Distr.

GENERAL

FCCC/CP/1998/13

22 September 1998

Original: ENGLISH

CONFERENCE OF THE PARTIES

Fourth session

Buenos Aires, 2-13 November 1998

Item 4 (g) of the provisional agenda

1. Article 4, paragraph 2 (f), of the Convention states that the Conference of the Parties (COP) shall "review, not later than 31 December 1998, available information with a view to taking decisions regarding such amendments to the lists in Annexes I and II as may be appropriate, with the approval of the Party concerned". At its third session, the COP adopted amendments to the list in Annex I to the Convention (decision 4/CP.3). In accordance with Article 15, paragraph 3, the adopted amendments to the list in Annex I to the Convention were communicated to the Depositary by the secretariat on 30 January 1998 and circulated by the Depositary to all Parties for their acceptance (see document C.N. 544.1997. Treaties-6 (Depositary Notification) of 13 February 1998).

2. In accordance with Article 16, paragraph 3, of the Convention, "an annex that has been adopted in accordance with [Article 16, paragraph 2] shall enter into force for all Parties to the Convention six months after the date of the communication by the Depositary to such Parties of the adoption of the annex, except for those Parties that have notified the Depositary, in writing, within that period of their non-acceptance of the annex. The annex shall enter into force for Parties which withdraw their notification of non-acceptance on the ninetieth day after the date on which withdrawal of such notification has been received by the Depositary." Article 16, paragraph 4, also provides that "the proposal, adoption and entry into force of amendments to annexes to the Convention shall be subject to the same procedure as that for the proposal,

GE.98-

adoption and entry into force of annexes to the Convention in accordance with paragraphs 2

and 3 above [of Article 16]." On the expiry of the period of six months from the date of the above-mentioned depositary notification, the Depositary issued another notification, C.N.377.1998. Treaties-5 (Depositary Notification), to inform all Parties that in accordance with Article 16, paragraph 3, of the Convention, the Amendments entered into force on 13 August 1998. No notification of non-acceptance was received by the Depositary.

3. No additional request for inclusion in Annex I or Annex II to the Convention has been received from any Party.

4. For the convenience of Parties, the list in Annex I as amended is given in the annex to the present note.

Australia

Austria

Belarus ⁽¹⁾

Belgium

Bulgaria ^a

Canada

Croatia ^a

Czech Republic ^a

Denmark

European Community

Estonia ^a

Finland

France

Germany

Greece

Hungary ^a

Iceland

Ireland

Italy

Japan

Latvia ^a

Liechtenstein

Lithuania ^a

Luxembourg

Monaco

Netherlands

New Zealand

Norway

Poland ^a

Portugal

Romania

Russian Federation ^a

Spain

Slovakia ^a

Slovenia ^a

Sweden

Switzerland

Turkey

Ukraine ^a

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

United States of America

1. Countries that are undergoing the process of transition to a market economy