Distr.
GENERAL
FCCC/SBI/1999/ INF.7
6 October 1999
ENGLISH ONLY
SUBSIDIARY BODY FOR IMPLEMENTATION
Eleventh session
Bonn, 25 October - 5 November 1999
Item 9 (b) of the provisional agenda
support and information on communications from Parties not included
1. The activities of the secretariat to facilitate the provision of financial and technical support to non-Annex I Parties for the preparation of national communications are mandated by a stipulation of the Convention, decisions by the Conference of the Parties (COP) and requests by the Subsidiary Body for Implementation (SBI) (see Article 8.2(c) and decisions 3/CP.2, 10/CP.2 and 12/CP.4).(1)
2. Decision 10/CP.2, in particular, requests the secretariat, in accordance with Article 8.2(c), "to facilitate assistance to Parties, particularly developing country Parties, in the preparation of their initial communications, through the organization of workshops at the regional level; to provide a forum for the exchange of experiences in the development of emission factors and activity data for the estimation of the inventory, as well as, on request, for other elements of information in the initial communication; and to provide a report to the Subsidiary Body for Implementation and the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice at each of their sessions".
3. The present progress report includes the activities undertaken by the secretariat since the tenth sessions of the subsidiary bodies. Part II, section A, and the attached table in the annex provide updates on the status of the preparation of initial national communications by Parties not included in Annex I to the Convention (non-Annex I Parties). Part II, sections B to F, summarize the activities of the secretariat related to regional workshops and expert group meetings, information exchange, training, and other activities, and present a number of problems, constraints, issues and lessons common to many non-Annex I Parties during the preparation of their initial national communications. Part III contains conclusions based on the information and analyses as provided in Part II.
4. Communications submitted. As of 10 September 1999, thirteen initial national communications have been submitted to the secretariat in the following order: Jordan, Argentina, Uruguay, Senegal, the Federated States of Micronesia, Mexico, the Republic of Korea, Zimbabwe, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Mauritius, Egypt and Georgia.
5. An overview of the status of preparation of initial national communications of non-Annex I Parties is presented in the annex to this document. It summarizes the responses of 103 non-Annex I Parties to a questionnaire sent by the secretariat during the period April to July1999, as well as information provided by the Global Environment Facility (GEF), its implementing agencies and bilateral programmes.
6. Based on the responses to this questionnaire and those distributed earlier, the status of preparation of initial national communications is briefly summarized as follows:
(a) Communications under preparation. The majority of non-Annex I Parties (107 Parties) are presently engaged in preparing their national communications. Of these, 20 expect to finalize the communications during the course of 1999, 63 in 2000 and the rest within the years 2001 and beyond;
(b) Approved projects. One non-Annex I Party has recently received approval for funding from the GEF for the preparation of its initial national communication;
(c) Projects under preparation. Two non-Annex I Parties are currently preparing project proposals for GEF funding;
(d) Activities to be initiated. Ten non-Annex I Parties indicated that they have not yet initiated activities to prepare their national communications, and six non-Annex I Parties have yet to provide any information relating to the preparation of their national communications.
7. The responses to the questionnaire have provided feedback on specific elements of the initial national communications of non-Annex I Parties, including activities and studies being undertaken, as well as the main problems and constraints encountered in the process. Of the 103 respondents, 32 were from Africa, 38 from Asia and the Pacific, 26 from Latin America and the Caribbean and 7 from Eastern Europe. However, not all respondents answered all questions. The breakdown of the number of respondents in various sections of the questionnaire is as follows: GHG inventories: usage of base year, 103; usage of methodology (IPCC Guidelines), 97; vulnerability assessment, 89; adaptation options, 79; and GHG abatement analysis, 85.
8. Greenhouse gas inventories. Sixty-five respondents used 1994 and 29 used 1990 as a base year for GHG inventories as proposed by the COP 2 guidelines. Nine used other base years, mainly 1995, due to the lack of national data for 1990 or 1994 (see figure 1 (a)).
Figure 1: Usage of base years and guidelines for GHG inventories
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9. Sixty-one respondents used the IPCC 1996 Guidelines only, while 15 used the IPCC 1995 guidelines only and 12 used both. Nine respondents have modified IPCC guidelines to accommodate local conditions, such as adding new source categories. (See figure 1 (b)).
10. Only 30 non-Annex I Parties have established a permanent national inventory system, including a technical team and/or a data base, while almost all others would like to establish such a system. Some expressed the need for financial and technical assistance.
