5 July 1999

ENGLISH ONLY

UNITED NATIONS FRAMEWORK CONVENTION ON CLIMATE CHANGE

SUBSIDIARY BODY FOR IMPLEMENTATION

Tenth session

Bonn, 31 May - 11 June 1999

Agenda items 4 (c) and (d)

1. The attached position papers were submitted by the Philippines, on behalf of the Group of 77 and China, and by the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, on behalf of the European Community and its member States, in connection with the work of the tenth session of the Subsidiary Body for Implementation, and in particular with reference to agenda items 4 (c), Matters related to the consideration of non-Annex I Party communications, and (d), Timing of second national communications.

   
   
   

2. In accordance with the procedure for miscellaneous documents, the attached submissions are reproduced in the language in which they were received and without formal editing.⁽¹⁾

   
   
   

FCCC/SBI/1999/MISC.3

Paper No. Page

1. INITIAL AND SUBSEQUENT NATIONAL COMMUNICATIONS FROM PARTIES NOT INCLUDED IN ANNEX I TO THE CONVENTION

Philippines (on behalf of the Group of 77 and China) 3

2. PROPOSAL FOR A COP 5 DECISION ON THE CONSIDERATION OF NATIONAL COMMUNICATIONS FROM PARTIES NOT INCLUDED IN ANNEX I AND GUIDELINES FOR SECOND NATIONAL COMMUNICATIONS

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (on behalf of the European Community and its member States) 7

The Conference of the Parties

Basing itself on Articles 4.3, 4.7, 12.1 and 10.2 (a) of the Convention,

Reiterating the primary important of the provision of financial and technical support, and related technology transfer, as a means for capacity-building for the preparations of national communications,

Recalling its decisions on communications from Parties not included in Annex I to the Convention, in particular decisions 10/CP.2, 11/CP.2, 2/CP.4, and 12/CP.4,

Underlining paragraph 1 (d) of decision 11/CP.2 which states that the Global Environment Facility should take into account that the preparation of national communications is a continuing process,

Underlining also the grave concern of non-Annex I Parties that lack of support for post-national communication activities has resulted in serious disruption of the implementation of the Convention at the national level,

Deploring the use of workshops on non-Annex I national communications, outside the UNFCCC secretariat process, for purposes which are not compatible with the Convention and contrary to its decisions,

Decides

On guidelines and guidance,

1. that, until full information on the use of these guidelines by all Parties not included in Annex I is obtained from the compilation and synthesis of initial and second national communications as called for in decision 12/CP.4, and a decision taken by the Conference of the Parties to revise these guidelines, the Guidelines for the preparations of initial national communications by Parties not included in Annex I to the Convention, contained in the Annex to decision 10/CP.2, shall remain valid, together with the guidance given to the Global Environment Facility in decision 11/CP.2;

2. that the use of these guidelines shall be the basis of any workshop on non-Annex I communications to be held for the purpose of responding to the needs of developing countries for the preparations of their national communications;

3. that, as stated in para. 2 (c) of decision 10/CP.2, non-Annex I Parties which wish to submit voluntarily additional information may use elements from the guidelines approved for Parties included in Annex I to the Convention when preparing their initial communications, and that they may likewise do so when preparing their subsequent national communications;

On timing of submissions of non-Annex I national communications

4. that, given the small number of developing countries which have as yet submitted their national communications, and given the provision of Article 12.5 stating that the COP shall take into account the differentiated timetable set by that Article in determining the frequency of subsequent communications, as well as the timing of the submissions of first and second national communications from non-Annex I Parties, timetables for submission of subsequent national communications shall differ for each non-Annex I Party. Full information from the operating entity of the financial mechanism on the effective availability of financial resources to the Party, and the timing of the disbursement of these resources to developing countries for the preparations of their initial and second national communications would be necessary to the determination of each non-Annex I Party's timing of submissions, in accordance with Article 4.3 and Article 12.5 of the Convention;

