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THINGS TO LOOK FOR TODAY

MAIN COMMITTEE: Although the Main Committee will not meet today, most of the contact groups will meet and numerous informal consultations will be held. Tommy Koh will hold consultations on a number of outstanding issues: the status of the Rio Declaration; the proposed convention on desertification; a generic solution to the presence of the phrase "people under occupation" in Agenda 21; how to deal with the 150+ paragraphs in Agenda 21 that deal with finance; and the dispute between the countries with economies in transition and the G-77.

FRESHWATER: Amb. Bukar Shaib, the Chair of the contact group, is expected to distribute text for the introductory paragraph today. Participants are hopeful that the text will address concerns of all regional and interest groups and that it can be accepted with minimal amendments.

TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER: When the contact group resumes work this afternoon, it is expected to continue negotiating the remaining bracketed paragraphs. It is expected that the US will return to the meeting with a response to the G-77's proposal to accept the existing text on terms of transfer of technology. Whether or not the US's response will be accepted by the G-77 remains to be seen.

FINANCIAL RESOURCES: Negotiations should begin immediately this afternoon on the Chair's draft text. The financial resources chapter could be completed today. The Contact Group may still have dozens of paragraphs from other "Means of Implementation" sections to address.

FORESTS PRINCIPLES: More sub-contact groups and the contact group will meet starting this morning. If progress is not made soon, this contact group will face late-night sessions.

INSTRUMENTS: The Instruments contact group will meet this morning to resolve the outstanding bracketed text on environmental standards as barriers to trade.

INSTITUTIONS: The Institutions contact group will meet tonight to resolve the outstanding concerns surrounding the Chair's compromise text. The most contentious issue will be the question of national reporting. Watch for the G-77 and the US to continue to oppose this provision.

ATMOSPHERE: The Atmosphere contact group resumes its work on Monday to take up discussions on the second and most contentious Programme Area B "Promoting sustainable development". It was this programme area, that led the Arab Group at PrepCom IV to call for the entire chapter to be bracketed.

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