11. The main problems identified in the preparation of GHG inventories were related to the availability and reliability of data, in particular in the area of land-use change, forestry and solvents; national capacity for data collection, classification, management and analysis; the need to develop local emission factors; the inapplicability of IPCC methodology in certain sectors; as well as the insufficiency of national technical expertise. Some Parties also mentioned the need for improving access to IPCC guidelines and software in other languages.
12. General description of steps. Eighty respondents intended to incorporate climate change into national planning. In particular, 18 have prepared national plans, while 44 have developed activities for the implementation of sustainable development, research, systematic observation and public awareness programmes. However, most of them have encountered problems in planning and implementing such programmes. Several mentioned that although some activities have been initiated they have not been integrated and fully developed. They further expressed the need for financial resources and technical assistance.
13. Seventy-five non-Annex I Parties are in the process of undertaking vulnerability assessments. Of these, 37 have used or will use both climate change and socio-economic scenarios, while 30 intend to use climate change scenarios only.
14. The areas selected for vulnerability assessment are agriculture, water resources, coastal zones, forestry, human health, energy and biodiversity, respectively, as illustrated in figure 2 (a).
15. Some priority areas vary, however, from region to region. For example, the respondents from Africa and Eastern Europe indicated that water resources, agriculture and forestry are the three most important sectors vulnerable to the impact of climate change, while those from Asia and the Pacific and Latin America and the Caribbean regarded agriculture, water resources and coastal zones as the three most important sectors (see figures 2 (b), (c) and (d)). These results reflect both the geographical location and national circumstances of the respondents.
16. Eighty non-Annex I Parties indicated that they have either identified adaptation options or intended to do so. The main sectors for identifying adaptation options are agriculture, water resources and coastal zones, followed by human health, biodiversity and human settlements.
17. Forty-five respondents indicated that they are currently engaged in identifying options for addressing GHG emissions by sources and removals by sinks, while 11 respondents have completed the abatement analysis and 31 have yet to initiate such activities. For all regions, the areas for abatement analysis are energy, forestry, agriculture, transport, waste management and industry, as illustrated in Figure 3.
18. Other information. Eighty-three respondents intended to include in their initial national communications a list of projects to be financed in accordance with Article 12.4. Additionally, 37 respondents intended to include relevant information for the calculation of global emission trends, such as emission projections, data sources, calculation methods and information regarding software and databases used in the estimation of greenhouse gas emission inventories.
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Figure 2: Vulnerability assessment
2 (a): Main areas of concern for all respondents from non-Annex I Parties
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format.
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Figure 3: Main sectors for GHG emissions abatement
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19. General problems and constraints. A number of general problems and constraints encountered by non-Annex I Parties during the preparation of their initial national communications have been identified (see also paragraph 11). Of these, the availability of data, the lack of local emission factors and the lack of national experts are the three major problems and constraints when responses are considered as a whole (see figure 4 (a)). Other problems and constraints included the availability of technical assistance, procedural problems with assistance, national institutions and arrangements, information exchange, enhancement of public awareness and financial assistance for research and systematic observation.
20. Some concerns and constraints, however, vary from region to region, as illustrated in figures 4 (b), (c), (d) and (e). For example, the respondents from Africa seemed to have encountered more procedural problems with assistance. On the other hand, the respondents from Asia and the Pacific, Latin America and the Caribbean and Eastern Europe seemed to be more concerned with national institutions and arrangements than those from Africa. The availability of financial assistance seemed to be regarded as a more important constraint for respondents from Eastern Europe than those from other regions.
21. Non-Annex I Parties are invited to update and revise the information provided in the annex. For this purpose, the questionnaire will continue to be distributed on a regular basis by the secretariat to all non-Annex I Parties.
Figure 4: General problems and constraints encountered by non-Annex I Parties
4 (e): Respondents in Eastern
Europe
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22. Since the tenth session of the SBI, the secretariat has participated in and made presentations at two regional workshops.
Ninth Asian-Pacific Seminar on Climate Change held from 12 to 15 July 1999 in Hikone, Shiga, Japan
23. This seminar was organized by the Government of Japan and the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), in cooperation with the UNFCCC secretariat. It was attended by experts from 23 countries in the region, as well as representatives from six international and intergovernmental organizations.
24. The seminar covered a range of topics, including regional cooperation in Asia and the Pacific region in light of the outcome of COP 4; activities implemented jointly (AIJ) and the clean development mechanism (CDM); IPCC activities and its special report on land-use, land-use change and forestry (LULUCF); CC:INFO/Web initiative of the UNFCCC secretariat; and the Asian-Pacific Network on Climate Change (APNET), which facilitates information exchange within and among the countries in the region.
