ENB:10:18
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OPEN-ENDED WORKING GROUP
The Chair, Amb. Wlosowicz (Poland), outlined the important areas of consensus that were reached as a result of informal consultations last week. He first addressed Agenda Item 5, "Draft provisional rules of procedure of the Summit" (A/CONF.166/ PC/L.6). Wlosowicz reported a general consensus on the number and distribution of Bureau seats. Delegates preferred a relatively small Bureau, including 27 Vice-Presidents with the same geographic representation as the International Conference on Population and Development: Africa (7); Asia (6); Western Europe and Others (6); Latin America and the Caribbean (5); and Eastern Europe (3).
Germany, on behalf of the EU, proposed amending Rule 1 so that it would read: "The delegation of each State and the European Community participating in the Summit..." -- as was the case in the Rules of Procedure for both the Rio and Cairo Conferences. The Chair noted that these amendments, after consideration by the UN Legal Office, would be integrated into the text. A list of these revisions will be distributed on Tuesday.
Wlosowicz then turned to Agenda Item 3, "Status of the preparations for the Summit" (A/CONF.166/PC/15). The informal consultations led to a proposal for the Summit to take place in three stages:
- 6-8 March: Plenary exchange of views among governments, NGOs and intergovernmental agencies. The exact form (panels, hearings, etc.) remains to be determined by the Secretariat and the Bureau, but the idea is to allow opportunities for interaction.
- 9 March: A "Ministerial Meeting" to be addressed by delegations who are not represented by a Head of State or Government, as well as by executive representatives of UN agencies and programmes.
- 10-12 March: Meeting of Heads of State or Government comprised of: two sessions each day on Friday and Saturday, 10-11 March (with the possibility of an evening session on Friday) and a closing session and adoption of the Summit documents on Sunday, 12 March.
The Netherlands, supported by Australia, Antigua and Barbuda and Burkina Faso, suggested that the discussions between the Bureau and the Secretariat about the structure of the first portion of the Summit give serious and special consideration to International Women's Day on 8 March. Antigua and Barbuda suggested the linkage of governmental meetings and NGO activities on International Women's Day.
In response to Australia's questions regarding schedule flexibility and the resolution of outstanding issues, the Chair underscored the possibility of extending the ministerial meeting to Thursday evening, if necessary. He further noted that the Main Committee will discuss unresolved issues during the first three days of the Summit.
The Chair closed by noting that a detailed outline of the above proposed amendments would be available Tuesday.