Distr.

GENERAL

FCCC/CP/1998/L.6

10 November 1998

Original: ENGLISH

CONFERENCE OF THE PARTIES

Fourth session

Buenos Aires, 2-13 November 1998

Agenda item 9 (a)

Paragraphs Page

I. OPENING OF THE SESSION

(Agenda item 1)

A. Statement by the President of the Conference at its

third session

B. Election of the President of the Conference at its

fourth session

C. Statement by the President

D. Addresses of welcome

E. Statement by the Executive Secretary

F. Other statements

EZE.98-

Paragraphs Page

II. ORGANIZATIONAL MATTERS

(Agenda item 2)

A. Status of ratification of the Convention and the Kyoto

Protocol

B. Adoption of the rules of procedure

C. Adoption of the agenda

D. Election of officers other than the President

E. Admission of organizations as observers

F. Organization of work, including the sessions of the

subsidiary bodies

G. Participation in contact groups

H. Calendar of meetings of Convention bodies 2000-2001

I. Date and venue of the fifth session of the Conference of

the Parties

J. Adoption of the report on credentials

K. Attendance

L. Documentation

III. REPORTS OF SUBSIDIARY BODIES

(Agenda item 3)

A. Report of the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and

Technological Advice

B. Report of the Subsidiary Body for Implementation

C. Report of the Ad Hoc Group on Article 13

Paragraphs Page

IV. REVIEW OF THE IMPLEMENTATION OF

COMMITMENTS AND OF OTHER PROVISIONS

OF THE CONVENTION

(Agenda item 4)

A. Information communicated under Article 12

1. National communications from Parties included in

Annex I to the Convention

2. Initial national communications from Parties not

included in Annex I to the Convention

B. Financial mechanism

1. Report of the Global Environment Facility to the

Conference

2. Review process referred to in decision 9/CP.1

C. Development and transfer of technologies

(decision 13/CP.1)

D. Second review of the adequacy of Article 4.2(a) and (b)

E. Implementation of Article 4.8 and 4.9 of the Convention

(decision 3/CP.3 and Articles 2.3 and 3.14 of the Kyoto

Protocol)

F. Activities implemented jointly: review of progress under

the pilot phase (decision 5/CP.1)

G. Review of information and possible decisions under

Article 4.2(f)

H. Other matters relating to implementation

1. Research and systematic observation

(Articles 4.1(g) and 5 of the Convention)

Paragraphs Page

2. Scientific and methodological aspects of the

proposal by Brazil

V. MATTERS RELATED TO THE KYOTO PROTOCOL

(Agenda item 5)

A. Matters related to decision 1/CP.3, paragraph 5

1. Land-use change and forestry

2. Article 6 of the Kyoto Protocol

3. Article 12 of the Kyoto Protocol

4. Article 17 of the Kyoto Protocol

5. Impact of single projects on emissions in the

commitment period

B. Matters related to decision 1/CP.3, paragraph 6:

preparations for the first session of the Conference of the

Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the

Protocol

VI. ADMINISTRATIVE AND FINANCIAL MATTERS

(Agenda item 6)

A. Arrangements for administrative support to the

Convention

B. Income and budget performance

1. Financial performance in the biennium 1996-1997

2. Initial report on financial performance in the

biennium 1998-1999

C. Scale of contributions to the core budget

Paragraphs Page

VII. GENERAL STATEMENTS

(Agenda item 7)

A. Addresses at the Presidential ceremony

B. Statements by ministers and other heads of delegation of

Parties at the high-level segment

C. Statements by observer States

D. Statements by intergovernmental organizations

E. Statements by non-governmental organizations

VIII. OTHER MATTERS

(Agenda item 8)

IX. NATURAL DISASTER IN CENTRAL AMERICA AND THE

CARIBBEAN

X. CONCLUSION OF THE SESSION

(Agenda item 9)

