administrative services, in cooperation with the relevant services of the United Nations Secretariat.

45. As noted in the IO section above (see para. 43), the RPC programme will increase from two to three subprogrammes in the coming biennium. In addition to the management and coordination subprogramme and the financial management and administration subprogramme (which is funded entirely through the return of overhead funds), the programme will now also incorporate the conference support subprogramme, heretofore located elsewhere in the secretariat. Three documentation-related posts (one P-4 Programme Officer, one P-3 Programme Officer, and one GS Assistant) have been shifted to the core from supplementary funding due to the core nature of their responsibilities. Funds have also been included to cover logistical costs associated with the organization of workshops for other programmes of the secretariat. One additional GS Administrative Assistant has also been added to support the needs of the entire programme, and one P-3 Programme Officer post has been replaced by a P-4 Programme Officer post. The resources required for this programme have been calculated accordingly.

46. Table 14 outlines the core staffing requirements of the RPC programme. Table 15 summarizes the core resource requirements of the programme, which include a number of

secretariat-wide expenditures for non-staff-related items. An explanation of the increases in the latter table is contained in paragraph 49 below.

	1999a	2000	2001
A. Professional category and above
D-1	1	1	1
P-5	2	2	2
P-4	-	2	2
P-3	2	2	2
P-2	1	1	1
Total Professional category and above	6	8	8
B. Total General Service category	5	7	7
TOTAL (A+B)	11	15	15

^a Includes posts allocated to the conference support subprogramme in 1999.

Item of expenditure	1999a	2000	2001
A. Staff costs	1 143.0	1 521.0	1 528.2
B. Consultants	95.0	132.0	96.0
C. Travel on official business	68.0	105.0	105.0
D. General operating expensesb	313.0	320.0	345.0
E. Supplies and materials	100.0	110.0	120.0
F. Acquisition of furniture	30.0	100.0	50.0
G. Contractual services External printing Training	50.0 50.0	80.0 200.0	85.0 180.0
H. Logistics for workshops	-	52.5	52.5
I. Contributions to joint services	460.0	525.0	550.0
TOTAL	2 309.0	3 145.5	3 111.7

^a Includes posts allocated to the conference support subprogramme in 1999.

^b Includes communications charges, rental and maintenance of equipment, and hospitality.

47. Table 16 below presents the proposed budget for the Convention for the coming biennium, broken down by object of expenditure. Overall staff costs increase by 28.1 per cent in 2000 from the amount approved by the COP for 1999, and by 30.7 per cent in 2001. Most of the increases are concentrated in the lower professional grades (P-2 to P-4) and in the General Service category. They will be borne primarily in the EI, IMP and IO programmes. Further information on the specific areas of growth is contained in section II above.

48. The resource requirements for many non-staff costs have also increased from the levels approved for 1999. Some of these costs are linked directly to the increased number of staff members (such as travel on official business and office furniture and equipment). Other costs have arisen in response to new needs and changes in priorities. The level of resources required for consultants has grown in response to the growing number of requests of the Convention bodies for work in specialized areas, especially in the period leading up to COP 6. The need for funds to support the travel of participants has increased due to the increased call for official workshops. The required expenditure for external printing has increased in response to a greater demand for the production of information materials (including items such as Convention and Protocol booklets and CD-ROMs containing UNFCCC documentation). Resources required for training have increased to reflect the secretariat's commitment to maintaining its staff's technical capacities. Contributions to joint services (the share of the secretariat in the costs of running Haus Carstanjen) have increased to reflect increased property management costs at the United Nations premises in Bonn (such as utilities and security) and an increasing shift towards using common services to improve cost-effectiveness. Finally, the annual contribution of the Convention to the IPCC has been increased in an effort to support the production of the Third Assessment Report and its public dissemination.

Item of expenditure	1999	2000	2001
A. Staff costs	7 226.7	9 256.1	9 447.8
B. Consultants	550.0	980.0	876.0
C. Travel on official business	532.5	828.5	837.5
D. Travel of participants	291.0a	700.0	700.0
E. General operating expenses	313.0	320.0	345.0
F. Supplies and materials	100.0	110.0	120.0
G. Acquisition of furniture/equipment	234.5	400.0	350.0
H. Contractual services External printing Training	50.0 50.0	80.0 200.0	85.0 180.0
I. Logistics for workshops	-	52.5	52.5
J. Contributions to joint services	460.0	525.0	550.0
K. Grants and contributions	400.0	500.0	500.0
TOTAL	10 207.7	13 952.1	14 043.8

^a Allocated as resources for expert groups in the biennium 1998-1999.

