Highlights for Wednesday, 12 December

Plenary reconvened on Wednesday morning to review progress in the Working Groups on institutional matters (chaired by Richard Cowan, UK) and the scope of the future instrument (chaired by Richard Bazine, Kenya), and clarify the way forward. In the afternoon, Plenary considered the Working Groups’ reports. Both Working Groups continued and concluded their discussions later in the afternoon.

Meeting Chair Rolph Payet, Seychelles, then established two new Working Groups, which met late afternoon. Working Group I, chaired by Herman Oosthuizen, South Africa, was mandated to draft the objectives, scope, structure and broad articles of the future instrument. Working Group II, chaired by Selby Remie, Seychelles, outlined the main mechanism for engagement, membership structure and institutional structure, as well as the priority issues that will need to be addressed in the instrument.