A. Adoption of the report of the Conference of the Parties

on its fourth session

B. Closure of the session

Annex I Statements by ministers and by other heads of delegation

of Parties during the high-level segment of the fourth

session of the Conference of the Parties: list of speakers

Annex II List of intergovernmental and non-governmental

organizations attending the fourth session of the

Conference of the Parties

Page

Annex III List of documents before the Conference of the Parties

at its fourth session

I. DECISIONS ADOPTED BY THE CONFERENCE OF THE PARTIES

II. RESOLUTIONS ADOPTED BY THE CONFERENCE OF THE PARTIES

III. OTHER ACTION TAKEN BY THE CONFERENCE OF THE PARTIES

1. The fourth session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, convened pursuant to Article 7.4 of the Convention and decision 5/CP.3, was opened at the Centro de exposiciones del Gobierno de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina, on 2 November 1998, by the President of the Conference at its third session, Mr. Hiroshi Ohki, Representative of the Government of Japan.

2. The President of the Conference at its third session welcomed all participants to the fourth session of the Conference of the Parties and expressed his appreciation to the Government of Argentina for hosting the Conference and to the City of Buenos Aires for its hospitality. Recalling that the Kyoto Protocol had been adopted by the Conference at its third session after long and strenuous negotiations, he said that the Conference now had to determine whether the political momentum generated at Kyoto could be maintained by preparing a solid foundation for the successful implementation of the Protocol. Progress had been made since the Kyoto Conference on various topics, including issues relating to sinks and mechanisms, and he expressed the hope that further progress could be achieved at Buenos Aires. Humankind's common desire for affluence must not lead to destruction of the environment. There was therefore a need to re-examine existing economic structures and lifestyles. In facing environmental issues, particularly that of global warming, it was essential to ensure the participation of not just experts, bureaucrats or politicians, but of all the citizens of the world.

3. At the 1^st plenary meeting, on 2 November, on the proposal of the outgoing President, the Conference of the Parties elected by acclamation Ms. María Julia Alsogaray, Secretary of Natural Resources and Sustainable Development of Argentina, as its President.

4. On assuming office, the President welcomed all participants to the fourth session of the Conference of the Parties, on behalf not only of the Government of Argentina and the Government of the City of Buenos Aires, but also of all the people of Argentina. She stated that Argentina was a nation with a growing environmental awareness and was proud to be the first country in the southern hemisphere to host discussions on the challenge of reversing the consequences of current development models on the planet's climate. Argentina did not belong to the group of countries with historical responsibilities for the climate change problem, but it did wish to belong to the group of countries with future responsibilities for commitments leading to a solution of that problem. The adoption of the Kyoto Protocol at the previous session had provided a true starting point for the formulation of action programmes; it was her earnest hope that such an action programme could be established at the current session of the Conference and that Buenos Aires would be remembered as the place where a new momentum in the history of the Convention was achieved. Argentina believed that all Parties to the Convention had very specific responsibilities in the forthcoming negotiations. The role of non-Annex I countries should not be limited to demanding that the industrialized countries should reverse the damage caused by development models that did not take environmental considerations into account. They too had the ethical duty to adopt social, economic and technological models that would lead to sustainable development. It was time to stop arguing about who was to blame for the past and to start taking the steps needed so as not to be blamed for the future.

5. Mr. Fernando de la Rúa, Head of Government of the City of Buenos Aires, welcomed all the participants and said that the City and the people of Buenos Aires were proud to have been chosen to host the fourth session of the Conference of the Parties. They were very conscious of the importance of the Conference and of the significance of the fact that it was being held in the southern hemisphere. Six years had passed since the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, when the world community had subscribed to the climate change and other important environmental agreements. The importance of adding an environmental dimension to the agenda of national policies, in the developing as well as the developed world, could no longer be denied. Environmental problems were global problems affecting all countries and all peoples, and thus required a global response from the international community as a whole. The problem of climate change constituted a particularly difficult challenge. Bearing in mind the guiding principle in the Convention of common but differentiated responsibilities, all countries, without compromising their legitimate development objectives, needed to become involved in the process of reducing emissions of greenhouse gases. The involvement of the private sector and the transfer of modern technologies were vital elements in such a process. In conclusion, he wished to emphasize that the decisions adopted at the Conference could influence the future of humankind and have a significant effect on human patterns of behaviour and lifestyles. There was, therefore, a need to approach such decisions with courage and responsibility, and with a sense of equity and justice.

