Under the Convention, Annex II Parties have a commitment "to take all practicable steps to promote, facilitate and finance … the transfer of, or access to, environmentally sound technologies and know-how…" particularly to developing countries (Article 4.5). This commitment is echoed in similar provisions under the Kyoto Protocol.

Parties have taken decisions to promote the development and transfer of environmentally sound technologies at each session of the COP (see relevant COP decisions below). At COP 4, Parties decided to give new impetus to this issue by adopting decision 4/CP.4, which requested the Chairman of the SBSTA to establish a "consultative process" on technology transfer. Decision 4/CP.4 stated that the consultative process should consider a list of issues and questions set out in an annex to the decision, as well as any additional issues and questions subsequently identified by Parties. The process should then make recommendations on how the issues and questions should be addressed in order to achieve agreement on a "framework for meaningful and effective actions" to enhance the development and transfer of technology under the Convention.

At COP 5, Parties decided to extend the consultative process to COP 6, and invited the SBSTA Chairman to prepare a draft text on a "framework for meaningful and effective actions" to be considered at SBSTA 13 part I in Lyon in September.

As part of the consultative process, the SBSTA Chairman has undertaken consultations with a representative group of Parties and experts during SBSTA sessions. Three regional workshops have also been held, in Arusha, United Republic of Tanzania, on 16-18 August 1999, in Cebu, the Philippines, on 17-19 January 2000, and in San Salvador, El Salvador, on 29-31 March 2000. In order to accelerate progress in preparation for COP 6, the SBSTA Chairman also convened an informal consultation on 2-4 August 2000 in Colorado, USA.

At SBSTA 13 part I, Parties met in a contact group to discuss the draft text on a "framework for meaningful and effective actions", prepared by the SBSTA Chairman. The work of the contact group resulted in a revised draft text (see FCCC/SBSTA/2000/10/Add.4), which will be further considered when the SBSTA meets again in The Hague in November, along with additional submissions made by Parties in Lyon.

The revised draft text sets out five key themes and areas for meaningful and effective actions, namely: Technology needs and needs assessment; Technology information; Enabling environments; Capacity-building; and Mechanisms for technology transfer.

Negotiations aimed at preparing a draft decision for COP 6 will continue in The Hague, initially based on the revised draft text prepared in Lyon, first at part II of SBSTA 13 (in the first week), then at COP 6 (in the second week).

The secretariat will also organize an informal meeting and a brief presentation on the outcome of the three regional workshops at SBSTA 13, part II.