25. The participants from Bangladesh, Fiji, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kiribati, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, the Republic of Korea, Uzbekistan and Vietnam reported that their countries have adopted policies to integrate climate change concerns into sustainable development planning in accordance with their national circumstances and priorities. While legal and economic instruments have been proposed as useful tools to reduce GHG emissions, various technical and management measures have also been proposed to reduce energy consumption and enhance energy efficiency.
26. The participants agreed that climate change mitigation projects and programmes should be cost-effective, and that their implementation should result in additional benefits, such as capacity-building, including institution-strengthening. To this end, the participants emphasized the need to intensify both financial and technical support, including transfer of technology from Annex II Parties and international/intergovernmental organizations.
27. Participants were of the view that although a significant amount of work has been done on GHG inventories and on the development of policies, plans, programmes and measures to address climate change, the major constraints are the lack of: (i) human and financial resources; (ii) information and transfer of technology; and (iii) technical data such as GHG emission factors, particularly in the agricultural sector.
Thematic workshop on Vulnerability and Adaptation Assessment for the Caribbean Region held from 20 to 22 July 1999 in Port of Spain, Trinidad
28. This workshop was organized by the National Communications Support Programme (NCSP) (see paragraph 46). Fifteen countries participated in the workshop, namely: Antigua and Barbuda, the Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago.
29. The workshop provided an overview of vulnerability and adaptation assessment for various important sectors such as coastal zones, water resources, agriculture, human health, forestry and fisheries. A number of country case studies, including the two regional programmes, the Pacific Islands Climate Change Assistance Programme (PICCAP) and the Caribbean Planning for Adaptation to Global Climate Change (CPACC), were also presented to share experiences and lessons learned.
30. The impacts of climate change on coastal resources due to sea-level rise were considered to be the most critical issue for the region. This issue and the adaptation options are expected to be covered by the CPACC programme. In the case of Trinidad and Tobago, the impact on the energy sector is critical because of its important energy industry.
31. The participants identified several issues and problems in vulnerability and adaptation assessment, and recommended remedy actions, as summarized below:
(a) Data and institutional framework: Most countries in the region lack input data required for developing baseline scenarios. Data availability and institutional capacity are two major barriers for conducting vulnerability and adaptation assessment. Countries with similar conditions may provide an appropriate baseline for those which lack the data, as exemplified by the work in Cuba. Hence, there is a need for more exchange of data, information and experiences between national climate teams in the region, either through electronic mail or other means of communication.
(b) Sustainability: The sustainability of national climate change activities is a major concern. Strong technical expertise, an adequate and appropriate institutional framework for collecting and updating data, and strong political support are key components of a long-term strategy to achieve the sustainability of national climate change initiatives.
(c) Climatic scenario and impact models: At present, only a regional climatic scenario is feasible for a number of impact models, which include those for forestry and agriculture (with and without CO2 fertilization effect) and water resources. It has been proposed that Cuba will generate the regional scenario with input baseline data from other countries in the region, so that the models can also be calibrated.
(d) Capacity-building and training: National capacity was considered to be the basis for an effective implementation of vulnerability and adaptation assessment activities and also to ensure their sustainability. International assistance is needed for capacity-building and training in vulnerability and adaptation assessment, including the application of appropriate methodology; the use of models for sectoral analysis; the identification of data requirements; and the preparation of detailed work plans.
(e) Financial assistance: Adequate funding is the key to successful implementation of the project activities.
(f) Links with national priorities: The Caribbean islands are most vulnerable to sea-level rise, which threatens their sustainable development. Thus, vulnerability and adaptation issues must be incorporated into the national planning process and linked to sectoral development plans.
(g) Public awareness and education: Public outreach is of critical importance for gaining political support for vulnerability and adaptation issues in the region. Extreme climatic events in the last few years have caught the public's attention and generated much discussion. Public awareness and education can be broadly targeted at several groups: students at different levels by incorporating climate change issues into the curriculum; the general public through national and local information campaigns; and the policy-makers by establishing an institutional network for regular dissemination of relevant information.
32. CC:FORUM is an informal consultative group involving Parties, UN agencies, regional, international and intergovernmental agencies, as well as bilateral and multilateral financial and technical cooperation programmes. It provides a platform for stakeholders to exchange views on technical and financial support to non-Annex I Parties for the implementation of the Convention and for the preparation of national communications.