49. In the event that the General Assembly decides not to include the needs of the UNFCCC in its regular budget for the biennium 2000-2001, the Parties would have to assume these costs within the Convention budget.

50. The following proposed contingency budget for the biennium 2000-2001 has been prepared in response to the request of COP 4 (see decision 17/CP.4). The proposal draws heavily on the contingency budget for conference servicing prepared two years ago (see FCCC/SBI/1997/10, paras. 33-38), updated to reflect 1998 statistics for conference servicing provided by the United Nations Office at Geneva (UNOG) (the body presently charged with the Convention's conference servicing), as well as 1999 statistics (when available). The estimates have been calculated on the basis of prevailing standard rates for contractual conference servicing (as applied by a number of qualified suppliers known to observe United Nations rules and regulations concerning the recruitment of short-term conference staff and the processing of documentation), and on the understanding that the current level and quality of services should be maintained.

51. The contingency proposal is 9.1 per cent larger than the one presented with the previous programme budget. This increase results mainly from the secretariat's growing experience in organizing conferences, and the fact that it has had two additional years of actual records on which to base its estimates. It has become clear, for example, that original estimates for the number of interpreters and the level of original documentation were too low. The secretariat has also developed a better appreciation of how its responsibilities would change and grow if full responsibility for organizing conferences lay with the secretariat. This has resulted in the required number of posts at the General Service level growing from four to five, and in many tasks being shifted from non-local to local staff.

52. In order to secure conference servicing which guarantees maximum flexibility and cost-effectiveness while at the same time preserving the quality of work expected of a body affiliated to the United Nations, it is proposed that conference servicing requirements be split into the following categories:

(a) Meeting services (including the provision of interpretation, local support staff, and overall supervision of meeting arrangements); and

(b) Documentation services (including pre-, in- and post-session).

53. Provision of interpretation as well as documentation services would be put out to tender to selected private and United Nations sources (including UNOG), with contracts awarded to the most competitive bidders.

54. The proposed approach, which is similar to that used by other international organizations (for example, the World Meteorological Organization and the International Atomic Energy Agency), is seen as an effective way of using the limited financial resources with maximum efficiency and preserving the quality of work.

55. Within the secretariat, the conference support subprogramme of RPC will be responsible for overseeing the provision of conference services. All additional regular and temporary staff members recruited to assist in activities relating to conference servicing will report to the manager of that subprogramme, and ultimately to the Coordinator of RPC.

	2000	2001
A. Professional category and above
P-4	1	1
Total Professional category and above	1	1
B. Total General Service category	5	5
Total (A+B)	6	6

Item of expenditure	2000	2001
A. Meeting servicinga	987.1	1 015.1
B. Documentationb	1 326.8	1 340.1
SUBTOTAL	2 313.9	2 355.2
C. Overhead chargec	300.8	306.2
D. Contingencies and exchange rate fluctuationsd	78.4	79.8
E. Working capital reservee	223.5	4.0
TOTAL	2 916.6	2 745.2

^a Includes interpretation and conference assistance.

^b Includes revision, translation, typing, reproduction and distribution of pre-, in- and post-session documentation (regular and temporary staff, travel, and contractual services).

^c Standard 13 per cent applied by the United Nations for administrative support.

^d Calculated at 3 per cent.

^e In accordance with paragraph 14 of the financial procedures. The 2000 amount has been calculated as 8.3 per cent of the subtotal and the overhead charge; the 2001 amount has been calculated as the amount required to bring the carried-over 2000 reserve to 8.3 per cent of the subtotal and overhead charge for 2001.

Note:

(a) General assumptions used in preparing the above estimates:

(i) Venue of all meetings: Bonn, Germany;

(ii) Duration: 22 working days per year (two two-week sessions per year), encompassing 80 meetings (reflects capacity for parallel meetings);

(iii) Languages of interpretation and translation: Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian, Spanish;

(iv) Availability of the Bonn Fund at the present level.

