You are viewing our old site. See the new one here

ENB:04:88 [Next] . [Previous] . [Contents]

WORKING GROUP II

Chair Takao Shibata (Japan) called the meeting to order at 12:30 pm and reviewed the group's tentative schedule. Working Group II will consider: rules of procedure (A/AC.241/48/Rev.1); scientific and technological cooperation (A/AC.241/57); and communication of information and review of implementation (A/AC.241/49/Rev. 1 and 58). He suggested that the Group leave unresolved as little as possible for consideration at future sessions of the INCD. A report will be made available to participants on Thursday, 5 September, regarding benchmarks and indicators.

RULES OF PROCEDURE: During the afternoon meeting, the Group suspended discussion for one hour to allow the G-77 and China to develop a common position. The Chair suggested that delegates begin with consideration of Rule 23 (powers of the President). Benin reminded delegates that brackets remain in Rules 5 (notification of sessions) and 6 (participation of UN and specialized agencies). The Chair reminded delegates that Rule 22 (election of officers) has brackets because there was no decision on the size of the Bureau. The heading for Rule 23 was changed to "general" powers of the President. Rules 24 to 30 were agreed as drafted in A/AC.241/48/Rev.1.

In Rule 31 (election of officers of subsidiary bodies), Benin, on behalf of the G-77 and China, proposed adding a reference to officers of "subsidiary bodies" in the heading and deleting the reference to election of the chairperson by the COP "unless the COP decides otherwise." The UK supported the flexibility that the "unless" phrase added, and proposed extending the clause to the election of vice-chairs, but the G-77 and China objected. The US proposed qualifying the text by adding "without prejudice to Rule 22" (election of officers). The Chair proposed adding a sentence prior to the draft text noting that the chair of the Committee on Science and Technology will be decided by the COP and retaining the Rule as drafted. Delegates agreed.

[Return to start of article]