On financial and technical support

5. that a non-Annex I Group of Experts shall be set up, on the basis of nominations received from Governments of non-Annex I Parties in order to assess the availability of financial resources and technical support, to identify gaps, and also for the purposes of exchange of experiences and information, with the objective of enhancing support to preparations, and identifying the difficulties encountered by developing countries in the use of the guidelines, so as to improve the national communications of non-Annex I countries. This Group shall meet regularly, and be given the necessary resources to do so. Results of their meetings, and any recommendations from this Group shall be taken into account by the Subsidiary Bodies in their deliberations, and for any decisions to be taken by the Conference of the Parties on the national communications from non-Annex I Parties (see Reference);

6. that the secretariat shall provide the necessary assistance to convene the meetings of the non-Annex I Experts' Group for non-Annex I communications, in accordance with Article 8.2 (c) of the Convention, and as called for in para.. 1 (a) of decision 10/CP.2; and

On matters related to consideration of non-Annex I national communications

7. that, as provided for in para. 2 (b) of decision 10/CP.2, and para. 1 (c) of decision 12/CP.4, any consideration of matters related to their national communications should take into account information on the implementation of Articles 4.1, 4.3, 4.4., 4.5, 4.7, 4.8, 4.9 and 4.10, in the light of the provisions of Article 3;

8. that information as compiled and synthesized by the secretariat on non-Annex I communications as stated in para. 7 of decision 12/CP.4, should be taken with the relevant information provided in Annex I Parties' national communications in order to allow the SBI to consider the information communicated in accordance with Article 12, para. 1 of the FCCC, to assess the overall aggregated effect of the steps taken by the Parties in the light of the latest scientific assessments concerning climate change as provided by the SBSTA in accordance with Article 9.2 (a) of the FCCC;

9. that this compilation and synthesis shall be accomplished along the lines of the guidelines contained in decision 10/CP.2, in particular the information to be given in response to paragraphs 19 to 22 of the Annex to these Guidelines, on the identification of financial and technological needs;

On the review of the enabling activities of the Global Environment Facility

10. that the consistency of these enabling activities with the guidelines for the preparations of initial national communications from Parties not included in Annex I to the Convention, as contained in decision 10/CP.2, and the guidance to the Global Environment Facility as contained in decision 11/CP.2, as well as with previous and subsequent guidance provided by the Conference of the Parties to the Global Environment Facility as an operating entity of the financial mechanism of the Convention, shall be fully examined and demonstrated in the review of the enabling activities of the GEF, and

11. that a report shall be requested from the GEF to the Conference of the Parties on the results of this review.

STEERING COMMITTEE

Tasks:

• Define work plan
• Meet quarterly
• Define agendas for the expert group meetings

  
  
  

Members: Regional representations (4 per region)

Annex I experts as observers

4 EXPERT GROUP MEETINGS ALONG THEMATIC LINES

Participation: Experts nominated by Parties and selected (if necessary) by the steering committee

Themes: Greenhouse gas inventory

Vulnerability assessment and adaption options

Abatement issues

Preparation of national communications

Duration: Minimum 7 days

Frequency: Each thematic group would meet once a year

Number: ±50 participants/region

Feedback to the process:

• -each thematic meeting would breakdown work in regional working groups
• -recommendations and conclusions would be made available to the COP/SBS
• -recommendations would have "regional" perspectives/dimensions and where appropriate "global" perspectives

The Conference of the Parties

Noting that the preparation and submission of information under Article 12 of the Convention is an evolving process;

Having undertaken a preliminary consideration of the first compilation and synthesis report of communications from Parties not included in Annex I;

A: On consideration of communications of Parties not included in Annex I

• Notes

  
  
  

a. with appreciation the wealth of information contained in the national communications and their usefulness in assisting the deliberation of the COP;

b. the need for further enhancing the quality of information particularly in the following areas [...];

c. the limited number of communications available for the first compilation and synthesis report

• Encourages Parties not included in Annex I which have not yet done so to submit their initial national communications in accordance with the timetable set out in Art. 12.5 of the Convention.

  
  
  

• Requests the secretariat to prepare a second compilation and synthesis report of communication of Parties not included in Annex I based on communications received by [1^st of June 2000] and make that report available to the Subsidiary Bodies at their 13^th session and to COP 6.

