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CAPACITY BUILDING
ISSUES IN THE NEGOTIATING PROCESS
Capacity building
| Background |
Under the Convention, the SBSTA is charged with providing advice on "ways and means of supporting endogenous capacity-building in developing countries" (Article 9), while the Kyoto Protocol commits Parties to cooperating in, and promoting, "…the strengthening of national capacity building…" (Article 10(e)). Capacity-building has featured in several COP decisions throughout the Convention process (see relevant COP decisions below), and was taken up for the first time as a separate issue by SBSTA/SBI 11 (Oct/Nov 1999).
Through its decisions 10/CP.5 and 11/CP.5, COP 5 (held in conjunction with SBSTA/SBI 11) launched a process to address capacity-building in an integrated manner, and to take a comprehensive decision at COP 6 on capacity-building in both developing countries and countries with economies in transition (EITs). COP 5 specified that this process should involve an assessment of both existing capacity-building activities and capacity-building needs and priorities, as well as co-ordination with the Capacity Development Initiative (CDI) of the Global Environment Facility and other similar activities.
Informal meetings on capacity-building were held during SBSTA/SBI 12 (June 2000). The informal meetings resulted in two "Chairman's papers" on possible elements of a framework for capacity-building in developing countries and in EITs. Parties were invited to submit comments on the Chairman's papers.
The CDI organized several regional workshops during July and August 2000 to support the regional assessment of capacity-building needs, in Eastern Europe and Central Asia; Asia and the Pacific; Africa; and Latin America and the Caribbean. AOSIS organized a further workshop, and UNITAR, in cooperation with the secretariat and with the financial support of the Government of Switzerland, organized an additional workshop for EITs. |
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| Latest developments |
| The secretariat prepared draft elements of a framework for capacity-building in both developing countries and EITs, on the basis of submissions from Parties, comments from intergovernmental organizations and the findings of the CDI, to form the basis for discussions at part I of SBSTA/SBI 13 (Lyon, Sept). Discussions at that session resulted in draft texts on capacity- building in both developing countries and EITs (see FCCC/SBI/2000/10/Add.3 and 4), which Parties agreed to forward to SBSTA/SBI 13 part II in The Hague in November. The texts going to The Hague include draft decisions and draft frameworks for capacity-building in both developing countries and EITs.
In Lyon, GEF and UNDP presented the results of the CDI assessment phase, consulted with regional groups, and announced the start of the strategy and action plan development phase of CDI. In addition, UNITAR and the North-South Dialogue announced the launch of a project assessing capacity-building needs related to the Kyoto Protocol in developing countries. Results from this project will be presented at The Hague to further inform the discussions on capacity-building.
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| Next steps |
| Parties will continue their negotiations on the draft texts on capacity-building in The Hague, first at SBSTA/SBI 13 part II (in the first week) and then at COP 6 (in the second week), with the aim of taking a comprehensive decision on capacity-building in both developing countries and EITs at COP 6.
The results of the Kyoto Protocol needs assessment project undertaken by UNITAR and the North-South Dialogue will be presented.
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| Documents prepared for the upcoming session |
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| Linkages with other issues |
| Capacity-building is also being discussed in relation with other issues negotiated at The Hague. In particular, discussions on the transfer of technology (doc?), Articles 4.8/4.9 of the Convention and Article 3.14 of the Kyoto Protocol (doc?), Mechanisms (doc?), and Additional Guidance to the Financial Mechanism (doc?) have relevant capacity-building issues. |
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| Relevant COP decisions |
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| Key documents prepared for earlier sessions |
| SBSTA/SBI 13 |
| FCCC/SB/2000/8 |
Capacity-building in developing countries (non-Annex I Parties) |
| FCCC/SB/2000/9 |
Capacity-building in countries with economies in transition |
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| SBSTA/SBI 12 |
| FCCC/SB/2000/INF.1 and Add.1 |
Compilation and synthesis of information on capacity-building needs and priorities of developing countries (non-Annex I Parties) |
| FCCC/SB/2000/INF.2 |
Compilation and synthesis of information on capacity-building needs and priorities of Parties included in Annex I to the Convention but not included in Annex II (EIT Parties) |
| FCCC/SB/2000/INF.3 |
Compilation and synthesis of information from Annex II Parties and relevant intergovernmental organizations on their capacity-building activities and programmes |
| FCCC/SB/2000/INF.4 |
Report on the progress in the review by the Global Environmental Facility of its enabling activities, its capacity-building activities in its normal work programme, its Country Dialogue Workshops and its Capacity Development Initiative |
| FCCC/SB/2000/INF.6 |
Submissions from Parties not included in Annex I |
| FCCC/SB/2000/INF.7 |
Submissions from Parties included in Annex I but not included in Annex II |
| FCCC/SB/2000/INF.8 and Add.1 |
Submissions from Parties included in Annex II |
| FCCC/SB/2000/INF.9 |
Submissions from relevant intergovernmental organizations on their on-going capacity-building activities |
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This agenda item is supported by IOAS/OR
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© UNFCCC
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