(b) Comments by section:

(i) Meeting servicing: The cost of meeting servicing depends mainly on the number of meetings held with interpretation and the number of languages required. Figures include the costs of recruiting teams of interpreters (salary, travel and daily subsistence allowance). In the absence of an adequate local pool in Bonn, most interpreters will be recruited from Geneva, Paris or Vienna. Costs have been calculated based on an average round trip fare between Paris/London/Vienna/Geneva and Cologne. Figures also include two additional staff members at the General Service level for the conference support subprogramme of the RPC programme to assist with coordinating of provision of conferences and interpretation, and a number of local temporary staff (such as meeting-room attendants and in-session clerks);

(ii) Documentation: Annual documentation requirements have been calculated based on the following estimates (based on historic averages):

Pre-session: 1,000 original pages

In-session: 250 original pages

Post-session: 500 original pages

Reproduction: 12,500,000 pages

Distribution: 200,000 documents

Rates used for the processing of documentation are based on a survey of prevailing rates for contractual translation applied within the United Nations system. Rates have been calculated assuming that only in-session and post-session documentation will be reproduced in Bonn, whereas all documentation will be distributed from Bonn. Documentation costs depend primarily on the number of documents produced, the length of each document, the number of languages for translation, and the number of copies required. The figures above include 1,050 original pages for translation;

The provision of documentation is based on a combination of local and very limited non-local recruitment. Included are the costs of an additional Programme Officer and four additional General Service staff members for the conference support subprogramme. Also included are temporary staff and consultants (including distribution supervisors, reproduction supervisors, technical specialists, and clerks) as well as the cost of photocopy services and paper for in-session documentation (based on the allocation within the regular budget of the United Nations).

56. The secretariat will need resources above and beyond those included in this programme budget should a decision be made at COP 5 or COP 6 to initiate the process of consideration of national communications of Parties not included in Annex I.¹⁸ These resources would be used to support the non-Annex I subprogramme of the Implementation programme, with three staff members (two Programme Officers and one General Service staff member), as well as funds for consultants and workshops or expert meetings.

¹⁸ It has been assumed that this process would not include country-specific reviews or visits. If this were to be the case, additional resources would be needed.

57. The main activity to be undertaken would be the coordination of the whole process of consideration of national communications of non-Annex I Parties. This could include, among other issues and depending on the decisions of the COP, coordinating the extraction of relevant sections from the national communications submitted, for inclusion in technical background documents for discussion by the Convention bodies; the organization of a limited number of regional workshops for the exchange of technical experience and capacity-building in preparing national communications (identifying technical issues and problems encountered and project resource needs for preparing and improving subsequent communications); organizing a technical assessment of the GHG inventories; and improving the reporting guidelines.

	2000	2001
A. Professional category and above
P-4	1	1
P-3	2	2
Total Professional category and above	3	3
B. Total General Service category	1	1
Total (A+B)	4	4

Item of expenditure	2000	2001
A. Staff costs	457.6	466.5
B. Consultants	24.0	24.0
C. Expert groups	20.0	20.0
D. Travel on official business	33.0	33.0
E. Travel of participants	100.0	100.0
F. Logistics for workshops	10.0	10.0
SUBTOTAL	644.6	653.5
Overhead chargea	83.8	85.0
Working capital reserveb	60.5	0.5
TOTAL	788.9	739.0

^a Standard 13 per cent applied by the United Nations for administrative support.

^b In accordance with paragraph 14 of the financial procedures. The 2000 amount has been calculated as 8.3 per cent of the subtotal and the overhead charge; the 2001 amount has been calculated as the amount required to bring the carried-over 2000 reserve to 8.3 per cent of the subtotal and overhead charge for 2001.

1. The Trust Fund for Participation in the UNFCCC Process is a fund intended to support participation in sessions of the Convention bodies by representatives of developing-country Parties, particularly those that are least developed countries or small island developing States, and of other Parties with economies in transition.⁽¹⁸⁾ In accordance with the financial procedures, the Fund was created by the Secretary-General of the United Nations and is managed by the Executive Secretary (see decision 15/CP.1, annex I, para. 15). The current basic eligibility criterion for the funding of the participation of a Party is that its per capita gross domestic product (GDP) was $8,500 or less in 1995. The criterion is periodically reviewed, as new GDP data become available. It should be noted that those Parties which would normally be eligible for financial support to participate in the meetings of the Convention bodies, but which have not paid their 1999 contributions, will not be considered for funding from the Trust Fund for Participation in 2000.⁽¹⁹⁾ The same will apply to those Parties whose 2000 contributions have not been received by 2001. It should also be noted that in the event of a shortage of fund resources, priority is given to supporting representation from least developed countries and small island developing States.

