ENB @ CBD IEG-4, 30 Novembe - 1 December 2001, Montreal, Canada

		Fourth Meeting of the Open-ended Intergovernmental Group of Ministers or their Representatives on International Environmental Governance

Highlights for Saturday, 1 December 2001

CLOSING PLENARY:

On the final day of the fourth meeting of the Open-Ended Intergovernmental Group of Ministers or Their Representatives on International Environmental Governance, delegates met in Working Groups and in plenary. Chair Anderson called the closing Plenary to order late on Saturday afternoon, 1 December. He invited the Chairs of the three working groups to report on progress.

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ENB Summary

Dec 03

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	WORKING GROUP I
	Working Group I Chair Roch (left) reported on discussions and explained that the Secretariat had worked overnight to produce a revised version of the President's Proposals on improving policy coherence and on the role and structure of the GMEF, following deliberations by the working group on Friday evening.

	Colombia reminded the Chair that delegations could not progress beyond the mandates received from their capitals, and invited the Secretariat to seek a refinement of the advice on the legal status of the GMEF. Right photo: Colombian delegation with Klaus Töpfer, UNEP Executive Director and Minister David Anderson (CANADA)

	Canada, the EU, and Antigua and Barbuda (far right with Patrick Szell, UK) welcomed Norway's proposals on an intergovernmental panel for assessing global environmental change (UNEP/IGM/4/CRP.1), and a strategic plan of action for implementation support (UNEP/IGM/4/CRP.2).

	WORKING GROUP II
	Chair Miyingo (right) summarized Working Group II's discussions on improved coordination and coherence between MEAs, capacity building, technology transfer and country-level coordination, and the role of the EMG. He noted that good progress had been made, and that a revised Chair's text (UNEP/IGM/4/CRP.3), based on the President's Proposals and the discussions of the working group had been agreed.

	Egypt, on behalf of the G-77/China, emphasized that back-to-back meetings are inappropriate because they are too long and draw on different constituencies at the national level.

	The UN Framework Convention on Climate Change Secretariat supported the idea of pilot clustering, but said it is not appropriate in all circumstances, noted that functional clustering raises issues of accountability, and highlighted the impracticality of clustering approaches to compliance monitoring. Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal described its experience with clustering activities of mutual interest with the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) and the Rotterdam Convention on Prior Informed Consent (PIC).

	WORKING GROUP ON FINANCING FOR UNEP :
	Chair Brende (second from right) summarized the progress of the working group on strengthening the role, authority, and financial situation of UNEP. He noted general agreement that UN General Assembly Resolution 2997, on contributions to UNEP from the UN regular budget, must be implemented. He stated that: some countries favored voluntary assessed contributions while others expressed reservations; mandatory assessed contributions are not perceived as realistic; and a legal view regarding how voluntary assessed contributions would impact the UN system is needed.

	CLOSING REMARKS:
	President Anderson reminded participants that UNEP Governing Council Decision 21/21 had established the IGM to strengthen IEG. He said the IGM had been mandated to report to the next special session of the GMEF GC, which will conduct an in-depth evaluation of IEG and come to a decision to be conveyed to the WSSD preparatory process.

	Iran (left), on behalf of the G-77/China, the EU and the US thanked the Canadian hosts, President Anderson and the Secretariat.

	UNEP Deputy Executive Director Donald Kaniaru, on behalf of UNEP Executive Director Klaus Töpfer, thanked the delegations for their commitment to the continuation of the IEG process and thanked Canada for hosting IGM-4. President Anderson drew the IGM-4 meeting to a close on Saturday, 1 December, at 6:00 pm

	IEG Secretariat web site with official documents and information for participants ENB Coverage of the Third IEG Meeting ENB Coverage of the Second IEG Meeting ENB Coverage of the First IEG Meeting at the 9th Session of the CSD ENB Summary of Expert Consultations on IEG Linkages page for the UNEP Governing Council