33. The tenth meeting of the CC:FORUM was held on 1 June 1999 in Bonn, Germany, in conjunction with the tenth session of the SBI and the SBSTA. Representatives from Egypt, Mexico and Uruguay made presentations on the main lessons learned from the preparation of their initial national communications. They also highlighted their plans to sustain the climate change activities beyond the initial national communications. The National Communication Support Programme also made presentations on the preliminary results of the thematic workshops held under the programme.
34. Presentations were followed by a panel discussion on the priority areas for future work and assistance beyond the preparation of the initial national communications. The panel was composed of representatives of donor agencies (German Cooperation Agency - GTZ, the Netherlands Climate Change Studies Assistance Programme and the Japanese Cooperation Agency) and regional organizations (the South Pacific Regional Environmental Programme - SPREP), and Environment and Development for the Third World - ENDA-TW), who addressed various issues raised in earlier presentations and answered questions from the floor.
35. The forum emphasized the need for further capacity-building and the importance of continuing coordinating activities and improving information exchange, and agreed to continue discussing these issues at its next meeting.
36. The secretariat has continued to disseminate the CC:INFO/Web Tutorial Kit 1.0 on CD-ROM. The CC:INFO/Web initiative was designed to encourage Parties to develop national web sites on climate change and the implementation of the Convention, and to foster the growth of a network of such sites for sharing information and ideas. This CD-ROM, which contains a step-by-step tutorial kit and key software, has been distributed to 35 national project coordinators. Moreover, the secretariat has also contacted 40 other non-Annex I Parties that have expressed willingness to develop national web sites.
37. As of 10 September 1999, 20 non-Annex I Parties have linked their national web sites to that of the secretariat. Parties are welcome to provide the secretariat with the addresses of their national web sites so that they can be linked to that of the secretariat.
38. The secretariat has been revising its web site to make it more interactive. Information relevant to the facilitation of assistance for the preparation of national communications by non-Annex I Parties may be found under the page describing the activities of the non-Annex I Implementation Subprogramme. The secretariat has also continued to make available on its web site the full text of the national communications that have been submitted electronically so far. At present, eleven initial national communications from non-Annex I Parties are available on the web site. These are: Armenia, Egypt, Georgia, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Mexico, the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of Korea, Senegal, Uruguay and Zimbabwe.
39. The CC:TRAIN programme is a joint initiative of the UNFCCC secretariat and the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) that began in 1994 as a training service to support non-Annex I Parties in implementing the UNFCCC. It has had two phases funded by the GEF with support from the Governments of Australia, Germany, Japan and Switzerland. Phase I (1994-1995) of the programme provided training and support for technical studies on climate change. Phase II (1996-1999) of the programme, which will end in 1999, focussed on facilitating the preparation of national communications and implementation strategies.
40. Since the tenth session of the SBI, three CC:TRAIN workshops on "Preparing a National Implementation Strategy and National Communications" have been conducted. One from 30 June to 2 July 1999 in Dakar, Senegal; the other from 5 to 7 July 1999 in Havana, Cuba, which was also attended by representatives from Bolivia, Ecuador, Paraguay and Peru; and a third one from 23 to 27 August 1999 for the country team of Laos. These workshops made use of the CC:TRAIN "Workshop Package on Preparing a National Communication for non-Annex I Parties under the UNFCCC" and the CC:TRAIN "National Implementation Strategy Handbook". Similar workshops are also scheduled for this year: Chad (November) and Benin (December).
41. The "CC:TRAIN Workshop Package on Preparing National Communications under the UNFCCC", commissioned by the UNFCCC secretariat, has been available in English on CD-ROM since June 1999, and copies were distributed during the tenth session of the subsidiary bodies. This workshop package, targeted at national decision and policy-makers of non-Annex I Parties, provides information on the preparation of initial national communications. It also contains transparencies, group exercises and speaker's notes needed to conduct awareness-raising workshops. The package can be accessed through the web sites www.unfccc.de and www.unitar.org/cctrain/. The French and Spanish CD-ROM versions will be available at COP 5.
42. A new CD-ROM containing all of the other CC:TRAIN packages in English, French and Spanish will also be distributed at COP 5. These will include: "Understanding the UNFCCC: Challenges and Opportunities"; "Preparing GHG Inventories"; "Preparing Mitigation Analyses"; and "Preparing Vulnerability and Adaptation Assessments". Technical guidelines and other relevant documents from the UNFCCC, IPCC and United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) will also be included on this CD-ROM.
