ENB:09:24
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CONTACT GROUPS
Agenda Items 6.1, 6.2, 6.3: The contact group coordinated by Antigua and Barbuda met to consider text for agenda items 6.1 (Policy, strategy, programme priorities and eligibility criteria), 6.2 (Institutional structure to operate the financial mechanism) and 6.3 (List of developing country Parties and other Parties). In the afternoon, the group presented a draft decision and three annexes. The Chair said they should be viewed as a package reflecting a balanced attempt to reflect all regional groups and other interests in the debate. The draft decision: agrees that the restructured GEF will continue as the interim institutional structure to operate the financial mechanism; instructs the GEF to support the policy, strategy, programme priorities, and eligibility criteria in Annex I of the decision; authorizes the Interim Secretariat to consult with the GEF on the MOU to be considered at COP-II; lists in Annex III interim guidelines for evaluation of the GEF; and requests that the Interim Secretariat produce for COP-II a report on the financial mechanism and a study on the availability of financial resources additional to those provided by the restructured GEF. Annex II, the list of developed country Parties and other parties that assume developed country Parties’ obligations, lists no countries in the latter category. The Chair said that the interim guidelines in Annex III provided a means for the interim institutional structure to function until the MOU at COP-II. Agenda Items 6.4,7, and 8: The contact group coordinated by Canada completed all outstanding matters in the Draft Statement from the COP to the CSD. In paragraph 11 bis (list of issues to be addressed in the COP report to the CSD), delegates agreed that the final list of issues would be determined, pending the conclusion of the medium-term work programme. Delegates agreed on criteria for inclusion: whether the issue was conducive to coordination with other UN bodies; whether the issue required immediate action; and whether it could be expressed concisely. In paragraph 9 bis (new era concerning access to genetic resources), delegates agreed on the importance of conveying to the CSD the new regime established by the Convention. Nevertheless, it was felt that the language was too ambitious. Delegates agreed to the deletion of references to the sovereign rights of States and to national authority to regulate access. In paragraph 13 (COP contribution to the CSD’s forests discussions), delegates agreed to new wording that refers to the importance of biodiversity in the ecosystem functioning of forests and the role of the COP in emphasizing the importance of conservation, management and the sustainable use for achieving the objectives of the Convention. Delegates also agreed to new and additional text that refers to the COP exploring ways to cooperate in the work of the Desertification Convention in the light of the complementarity of the two mandates. The group reviewed the draft medium-term work programme and commenced the process of prioritizing those issues to be considered by the SBSTTA. A small group will attempt to finalize this list by Tuesday. Agenda Items 6.5, 6.6, 9 and 10: The contact group coordinated by Mauritania met Saturday afternoon and Sunday evening to address several outstanding issues, including the medium-term work programme, the budget and biosafety. A small working group met in closed session on Monday to address the annex to the medium-term work programme. The revised text notes that the work programme will be developed on the basis of standing and rolling issues. Standing issues will include: matters relating to the financial mechanism; report from the Secretariat on the administration of the Convention and budget for the Secretariat; report from, and consideration of recommendations to, the SBSTTA; reports by the Parties on implementation of the Convention; report on, assessment and review of the operation of the clearing-house mechanism; relationship of the Convention to the CSD, and biodiversity related conventions, other international agreements, institutions, and processes of relevance to agenda items of the COP. The rotating agenda will be developed in a flexible manner, in accordance with the decisions of the COP, the SBSTTA and any working groups established by the COP. Several items within the medium-term work programme were deferred pending further consideration by the contact group. These included: biotechnology; thematic ecosystem focus; intellectual property rights; identification, monitoring and assessment; consideration of matters related to benefit-sharing; mid-term activities to be addressed by intersessional open-ended preparatory meeting(s) coordinated by the Chair of the COP; capacity-building regarding articles 6-19 of the Convention; a Secretariat-sponsored study of existing legislation and information on access to genetic resources and the equitable sharing of benefits arising from their utilization; and COP-II consideration of a Secretariat- sponsored study on the implications for and interaction between TRIPs and the Convention. Discussion regarding the budget for the Secretariat of the Convention also remained closed. Key elements under consideration included funding for: executive direction and management; intergovernmental processes and cooperative arrangements; the financial mechanism and economic analysis; legal advice and support; and scientific, technical and technological matters.