6. The Executive Secretary said that the fact that the Conference of the Parties was meeting in a developing country underlined the global nature of the problem of climate change, which required the equitable participation of all countries in a global strategy to deal with it. Poor people and poor countries were also extremely vulnerable to the effects of climate change and that too called for an equitable global response. At the current session, there was a need to maintain the political momentum generated at Kyoto by getting down to the task of putting the Kyoto Protocol into effect with mechanisms that would provide flexibility, ensure credibility and promote sustainable development. Conditions had to be created that would attract the necessary ratifications for the Protocol to enter into force. The basic task of the session was to agree on an action plan on all aspects of the Protocol that would set ambitious and politically firm deadlines for agreement. The current session was also an occasion to put new vigour into the implementation of the Convention, no issue being more important than that of transferring technology and know-how to developing countries for their sustainable development. The transfer of technology and financial resources which would support developing countries in lowering their emission trends would largely have to come from business and industry. He expressed the hope that the current session would mark the positive engagement of the private sector in an effective and equitable global strategy.

7. At the 2^nd plenary meeting, on 2 November, general statements were made by the representatives of Indonesia (on behalf of the Group of 77 and China), Austria (on behalf of the European Community and its member States), Japan and the United States of America.

8. For its consideration of this sub-item at its 1^st plenary meeting, on 2 November, the Conference of the Parties had before it an information document on the status of ratification of the Convention and of the Kyoto Protocol (FCCC/CP/1998/INF.5). On the invitation of the President, the Conference of the Parties took note with satisfaction that, as of 2 November 1998, 174 States and one regional economic organization were Parties to the Convention. It also took note that, as of that date, 59 States had signed the Kyoto Protocol and that one of those States, Fiji, had deposited an instrument of ratification. The President, in conclusion, expressed the

hope that the additional signatures and ratifications required to bring the Kyoto Protocol into force would be received as soon as possible.

9. At its 3^rd plenary meeting, on 6 November, the Conference of the Parties was informed that Antigua and Barbuda had deposited its instrument of ratification of the Kyoto Protocol on 3 November, thus bringing the number of ratifications to two.

10. At the 1^st plenary meeting, on 2 November, the President informed the Conference of the Parties that, having received a report from the President of the Conference at its third session on his consultations on the draft rules of procedure, she intended to carry out further negotiations on the unresolved issues with a view to finding a solution before the end of the session. On the proposal of the President, the Conference of the Parties decided that, in the meantime, as at previous sessions, the draft rules of procedure as contained in document FCCC/CP/1996/2 should continue to be applied, with the exception of draft rule 42.

11. For its consideration of this sub-item at its 1^st and 2^nd plenary meetings, on 2 November, the Conference of the Parties had before it a note by the Executive Secretary containing the provisional agenda and annotations (FCCC/CP/1998/1 and Add.1). Introducing the note, the Executive Secretary proposed amendments to the wording of items 3, 4 (a), 5 (a) (iii) and

5 (a) (iv) of the provisional agenda, which responded to questions raised in informal consultations. In the course of the ensuing discussion, the Executive Secretary also proposed an amendment for the wording of item 4 (e) of the provisional agenda.

12. Item 6 of the provisional agenda, on voluntary commitments by non-Annex I Parties, had been included in the provisional agenda at the request of Argentina under rule 10 (d) of the draft rules of procedure being applied. Statements were made in that connection by Argentina and by 37 other Parties, including one speaking on behalf of the Group of 77 and China, one speaking on behalf of the Alliance of Small Island States, and one speaking on behalf of the European Community and its member States. The President, noting that there was clearly no consensus on the inclusion of item 6 in the agenda of the Conference, proposed that the item should be deleted.

