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IN THE CORRIDORS II

Some delegates commented on the slow start INCD-10 has had. First, only a brief opening plenary was held on Monday morning, 6 January, to allow for regional group consultations. Then the negotiations of Working Group II were postponed until Thursday, 9 January, to allow for full attention to the negotiations on the crucial Global Mechanism issue in Working Group I on Wednesday, 8 January. Despite the fact that, at the conclusion of INCD-9, many delegates believed that an eleventh INCD session was unnecessary, some think that the pace at this session seems to suggest otherwise.

Rumors are rife that a “resumed INCD-10” may be held in Geneva or New York in August, only a month before the first Conference of the Parties, which is scheduled for 29 September to 9 October in Rome. However, some noted that this would entail a tough schedule for the Interim Secretariat between the two meetings and that Chair Kjellén may want to hold informal consultations during the months between INCD-10 and the first Conference of the Parties to resolve any outstanding issues.