Background

Pursuant to decision 18/CMA.1 on the modalities, procedures and guidelines for the transparency framework for action and support, the SBSTA is requested to develop, inter alia, common tabular formats (CTF) for the electronic reporting of the information on financial, technology development and transfer and capacity-building (FTC) support provided and mobilized, as well as support needed and received, under Articles 9–11 of the Paris Agreement.

To maximize progress of work on this SBSTA agenda sub-item, and minimize disruption and delay stemming from the COVID-19 pandemics, the SBSTA Chair consulted with Groups of Parties informally in September 2020 on how to advance the work on this matter in the lead up to SBSTA 52 session in 2021. Following these informal consultations, the SBSTA Chair requested the UNFCCC secretariat to organize some transparency related events, including an informal dialogue to initiate a technical discussion among Parties on possible options for designing CTF for the electronic reporting of the information on FTC support provided and mobilized, as well as support needed and received.

Objectives and description

This informal dialogue, which will be organized under the authority of the SBSTA Chair, has the following objectives:

• Enhance understanding of various reporting issues and approaches in compiling and reporting quantitative and qualitative information on FTC support in biennial reports (BRs) and biennial update reports (BURs);
• Discuss challenges and possible solutions in compiling and reporting information on FTC support provided and mobilized, as well as support needed and received;
• Exchange views and ideas on possible design of the CTF for the FTC support.

The informal dialogue will be opened by the SBSTA Chair and will feature a short presentation by the UNFCCC secretariat, followed by a Parties' presentations on key challenges, approaches and opportunities in reporting information on FTC support provided and mobilized, as well as needed and received.

To facilitate the discussion, the following guiding questions have been prepared:

• What have been your experiences with regard to reporting on FTC support provided and mobilized, needed and received in BRs and BURs? How are the linkages between the information on finance, technology and capacity-building support currently reflected, and how could they be reflected under the BTRs?
• What new elements are needed to enhance the reporting on FTC support provided and mobilized, needed and received under the BTRs? How could they be best captured in the BTR CTFs?
• In what ways could transparency, consistency, and comparability of reporting on FTC support be enhanced over time? How could FTC tables be designed to facilitate harmonization of reporting approaches over time?

Proposed programme