13. At the 2^nd plenary meeting, on 2 November, on the proposal of the President, the Conference of the Parties approved the provisional agenda contained in document FCCC/CP/1998/1, as amended by the Executive Secretary and with the deletion of item 6. The agenda, as adopted, thus read as follows:

1. Opening of the session:

(a) Statement by the President of the Conference at its third session;

(b) Election of the President of the Conference at its fourth session;

(c) Statement by the President;

(d) Addresses of welcome;

(e) Statement by the Executive Secretary.

2. Organizational matters:

(a) Status of ratification of the Convention and the Kyoto Protocol;

(b) Adoption of the rules of procedure;

(c) Adoption of the agenda;

(d) Election of officers other than the President;

(e) Admission of organizations as observers;

(f) Organization of work, including the sessions of the subsidiary bodies;

(g) Participation in contact groups;

(h) Calendar of meetings of Convention bodies 2000-2001;

(i) Date and venue of the fifth session of the Conference of the Parties;

(j) Adoption of the report on credentials.

3. Reports of subsidiary bodies:

(a) Report of the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice;

(b) Report of the Subsidiary Body for Implementation;

(c) Report of the Ad Hoc Group on Article 13.

4. Review of the implementation of commitments and of other provisions of the Convention:

(a) Information communicated under Article 12:

(i) National communications from Parties included in Annex I to the Convention;

(ii) Initial national communications from Parties not included in Annex I to the Convention;

(b) Financial mechanism:

(i) Report of the Global Environment Facility to the Conference;

(ii) Review process referred to in decision 9/CP.1;

(c) Development and transfer of technologies (decision 13/CP.1);

(d) Second review of the adequacy of Article 4.2(a) and (b);

(e) Implementation of Article 4.8 and 4.9 of the Convention

(decision 3/CP.3 and Articles 2.3 and 3.14 of the Kyoto Protocol);

(f) Activities implemented jointly: review of progress under the pilot phase

(decision 5/CP.1);

(g) Review of information and possible decisions under Article 4.2(f);

(h) Other matters relating to implementation:

(i) Research and systematic observation (Articles 4.1(g) and 5 of the Convention);

(ii) Scientific and methodological aspects of the proposal by Brazil.

5. Matters related to the Kyoto Protocol:

(a) Matters related to decision 1/CP.3, paragraph 5:

(i) Land-use change and forestry;

(ii) Article 6 of the Kyoto Protocol;

(iii) Article 12 of the Kyoto Protocol;

(iv) Article 17 of the Kyoto Protocol;

(v) Impact of single projects on emissions in the commitment period.

(b) Matters related to decision 1/CP.3, paragraph 6: preparations for the first session of the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Protocol.

6. Administrative and financial matters:

(a) Arrangements for administrative support to the Convention;

(b) Income and budget performance:

(i) Financial performance in the biennium 1996-1997;

(ii) Initial report on financial performance in the biennium 1998-1999;

(c) Scale of contributions to the core budget.

7. General statements:

(a) Addresses at the Presidential ceremony;

(b) Statements by ministers and other heads of delegation of Parties at the high-level segment;

(c) Statements by observer States;

(d) Statements by intergovernmental organizations;

(e) Statements by non-governmental organizations.

8. Other matters.

9. Conclusion of the session:

(a) Adoption of the report of the Conference of the Parties on its fourth session;

(b) Closure of the session.

14. Upon the adoption of the agenda, the President stated that, in light of the views expressed, it was clear that several Parties were interested in participation in informal consultations on the matters referred to in the useful debate that had just taken place. She would facilitate informal consultations in response to that interest, consistent with the agenda just adopted, the provisions of the Convention and the practice of the Conference of the Parties, and ensuring full objectivity and transparency.

15. At its 2^nd plenary meeting, on 2 November, on the proposal of the President, the Conference of the Parties elected by acclamation seven Vice-Presidents and the Rapporteur of the Conference, the Chairman of the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice and the Chairman of the Subsidiary Body for Implementation.

