2019 - Summaries of consultations with the Chairs and Coordinators of regional groups and constituencies

Summary of the consultations on nominations for elections with the Chairs and Coordinators of regional groups and constituencies, held during the Climate Change Conference, Madrid, Spain, on Thursday, 12 December 2019

The fifth and final consultations on the nominations for the election for bodies under the Convention, Kyoto Protocol and Paris Agreement, chaired by Ms. Una May Gordon, Vice President of the COP/CMP/CMA Bureau, were convened on Thursday, 12 December 2019.

Vice President Gordon urged Chairs and Coordinators to transmit the final nominations by close of business. She also reminded Chairs and Coordinators to confirm the members of the Paris Agreement Article 15 Implementation and Compliance Committee and who should be elected to serve for a 2-year or a 3-year term of office. She also expressed appreciation for the agreement reached on the nominations for election of SBSTA Chair and Rapporteur of the Bureau of the COP/CMP/CMA.

Vice President Gordon expressed her gratitude to all Chairs, Coordinators and advisors for their active and constructive engagement in these consultations during the past year.

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The fourth and final consultations on the nominations for the election for bodies under the Convention, Kyoto Protocol and Paris Agreement, chaired by Ms. Una May Gordon, Vice President of the COP/CMP/CMA Bureau, were convened on Monday, 9 December 2019.

Noting that only 23 out of 157 nominations were received as of 13:00 hours today, corresponding to 14 per cent of the nominations due, Vice-President Gordon urged Chairs and Coordinators to intensify consultations and submit all final nominations by the extended deadline of Tuesday, 10 December 2019. Vice President Gordon also requested Chairs and Coordinators to transmit nominations for SBSTA Vice Chair and Rapporteur, and SBI Vice Chair by 15:00 hours today so that the SBSTA and SBI can proceed with these elections at their closing plenaries later today.

Chairs and Coordinators were also reminded to transmit the outstanding nominations for the newly established bodies at COP 24 (Katowice Committee on Response measures, and the LCIPP Facilitative Working Group), as well as for the two newly established constituted bodies under the Paris Agreement (the Article 15 Implementation and Compliance Committee, and the Article 6, paragraph 4, body).

For those nominations that are not received for the elections at the closing plenaries of the COP, CMP and CMA, Vice President Gordon proposed to recommend to the President and the Bureau that the COP, CMP and CMA invite groups and constituencies to continue consultations and transmit the outstanding nominations to the secretariat by the latest 28 February 2020, and upon receipt by the secretariat the nominees will be deemed elected retroactively at COP 25, CMP 15 and CMA 2. Chairs and Coordinators agreed with this proposal.

Vice President Gordon also reminded Chairs and Coordinators that if no elections are held at COP 25 for open positions for the following bodies, in accordance with the applicable rules of procedure the members and alternate members currently serving in these positions will remain in office until the nomination of their successors are received:

COP, CMP and CMA Bureau;
SBSTA Rapporteur;
Adaptation Committee;
CDM Executive Board;
CTCN Advisory Board;
Joint Implementation Supervisory Committee;
Technology Executive Committee; and
WIM Executive Committee;

However, if no elections are held at COP 25 for open positions on the following bodies, in accordance with the applicable rules of procedure the positions will remain vacant until the nominations are received:

Adaptation Fund Board;
Consultative Group of Experts;
Kyoto Protocol Compliance Committee; and
Paris Committee on Capacity-Building.

Noting that vacancies will adversely affect the work of constituted bodies, Vice President Gordon reiterated her request to Chairs and Coordinators to transmit all outstanding nominations by the extended deadline to ensure the full membership of all bodies so that they are able to conduct their work and fulfil their mandates in an efficient and effective manner.

Chairs and Coordinators informed that consultations are in good progress and they will endeavor to submit the final nominations by the extended deadline of 10 December 2019.

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The third consultations on the nominations for the election of officers of bodies under the Convention, Kyoto Protocol and Paris Agreement, chaired by Mrs. Una May Gordon, Vice President of the COP/CMP/CMA Bureau, were convened on Tuesday, 3 December 2019.

Recalling that at the opening of COP 25, the President informed the COP that to date only 8 out of the 157 nominations due for the COP 25 elections have been received, representing 5 per cent of the nominations, Vice President Gordon urged Chairs and Coordinators to intensify consultations and conclude and transmit the final nominations for their respective groups and constituencies as early as possible and before deadline of Saturday, 7 December2019. As requested by the President, Vice President Gordon reminded Chairs and Coordinators to nominate men and women equally in order to achieve the collective goal of gender balance on UNFCCC bodies.

