Subsidiary bodies negotiations continue into the weekend

Due, in part, to a bomb scare that resulted in the abandonment of negotiations on Thursday afternoon, negotiators convened at the Maritim Hotel on Saturday for a number of formal and informal meetings. The Joint Working Group on compliance issues completed a first round of exchanges with agreement to have parties submit suggestions for a questionnaire and to await an outline work programme to be prepared by the Co-chairs. In a number of other meetings, negotiators addressed LULUCF, the AIJ pilot phase, and communications from Annex I and non-Annex I Parties.

The slow pace of negotiations as delegations struggle with the growing complexity of issues before them is of growing concern among participants and observers. Michael Grub, author of a forthcoming volume, The Kyoto Protocol: A Guide and Assessment (1999), speaking at a special event, went so far as to suggest that complexity may even out-weigh the importance of United States ratification as an emerging issue. The complexity issue has particularly serious implications for developing country participation. The G-77/China has repeatedly reminded other negotiators in Bonn that the group does not convene during intersessional periods. The possibility of holding more, informal, meetings to help the negotiators meet their deadlines for the Buenos Aires Action Plan is under active consideration.