  
  
  

• Decides

  
  
  

a. that each initial national communication submitted by Parties not included in Annex I should be technically assessed in a facilitative, non-confrontational, open and transparent manner, on the basis of decision 10/CP.2. The purpose of these assessments is to analyse the information, in accordance with Art. 12.1 of the FCCC, contained in these communications, in order to provide

• -the COP with accurate, consistent and relevant information to assist it in carrying out its responsibilities;

  
  
  

• -Parties not included in Annex I feedback on ways to improve the quality of subsequent communications, to identify gaps of information required by the guidelines for the initial communications and to identify further needs related to the preparation of communications.

  
  
  

b. that the technical assessments will be organised by the FCCC secretariat and undertaken by technical experts nominated by Parties. [Details on arrangements, methodology and scope t.b.d.] The technical assessments may, with the consent of the Parties concerned, include country-visits;

c. that a first report on the technical assessments of communications submitted by 1^st January 2000 should be made available by the secretariat to the Subsidiary Bodies at their 12^th session;

d. that further details on arrangements, methodology and scope will be decided by the SBI on the basis of experiences gained.

• Welcomes the initiative of the secretariat together with the GEF and its implementing agencies to organise workshops and expert group meetings under the National Communications Support Programme (NCSP) which enable Parties to share experiences and information with experts from other interested Parties and to identify barriers and problems encountered in the preparation of communications.

  
  
  

• Decides that initial communications from Parties not included in Annex I shall be considered, in the first instance, by the COP at its 6^th session on the basis of (a) the compilation and synthesis reports and (b) the first report on the technical assessments to be provided by the secretariat

  
  
  

B: On guidelines for the second national communications from Parties not included in Annex I

• Affirms that the guidelines for initial national communications of Parties not included in Annex I, as set out in decision 10/CP.2 and its Annex, remain valid for all such initial communications.

  
  
  

• Decides to adopt at its 6^th session guidelines for the second national communications of Parties not included in Annex I.

  
  
  

• Requests the secretariat in cooperation with the GEF to prepare reports for the Subsidiary Bodies at their 12^th session
• on the application of guidelines for the preparation of initial national communications from Parties not included in Annex I with a view to further enhancing the accuracy, completeness, comparability and focus of national communications. This report should, inter alia, draw upon the information contained in the technical assessments of national communications and the conclusions drawn from the workshops and meetings under the NCSP;

  
  
  

• on the GEF review of the support for initial national communications,

  
  
  

in order to facilitate the decision by COP 6 on the guidance to the GEF on the support to national communications of Parties not included in Annex I for the preparation of second national communication, on the basis of the enhanced guidelines decided by COP 6.

• Requests Parties not included in Annex I which are not least developed countries and which have submitted initial national communications to submit an annual greenhouse gas inventory update by the end of April each year.

  
  
  

• Welcomes the steps undertaken by the GEF to operationalize and implement the guidance to the operating entity of the financial mechanism provided by the COP at its 4^th session.

  
  
  

• Urges the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Inventory Task Force to give high priority to the development of a work plan to prepare a comprehensive database on emission factors, by region and technology, and to coordinate with the FCCC secretariat regarding this work plan and to report on progress to SBSTA at its 12^th session.

  
  
  

• Requests the secretariat to develop a paper on regional priorities for the research and development of emission factors, taking into account any conclusions of the regional workshops, the experiences drawn from the technical assessment of greenhouse gas inventories and inputs from Parties and relevant experts and organisations, and to submit this paper for consideration by SBSTA at its 12^th session.

  
  
  

• Decides that, in the interim period until guidelines for second national communications are adopted, and in accordance with decision 2/CP.4, the GEF should provide funding to developing country Parties which have submitted initial communications which have undergone the technical assessment provided for in paragraph 4 above

  
  
  

• -for the preparation or, as appropriate, the refinement and the reporting of greenhouse gas inventories;

  
  
  

• -for further work on local emission factors in accordance with decision 10/CP.2, paragraph 13, and taking into account the activities described in paragraphs 11 and 12 above;

• -for developing country Parties which are particularly vulnerable to the effects of climate change, for activities related to the assessment of vulnerability and adaptation options in accordance with decisions 10/CP.2 and 2/CP.4.

  
  
  

• Requests Parties to submit views on the guidelines and timing for second national communications from Parties not included in Annex I by 31 January 2000.