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IN THE CORRIDORS III

Discussion on the Chair’s draft decision on administrative arrangements for the designation of the Permanent Secretariat was postponed twice, due to informal negotiations that have been going on for two days. The text in question relates to the proposal to not have the Permanent Secretariat fully integrated into the work programme and management structure of any particular department or programme of the host institution. Legal experts argued that, while this language was adopted in the conventions on climate change (FCCC) and biodiversity (CBD), the relationship between the Secretariat and its institutional host (the UN or UNEP, respectively) had to be revisited at later meetings of the COP. By the late afternoon, alternative text that was drafted through informal consultations was reportedly acceptable to the negotiators.