The Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice (SBSTA), at its twenty-third session, requested the secretariat of the Global Climate Observing System (GCOS) to provide a comprehensive report at its thirtieth session on progress with the Implementation Plan for the Global Observing System for Climate in Support of the UNFCCC (hereinafter referred to as the GCOS implementation plan), in addition to the regular reporting requested by the Conference of the Parties (COP) in decision 5/CP.10 (FCCC/SBSTA/2005/10, para. 94). At its thirtieth session, the SBSTA expressed its appreciation for the report on progress with the GCOS implementation plan that was submitted by the GCOS secretariat in response to the above mandate. It noted that an updated GCOS implementation plan that takes into account emerging priorities, such as the need for data for adaptation, may assist in continuing progress with GCOS implementation. It therefore invited the GCOS secretariat to prepare, under the guidance of the GCOS Steering Committee, an update of the GCOS implementation plan before its thirty-third session, including a breakdown of costs involved (FCCC/SBSTA/2009/3, paras. 57–58). At the same session, the SBSTA also invited the GCOS secretariat to provide a provisional updated implementation plan in conjunction with a provisional estimation of costs, before COP 15, and requested the secretariat to make this information available as a miscellaneous document (FCCC/SBSTA/2009/3, para. 58). In response to this request, the GCOS secretariat has submitted the provisional updated implementation plan contained in this document. In accordance with the procedure for miscellaneous documents, this submission is attached and reproduced** in the language in which it was received and without formal editing