43. After the "CC:TRAIN/PICCAP Certificate Programme on Vulnerability and Adaptation Assessment" was successfully launched by the International Global Change Institute (IGCI) at the University of Waikato, New Zealand, in 1998, it was transferred to the University of the South Pacific (USP) in Fiji during the first half of 1999. The four-month "USP Certificate Programme on Vulnerability and Adaptation Assessment" began in June 1999. The university-based certificate course as developed by CC:TRAIN, PICCAP and IGCI is the first of its kind.
44. Currently, CC:TRAIN is seeking funds to establish a mechanism so that the certificate programme can be transferred to other interested regional universities and centres of excellence. The National Institute of Ecology of the University of Mexico and the University of Zimbabwe are scheduled to establish such a programme by the end of 1999.
45. In the past few years the CC:TRAIN programme has been in high demand. Significant investment has been made in developing the CC:TRAIN training materials and delivery mechanisms. The UNFCCC secretariat and UNITAR are seeking funding to continue the programme in partnership with other organizations. Additional funding is required to translate, maintain, update and improve the training materials. There is an urgent need to update the packages, and to consolidate and incorporate the additional information and knowledge developed at national and regional levels in the packages. There is also a need to develop new delivery mechanisms, such as making use of the Internet and even distant learning, so as to make the training more efficient and effective.
46. The secretariat has continued to play an active role in the National Communications Support Programme (NCSP), which was originally conceived and initiated by the secretariat and is now implemented jointly by UNDP and UNEP with GEF funding and co-financing from the European Commission, and the Governments of Denmark, Finland and Norway. The aims of the NSCP are to promote the quality, comprehensiveness and timeliness of initial national communications from non-Annex I Parties, and to ensure timely and cost-effective implementation of GEF projects on climate change enabling activities. The secretariat continues to co-chair the Advisory Committee of the NCSP and to ensure that the needs of non-Annex I Parties are fully addressed in the implementation of the programme. The secretariat participated in the thematic workshops organized by the programme. It also provided substantive inputs and comments on the draft National Communication Help Guide, "Communication Quarterly" newsletter and the web site www.undp.org/gef/cc/ which is now linked to that of the secretariat. To further improve work delivery and to make the NSCP even more responsive to the technical needs of non-Annex I Parties, a consultative process involving stakeholders has been initiated to explore the possibility of restructuring the programme, so as to make it more effective.
47. Paragraph 1 (a) of decision 10/CP.2 requests the Convention secretariat "...to provide a forum for the exchange of experiences in the development of emission factors and activity data for the estimation of the inventory...". In response to this mandate, the secretariat organized a workshop from 4 to 6 August 1999 in Accra, Ghana, on "Emission Factors and Activity Data for the Improvement of GHG Inventories". This workshop, the second of its kind organized by the secretariat, was attended by 50 experts in the energy and land-use change and forestry sectors from non-Annex I Parties of different regions. During the workshop, the experts developed a number of project concept notes on the improvement of the quality of local and regional emission factors and activity data. They recommended that the project concept notes, in particular those ranked as high priority, be further developed as project proposals for GEF - and where appropriate, bilateral/multilateral - funding. A report of this workshop is available for the consideration of the SBI at its eleventh session (FCCC/SBI/1999/INF.6).
48. Additionally, the secretariat has prepared a technical paper on "Comparative analysis of emission factors and activity data used in the estimation of GHG emissions in the land-use change and forestry and energy sectors by some developing countries", which is being made available for consideration by the SBI at its eleventh session (FCCC/TP/1999/3).
49. Pursuant to decision 12/CP.4, the secretariat has prepared a report on "Input from Parties to the Global Environment Facility review of enabling activities" for consideration by the SBI at its eleventh session (FCCC/SBI/1999/INF.10). This report has included the views submitted by Parties; statements made by Parties during the discussion of the agenda at the tenth session of the SBI; information included in the initial national communications from non-Annex I Parties, as well as relevant decisions of the COP.
50. Pursuant to decision 12/CP.4, the secretariat has prepared a report on "List of projects submitted by non-Annex I Parties in accordance with Article 12.4 of the Convention" (FCCC/SBI/1999/INF.4/Add.1) for consideration by the SBI at its eleventh session.
51. The secretariat has continued to provide comments on all GEF enabling activities project proposals, particularly on their consistency with the Convention and with the guidance of the COP. Additionally, the secretariat has provided technical comments on other climate change project proposals whenever possible. As of 10 September 1999, the secretariat has commented on more than 320 proposals. It also continues to participate in the consultative process for improving the approach, methodology and procedures for the determination of incremental cost within the framework of the GEF.
