Delegates to INC3 met in plenary on Thursday morning to discuss Section J of the draft text, on awareness-raising, research and monitoring, and communication of information. This section includes articles on: information exchange; public information, awareness and education; research, development and monitoring; implementation plans; reporting; and effectiveness evaluation. After a lengthy exchange of views, Chair Lugris established a contact group on these issues (the “information group”) and appointed Daniel Ziegerer (Switzerland) and Alejandro Riviera Becerra (Mexico) as co-chairs.
Chair Lugris then suspended plenary to allow five contact groups to meet at scheduled intervals throughout the day and evening, with only two contact groups meeting at any given time. The groups meeting on Thursday included: the information group; the finance group; and the groups on products and processes; storage, wastes and contaminated sites; and emissions and releases. In addition, the Legal Group met throughout the day.
Plenary was scheduled to reconvene at 8:00pm to begin discussions on two new sections of the draft text: institutional arrangements and further development of the convention. |