16. At the 3^rd plenary meeting, on 6 November, the Conference of the Parties was informed that, pursuant to rule 25 of the draft rules of procedure being applied, Mr. Mohamed Al Sabban (Saudi Arabia) had been replaced by Mr. Nazar Ibrahim Taufiq (Saudi Arabia). The Bureau of the Conference was thus constituted as follows:

President

Ms. María Julia Alsogaray (Argentina)

Vice-Presidents

Mr. John Ashe (Antigua and Barbuda)

Mr. Ole Plougmann (Denmark)

Mr. Papa Cham (the Gambia)

Mr. Tengiz Gzirishvili (Georgia)

Mr. Espen Rønneberg (Marshall Islands)

Mr. Harald Dovland (Norway)

Mr. Nazar Ibrahim Taufiq (Saudi Arabia)

Rapporteur

Mr. Maciej Sadowski (Poland)

Chairman of the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice

Mr. Kok Kee Chow (Malaysia)

Chairman of the Subsidiary Body for Implementation

Mr. Bakary Kante (Senegal)

17. At the 2^nd meeting, on 2 November, the Conference of the Parties agreed, on the proposal of the President, that consultations should continue with regard to nominations for the posts of vice-chairpersons and rapporteurs of the subsidiary bodies, with a view to their election as soon as possible during the current sessions of those bodies.

18. For its consideration of this sub-item at its 1^st plenary meeting, on 2 November, the Conference of the Parties had before it a note by the secretariat on the admission of organizations as observers (FCCC/CP/1998/14 and Add.1), listing three intergovernmental organizations and 66 non-governmental organizations that had requested to be admitted as observers at the current session. Pursuant to a recommendation by the Bureau of the Conference, which had reviewed the list of applicant organizations, the Conference of the Parties decided to admit those organizations as observers, on the understanding that any organization in that list with an asterisk against its name would be requested to reapply if it wished to continue to follow the work of the Convention after the fourth session of the Conference (see annex II below).

19. At its 2^nd plenary meeting, on 2 November, the Conference of the Parties, on the proposal of the President, decided on the following allocation of items to the subsidiary bodies:

(a) To the Subsidiary Body for Implementation (SBI):

- Calendar of meetings of Convention bodies (agenda item 2 (h))

2000-2001

- Information communicated under Article 12 (agenda item 4 (a))

- Financial mechanism (agenda item 4 (b))

- Second review of the adequacy of Article 4.2(a) (agenda item 4 (d))

and (b)

- Implementation of Article 4.8 and 4.9 of the (agenda item 4 (e))

Convention (decision 3/CP.3 and Articles 2.3 and

3.14 of the Kyoto Protocol)

- Review of information and possible decisions under (agenda item 4 (g))

Article 4.2(f)

- Administrative and financial matters (agenda item 6)

(b) To the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice (SBSTA):

- Development and transfer of technologies (agenda item 4 (c))

(decision 13/CP.1)

- Other matters relating to implementation (agenda item 4 (h))

- Land-use change and forestry (agenda item 5 (a) (i))

- Impact of single projects on emissions in the (agenda item 5 (a) (v))

commitment period

(c) To both the SBI and the SBSTA:

- Activities implemented jointly: review of progress (agenda item 4 (f))

under the pilot phase (decision 5/CP.1)

- Article 6 of the Kyoto Protocol (agenda item 5 (a) (ii))

- Article 12 of the Kyoto Protocol (agenda item 5 (a) (iii))

- Article 17 of the Kyoto Protocol (agenda item 5 (a) (iv))

- Matters related to decision 1/CP.3, paragraph 6: (agenda item 5 (b))

preparations for the first session of the Conference

of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to

the Protocol

20. With regard to agenda item 4 (c), it was agreed that the SBSTA could convey recommendations on certain aspects of that item to the SBI. With regard to agenda item 4 (e), it was agreed, at the suggestion of one Party, that the chairmen of the two subsidiary bodies should determine whether or not there was a need for that item to be considered by the SBSTA as well as by the SBI.

21. The subsidiary bodies were requested to develop draft decisions and/or conclusions on the items referred to them, with a view to their adoption by the Conference of the Parties by 11 November at the latest. They should thus conclude their work by the evening of 10 November. Any items left unresolved by the subsidiary bodies would be referred to the President for consultations with ministers and other heads of delegation during the high-level segment, to be held on 12 and 13 November. With regard to the general debate to be held during the high-level segment, it was agreed that the list of speakers should be officially closed at

18.00 hours on Wednesday, 4 November, and that all representatives should be limited to five minutes of speaking time.