52. The secretariat has continued to respond promptly to frequent requests by non-Annex I Parties which were seeking advice or guidance related to financial and technical support for the implementation of their enabling activities. Copies of initial national communications submitted by non-Annex I Parties have also been made available on request.
53. Only 13 initial national communications from non-Annex I Parties had been submitted as at 31 August 1999. The majority of non-Annex I Parties (116 Parties) are at various stages of preparing their initial national communications. The number of initial national communications submitted is expected to have doubled by the end of 1999.
54. The main problems encountered in the preparation of GHG inventories are, among others, data availability and reliability; the lack or insufficiency of national capacity for data collection, classification, management and analysis; the need for developing local emission factors and improving activity data and inapplicability of IPCC methodology in certain sectors. These problems were identified earlier and measures are being planned to address them.
55. Apart from the technical problems that are common to all non-Annex I Parties, as mentioned in paragraph 53, different regions also have their unique concerns and constraints.
For example, the respondents from Africa seemed to have encountered more procedural problems with assistance. On the other hand, the respondents from Asia and the Pacific, Latin America and the Caribbean and Eastern Europe seemed to be more concerned with national institutions and arrangements than those from Africa. The availability of financial assistance seemed to be regarded as a more important constraint for respondents from Eastern Europe than those from other regions. Other important issues identified include the need to enhance public awareness, national procedural constraints and financial assistance for research and systematic observation, among others. Appropriate measures must be taken to address these concerns and constraints.
56. A majority of non-Annex I Parties intended to incorporate climate change concerns into their national planning. Some reported that they have prepared national plans, while a considerable number of countries have developed activities for the implementation of sustainable development, research and systematic observation and public awareness programmes.
57. The ability of non-Annex I Parties to use both climate change and socio-economic scenarios and climate impact models for vulnerability and adaptation assessment in various key sectors is limited. This is the major area which needs attention and improvement.
58. Capacity-building, including institution-strengthening, continues to be a critical issue in enabling activities for non-Annex I Parties. While financial and technical support is being solicited or provided, the countries may design a strategy to prioritize their immediate, short and long-term needs for capacity-building.
59. The major problems, concerns and constraints of non-Annex I Parties mentioned above (see paragraphs 53, 54 and 57) were also echoed in the Ninth Asia-Pacific Seminar on Climate Change held from 12 to15 July 1999 in Hikone, Shiga, Japan, and in the thematic workshop on Vulnerability and Adaptation Assessment for the Caribbean Region held from 20 to 22 July 1999 in Port of Spain, Trinidad. In addition, the Trinidad workshop also highlighted the importance of ensuring project sustainability; links to national priorities; training and education; development of climate scenarios; and the appropriate application of climate impact models for various key sectors.
60. A workshop on emission factors and activity data was organized by the UNFCCC secretariat and held from 4 to 6 August 1999 in Accra, Ghana. It was attended by 50 experts from various regions, who have proposed a number of project concept notes on the improvement of local and regional emission factors and activity data in the energy and the land-use change and forestry sectors. The experts recommended that these project concept notes, especially those ranked as high priority, be further developed for GEF - or where appropriate, bilateral/multilateral - funding.
61. The secretariat has continued to organize meetings of CC:FORUM, which provides a platform for stakeholders to exchange views on technical and financial support to non-Annex I Parties for the implementation of the Convention and for the preparation of national communications.
62. The secretariat has also continued to strengthen and promote its outreach programmes, for example, by disseminating the CC:INFO/Web Tutorial Kit 1.0 on CD-ROM and making its web site more interactive. It encouraged Parties to develop and link their national web sites to that of the secretariat, and as of 10 September 1999, 20 non-Annex I Parties have already done so.
63. The CC:TRAIN programme has continued to play an important role in training. The English CD-ROM version of the "CC:TRAIN Workshop Package on Preparing National Communications under the UNFCCC" has been made available since June 1999, while the Spanish and French CD-ROM versions will be distributed at COP 5. There is an urgent need to update the training packages and to consolidate the additional information and knowledge developed at regional and national levels so that they can be incorporated into the packages. There is also a need to develop new delivery mechanisms, such as making use of the Internet and even distant learning, so as to make the training more efficient and effective.
1. For the full texts of decisions adopted by the Conference of the Parties at its second and fourth sessions, see documents FCCC/CP/1996/15/Add.1 and FCCC/CP/1998/16/Add.1, respectively.