ENB:09:65
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CLOSING PLENARY
COP-3 President Maria Julia Alsogaray (Argentina) opened the closing Plenary and introduced consideration of Agenda Item 21, Report of the Credentials Committee. Delegates adopted the report, which included a number of recommendations, including the suggestion that the Executive Secretary distribute a sample credential letter prior to COP-4. Delegates approved the proposal that Slovakia host COP-4 from 4-15 May 1998.
COW Chair Louis Currat (Switzerland) introduced Agenda Item 24, Adoption of the Report of COP-3. He first introduced the draft decisions that were approved in the COW, as contained in UNEP/CBD/COP/3/L.3-13 and L.15-20. The texts were adopted.
Mohammad Reza Salamat (Iran), Chair of the Working Group on financial issues, introduced the three remaining draft decisions from his group: Memorandum of Understanding (L.21); Additional Guidance to the Financial Mechanism (L.22); and Guidelines for the Review of the Effectiveness of the Financial Mechanism (L.25). A number of typographical errors were corrected and the texts were adopted.
Rapporteur Raed Bani Hani (Jordan) introduced the Report of COP-3 (UNEP/CBD/COP/3/L.1, Add.1, and L.2), which was adopted. The following documents were adopted next by the Plenary: Pending Issues from COP-2 (UNEP/CBD/COP/3/L.14); Administrative Matters (L.23); Budget of the Trust Fund for the CBD (L.24 and Corr.1); Use of Languages in SBSTTA Meetings (L.27); and Convening of Regional and Subregional Meetings (L.28).
The Tribute to the Government and People of Argentina (UNEP/CBD/COP/3/L.26) was adopted by acclamation.
The CHAIR announced that the Chair of SBSTTA-3 will be A.H. Zakri (Indonesia). The current SBSTTA Chair, Peter Johan Schei (Norway), who will hold his position until the SBSTTA-3 meeting in September 1997, stated that he felt assured that the good cooperation that he has developed with SBSTTA will continue until the next COP.
In its closing statement, the G-77/CHINA stated that although in some areas COP-3 had not made as much progress as some had wished for, in general the COP had made great progress toward CBD implementation. He noted that all of the paper that had been consumed during the meeting would be recycled. The EU noted that it is now up to Parties to fulfill the tasks that had been decided upon, and stated that EU member States have pledged to accomplish this. CANADA was pleased that COP-3 had accepted the decision to hold an intersessional meeting on the concerns of indigenous and local communities, and stated that his Government would give every possible assistance to the Secretariat in facilitating intersessional activities.