22. In opening this sub-item at the 2^nd plenary meeting, on 2 November, the President recalled that the SBI at its eighth session had requested the secretariat to prepare a draft decision on the modalities for the participation of representatives of NGOs in contact groups (FCCC/CP/1998/6, para. 83). In response to that request the secretariat had prepared a draft text originally circulated under the symbol FCCC/CP/1998/L.1, which was subsequently revised in the light of further consultations and was now before the Conference under the symbol FCCC/CP/1998/L.1/Rev.1. She drew attention to certain understandings underlying the proposed decision, namely, that it addressed the participation of IGOs as well as NGOs; that, in general, the nature of their participation was attendance without the right to make interventions; that, if there were space limitations in the meeting rooms, the Chairs of the contact groups reserved the right to request IGOs and NGOs to limit their participation; and, lastly, that participation in negotiations was limited to Parties.

23. After the Executive Secretary had introduced the revised text in document FCCC/CP/1998/L.1/Rev.1, statements were made by representatives of five Parties, including one speaking on behalf of the European Community and its member States. Commenting on those statements, the Executive Secretary confirmed that the draft decision sought to respond to the political will of the Parties to broaden access to the work of the Conference of the Parties and its subsidiary bodies. He acknowledged that the draft dealt with a matter that was germane to the draft rules of procedure, as applied, and suggested that, when those draft rules came to be considered, it might be appropriate to amend them so as to reflect the substance of the proposed decision.

24. At the 2^nd plenary meeting, on 2 November, the Conference of the Parties adopted decision ../CP.4 on attendance of intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations at contact groups. For the text of this decision, see Part Two, section I, of this report.

25. The documents before the Conference of the Parties, at its fourth session, are listed in annex III below.

26. At its 2^nd plenary meeting, on 2 November, the Conference of the Parties, having heard a report on the work of the SBSTA from its Chairman, took note with appreciation of the report of the SBSTA on its eighth session (see FCCC/SBSTA/1998/6).

27. At the 3^rd plenary meeting, on 6 November, the Chairman of the SBSTA reported to the Conference of the Parties on the progress made in the SBSTA on agenda items 4 (c), 4 (h) (i), 4 (h) (ii), 5 (a) (i), and 5 (a) (v), which had been referred to the SBSTA, and on agenda items 4 (f), 5 (a) (ii) (iii) and (iv), and 5 (b), which had been referred jointly to the SBSTA and the SBI. Discussions were still continuing on all those items.

28. At its 2^nd plenary meeting, on 2 November, the Conference of the Parties, having heard a report on the work of the SBI from its Chairman, took note with appreciation of the report of the SBI on its eighth session (see FCCC/SBI/1998/6).

29. At the 3^rd plenary meeting, on 6 November, the Chairman of the SBI reported to the Conference of the Parties on the progress made in the SBI on agenda items 2 (h), 4 (a),

4 (b), 4 (d), 4 (e), 4 (g) and 6, which had been allocated to the SBI. Discussions were continuing on all those items, with the exception of sub-item 4 (g), Review of information and possible decisions under Article 4.2(f), in respect of which the SBI had agreed to recommend a draft decision (FCCC/CP/1998/L.2) for adoption by the Conference of the Parties. For the action taken by the Conference of the Parties on that sub-item, see section IV.G below.

30. At the 2^nd plenary meeting, on 2 November, the Chairman of the Ad Hoc Group on Article 13 reported to the Conference of the Parties on the outcome of the work of the Group and introduced the report of the Group on its sixth and final session (FCCC/AG13/1998/2). The Group had been able to reach agreement on the entire text of the multilateral consultative process, set out in annex II to that report, with the exception of two matters contained in square brackets in paragraphs 8 and 9 of that text. The two unresolved issues related to the number of members of the Multilateral Consultative Committee, and the criteria for designating members to the Committee. Should it prove possible to resolve those two issues in the course of the session and proceed to adopt the multilateral consultative process, Parties would need to nominate experts to be designated by the Conference of the Parties as members of the Committee for its first period of operation. Should it not prove possible, he would suggest that the Conference of the Parties could approve the draft text of the multilateral consultative process, with the exception of the two matters still in square brackets; refer the outstanding matters to the next session of the Conference, with a view to the adoption of the process at that session; and invite the President to designate a Vice-President to conduct consultations on those matters in the inter-sessional period.

