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UP FROM THE BEACH

Despite the heated debate on the GEF earlier this week, many delegates have remarked on the increased degree of conciliation and pragmatism that has characterized this COP. Last week showed an emerging spirit of willingness to move from rhetoric to the concrete action needed to ensure effective implementation. Indeed, the fact that delegates were ready to resolve preliminary procedural items as quickly as they did, evidenced a willingness to get down to the real substantive business of the COP, such as the determination of the medium-term work programme, the designation of the permanent secretariat, the susidiary bodies, and resolution of the issues pertaining to the financial mechanism. While governments are not as polarized as they were in Nairobi, they have one very short week available to them to reach consensus on some very difficult issues before the COP. Concerns have been raised about the extremely small number of OECD ministers (8 out of 67) who will be participating in the high- level segment of the COP, despite the large attendance expected from G-77 Ministers. Some have questioned whether the proportion is indicative of the relative degree of political will that can be expected in the implementation phase.