2. It is estimated that a maximum of 140 Parties will be eligible for support in 2000 and 2001.⁽²⁰⁾ These Parties will need to be financed for two sessional periods of two weeks each, one of which will include a meeting of the COP, in each year. Based on these figures, an estimate of the resources needed for this Fund to ensure the provision of support to all eligible Parties is provided in the following table.

Table. Resource requirements for the Trust Fund for Participation in the UNFCCC

Process

Item of expenditure	2000	2001
A. Support for eligible Parties to participate in one two-week session of the subsidiary bodies	630.0	630.0
B. Support for eligible Parties to participate in one two-week session of the COP and its subsidiary bodiesa	855.0	855.0
SUBTOTAL	1 485.0	1 485.0
Overhead chargeb	193.1	193.1
Cash reservec	167.8	167. 8
TOTAL	1 845.9	1 845.9

^a Includes funding for a second delegate from least developed countries and small island developing States, in accordance with the practice followed at all meetings of the COP to date.

^b Standard 13 per cent applied by the United Nations for administrative support.

^c Calculated at 10 per cent.

1. For decisions adopted by the Conference of the Parties at its first session, see document FCCC/CP/1995/7/Add.1.

2. For decisions adopted by the Conference of the Parties at its fourth session, see document FCCC/CP/1998/16/Add.1.

3. For decisions adopted by the Conference of the Parties at its third session, see document FCCC/CP/1997/7/Add.1.

4. This issue may be related to the discussion of the carry-over balance from the 1996-1997 biennium. See document FCCC/SBI/1999/3.

5. The rationale for the inclusion in the programme budget of work related to the Protocol is similar to that for the work undertaken by the interim secretariat of the Convention in the period 1992-1995, between the adoption of the Convention and the first session of the Conference of the Parties, which approved the first programme budget of the permanent secretariat.

6. This charge is intended to cover the costs of the administrative services the United Nations provides to the Convention. The United Nations Department of Management returns a portion of these payments to the Convention secretariat to help cover the costs of the secretariat's own financial management and administration subprogramme. See document FCCC/SBI/1999/3 for a progress report on changes in these administrative arrangements.

7. Additional information is contained in document FCCC/SBI/1999/3.

8. An annual contribution of the Government of Germany of DM 3.5 million. It is intended largely to support the organization of events in Germany.

9. Excluding posts proposed in the contingencies.

10. Core posts as at the end of the biennium; some posts are to be phased in on 1 January 2001. Does not include posts included in contingencies.

11. In this and all subsequent tables, the figures for 1999 are the approved budget figures as adopted at COP 3 (see decision 15/CP.3) and revised by the SBI at its eighth session (see document FCCC/SBI/1998/6, para. 72).

12. Plus a small amount of data from non-Annex I Parties.

13. This subprogramme will be supported by the information support subprogramme's data management and dissemination services.

14. It should be noted that the proposed budget does not include resources for the consideration of these communications. A contingency budget has been calculated to deal with this eventuality, the details of which are provided in section V.B. below.

15. This is also in accordance with the rules of the United Nations, which preclude core staff members from being supervised by someone not on a core post him- or herself.

16. A small percentage of these activities were assigned to the RPC programme during the biennium 1998-1999.

17. Resource requirements from the core budget have been estimated based on the assumptions that the conference support subprogramme will be partially supported though resources from the Bonn Fund, and that the financial management and administration subprogramme will be supported entirely by overhead funds returned from the United Nations Department of Management.

18. As specified in decision 16/CP.2 (FCCC/CP/1996/15/Add.1), this Fund may also be used to finance participants from eligible Parties in meetings of expert bodies convened by any of the Convention bodies and in inter-sessional meetings of the Bureaux of the Convention bodies, and for the participation of Bureau members in consultations or official meetings relating to the UNFCCC process.

19. This does not apply to Parties which are least developed countries or small island developing States.

20. This number assumes that all Parties eligible to receive support from this Fund are up to date in their contributions to the Convention (see paragraph 1above).