31. At the same meeting, the Conference of the Parties took note with appreciation of the report of the Ad Hoc Group on Article 13 on its sixth session (FCCC/AG13/1998/2). The President, thanking the Chairman of the Ad Hoc Group for his dedicated leadership, indicated

that she would consult with members of the Bureau on how best to proceed with consultations on the outstanding issues.

32. At the 3^rd plenary meeting, on 6 November, the Chairman of the Ad Hoc Group, who had been requested by the Bureau of the Conference to conduct the consultations referred to in paragraph ___ above, informed the Conference of the Parties that in those consultations a consensus had been reached on a draft decision on the multilateral consultative process, which was before the Conference in document FCCC/CP/1998/L.3.

33. At the same meeting, the Conference of the Parties, on the proposal of the President, adopted decision ../CP.4 on the multilateral consultative process. For the text of this decision, see Part II, section I, of this report.

34. This sub-item was referred to the SBI by the Conference of the Parties at its 2^nd plenary meeting, on 2 November (see para. __ above). At its 3^rd plenary meeting, on 6 November, the Conference of the Parties, on the recommendation of the SBI, adopted decision ../CP.4 on the review of information and possible decisions under Article 4.2(f). For the text of this decision, see Part II, section I, of this report.

35. Upon the adoption of this decision, statements were made by the representative of one Party and by the observer for Turkey.

36. At its 3^rd plenary meeting, on 6 November, statements were made under this item by the Executive Secretary of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, and by representatives of the Asian Development Bank and the Inter-American Development Bank.

37. At the 3^rd plenary meeting, on 6 November, the President recalled that, as indicated in the annotations to this item in document FCCC/CP/1998/1, the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity had, at its fourth session, reaffirmed the importance of mutually supportive activities under that Convention and other relevant conventions and processes, and had in particular requested its Executive Secretary to strengthen relationships with the family of Rio conventions. She believed that the Conference of the Parties should welcome the opportunity to develop joint and harmonized approaches to issues of mutual concern, with a view to making implementation activities and institutional arrangements under the Biological Diversity and Climate Change Conventions mutually supportive. A statement was made by the representative of the secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity.

38. At the same meeting, on the proposal of the President, the Conference of the Parties decided that the issues of mutual concern arising from the Convention on Biological Diversity should be taken up by the subsidiary bodies at their tenth sessions. The Chairmen of the subsidiary bodies, in consultation with the rest of the Bureau, should determine the exact allocation of those issues between the two subsidiary bodies.

39. At the 3^rd plenary meeting, on 6 November, the President, referring to the catastrophic damage caused by Hurricane Mitch in Central America and the Caribbean, requested the representatives of the countries concerned to convey to their governments and peoples, on the part of the Government of Argentina and of all the participants in the Conference, an expression of their deepest sympathy and their solidarity with all those who had suffered so tragically in one of the worst natural disasters of recent times. The representative of El Salvador, speaking on behalf of the countries concerned, thanked the Government of Argentina and all the participants in the Conference for the expression of their solidarity with the victims of the disaster and stressed the urgent need for aid from the international community to respond to their needs. On the proposal of the representative of Indonesia, speaking on behalf of the Group of 77 and China, the Conference of the Parties observed a minute's silence in tribute to the victims of the disaster.

../CP.4 Attendance of intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations at contact groups (see document FCCC/CP/1998/L.1/Rev.1)

../CP.4 Review of information and possible decisions under Article 4.2(f) (see document FCCC/CP/1998/L.2)

../CP.4 Multilateral consultative process (see document FCCC/CP/1998/L.3)