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CONSULTATIONS ON ADEQUACY OF COMMITMENTS

Amb. Bo Kjellén (Sweden) convened the first consultations on the adequacy of commitments on Friday morning. Since there were no formal meetings in session, Room 7 was the place to be and drew a standing-room-only crowd. Although the large number of delegates was not conducive to drafting, delegates were able to further exchange views on possible elements of a mandate for consultations on commitments. At 3:00 pm, Kjellén met with the heads of the regional and interest groups to discuss how to proceed on this matter and at 4:30 pm, the consultations reconvened. By the end of the afternoon, it was clear that no progress could be made. The Chair requested that the G-77 and China meet and reconsider its position and report back at the next meeting.

The G-77 and China met on Saturday afternoon to discuss its position. By 4:30 pm it appeared as though there was a deadlock and it was proposed that the G-77 meeting adjourn and that a meeting of "like minded States" be convened in its place. The like-minded States meeting proved to be productive and the group tabled its proposed elements of a mandate for consultations on commitments when Kjellén's group reconvened Saturday evening. This text was greeted with cautious optimism. The group was scheduled to reconvene on Sunday afternoon.