Vice President Gordon also urged Chairs and Coordinators to transmit the nominations for the members of the COP/CMP/CMA bureau to ensure election of the full membership of the Bureau, noting that agreed nominees to the Bureau would be invited attend, as observers, meetings of the Bureau convened during the Conference. She also urged Chairs and Coordinators to transmit the nominations for the bureau of SBSTA and SBI as soon as possible so that the subsidiary bodies can conduct the elections at the closing sessions on Monday, 9 December 2019.

Noting the ongoing negotiations of the body established by Article 6, paragraph 4, of the Paris Agreement, Vice President Gordon invited Chairs and Coordinators to monitor those negotiations and be ready to transmit nominations so that members of this new body can be elected at the closing sessions next week.

The secretariat provided an update on the 2019 annual report on gender balance in the UNFCCC process, and made a presentation on the new elections submission portal whereby Chairs and Coordinators can submit nominations online.

Chairs and Coordinators informed that consultations within their respective groups and constituencies are advancing and that they expect to transmit nominations to the secretariat this week and before the deadline.

The final consultations will be convened on Monday, 9 December 2019.

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Summary of the consultations on elections with the Chairs and Coordinators of regional groups and constituencies, held during the Bonn Climate Change Conference, Monday, 24 June 2019, in Bonn, Germany

The second consultations on the nominations for the election of offices of bodies under the Convention, the Kyoto Protocol and the Paris Agreement, chaired by Mrs. Una May Gordon, Vice President of the COP/CMP/CMA Bureau, were convened on Monday, 24 June 2019.

Chairs and Coordinators informed that consultations within their respective groups and constituencies to reach agreement on the nominations are progressing steadily. Some Chairs and Coordinators informed that they aim to transmit nominations by the end of the Bonn conference. Some Chairs and Coordinators informed that they aim to transmit nominations during the inter-sessional period in advance of COP 25.

Vice President Gordon encouraged Chairs and Coordinators to intensify consultations within their respective groups and constituencies and to transmit the nominations as early as possible and in advance of the conference in Santiago.

The next consultations will be convened in Santiago at COP 25.

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Summary of the consultations on elections with the Chairs and Coordinators of regional groups and constituencies, held during the Bonn Climate Change Conference, Tuesday, 18 June 2019, in Bonn, Germany

The first consultations on the nominations for the election of officers under the Convention, the Kyoto Protocol and the Paris Agreement were convened on Tuesday, 18 June 2019. The consultations were chaired by Ms. Una May Gordon, Vice-President of the COP/CMP/CMA Bureau.

Recalling that 28 nominations for constituted bodies are outstanding from COP 24 and recent resignations, Vice-President Gordon urged Chairs and Coordinators to intensify their consultations and transmit these outstanding nominations to the secretariat by Monday, 24 June 2019. Vice-President Gordon noted that these vacancies were hampering the proper functioning of these bodies to undertake their mandates, and noted that in some cases, some regional groups have not been represented at the meetings of these bodies convened in the first half of this year.

Vice-President Gordon also informed Chairs that over 140 nominations are expected for the elections to be held at COP 25 in Santiago, Chile. Following the approach applied for the COP 24 elections, Vice-president Gordon recommended that Chairs and Coordinators may wish to prioritize transmitting the nominations for those members and alternate members who are eligible for re-election for an additional term of office in their current position, noting that 72 such members and alternate members are eligible for re-election. She urged Chairs and Coordinators to transmit these 72 nominations to the secretariat by Monday, 24 June 2019. Nominations for those positions where the members or alternate members are not eligible for re-election could be addressed afterwards.

Chairs and Coordinators expressed their appreciation for the information on the elections and nominations provided by the secretariat and made available on UNFCCC website. In response to request for more information on the regional groups that have served in the positions of Chairs of SBSTA and SBI, the Chair informed that the secretariat will provide this information to all Chairs and Coordinators shortly.

Vice-President Gordon also encouraged Chairs and Coordinators to improve efforts to achieve the goal of gender equity and balance in their nominations this year.

Chairs and Coordinators informed that their internal consultations are in good progress and they will aim to transmit the nominations for their respective groups and constituencies by the deadline.

The next consultations will be held during the week of 24 June 2019.