14 April 2010
Published by Third World Network
www.twnside.org.sg
Conclusions of working groups on 2010 work programme
Geneva, 14 April (Meena Raman) – The two working groups under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Kyoto Protocol met in Bonn, Germany from the 9 April and concluded their meetings on 12 April 2010 which focused on the organization and methods of work in 2010.
Below are the conclusions of the 9th session Ad-hoc Working Group on Long-term Cooperative Action (AWG-LCA) and the 11th session Ad-hoc Working Group on the Kyoto Protocol (AWG-LCA) respectively.
Conclusions on organization and methods of work in 2010 adopted by the AWG-LCA under the Convention at its ninth session –
1. The Ad Hoc Working Group on Long-term Cooperative Action under the Convention (AWG-LCA) recalled its mandate in decision 1/CP.13 (Bali Action Plan) to enable the full, effective and sustained implementation of the Convention through long-term cooperative action.
2. The AWG-LCA further recalled decision 1/CP.15 that extended the mandate of the AWG-LCA with a view to presenting the outcome of its work to the Conference of the Parties (COP) for adoption at its sixteenth session.
3. The AWG-LCA took note of the views expressed by Parties in their submissions and in statements made during the plenary meetings of this session.
4. The AWG-LCA invited its Chair to prepare, under her own responsibility, a text to facilitate negotiations among Parties, drawing on the report of the AWG-LCA presented to the COP at its fifteenth session, as well as work undertaken by the COP on the basis of that report, and to make this text available two weeks in advance of the tenth session of the AWG-LCA.
5. The AWG-LCA invited Parties to make submissions containing additional views, by 26 April at the latest, which the Chair may draw upon in the preparation of her draft text for consideration by Parties at its tenth session.
6. The AWG-LCA invited its Chair to propose, through her scenario notes, an indicative roadmap, and invited Parties to submit to the secretariat, by 4 May 2010, their views on this matter.
7. The AWG-LCA agreed that its tenth session would be held in conjunction with the thirty-second sessions of the Subsidiary Body for Implementation (SBI) and the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice (SBSTA), as well as to hold its thirteenth session in conjunction with the sixteenth session of the COP for as long as necessary. The AWG-LCA further agreed that its sessions would be held in conjunction with those of the Ad Hoc Working Group on Further Commitments for Annex I Parties under the Kyoto Protocol.
8. The AWG-LCA agreed that in order to conclude its work it would need to hold two sessions between its tenth session and the sixteenth session of the COP, of a duration of at least one week each, while ensuring sufficient negotiating time as well as allowing sufficient time between sessions to enable Parties to consult and prepare in order to enable the AWG-LCA to continue its work with a view to presenting the outcome of its work to the COP for adoption at its sixteenth session. The AWG-LCA requested the secretariat to make the necessary arrangements.
9. The AWG-LCA took note of a proposal for the SBI to consider the option that a high-level session be held between the thirty-second sessions of the SBI and the SBSTA and the sixteenth session of the COP to provide guidance.
10. The AWG-LCA invited Parties in a position to do so to offer, as soon as possible, to host such sessions.
11. The AWG-LCA expressed appreciation for the contributions received from Parties for the work of the AWG-LCA and strongly urged Parties in a position to do so to provide contributions to the Trust Fund for Participation in the UNFCCC Process and the Trust Fund for Supplementary Activities in order to ensure the widest possible participation in the negotiations, aimed at funding two delegates from each eligible Party and a third delegate from the least developed countries and small island developing States.
12. The AWG-LCA acknowledged that financial contributions or firm pledges should preferably be made by 26 April 2010 for its eleventh session and by 9 June 2010 for its twelfth and subsequent sessions, to allow the secretariat to make the necessary arrangements.
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Conclusions adopted by the Ad Hoc Working Group on Further Commitments for Annex I Parties under the Kyoto Protocol at its eleventh session
1. The Ad Hoc Working Group on Further Commitments for Annex I Parties under the Kyoto Protocol (AWG-KP) recalled decision 1/CMP.5 and reiterated that it will deliver the results of its work pursuant to decision 1/CMP.1 for adoption by the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol (CMP) at its sixth session.
2. The AWG-KP took note of the views of Parties on the need for additional meeting time in 2010 contained in document
FCCC/KP/AWG/2010/MISC.1.FCCC/AWGLCA/2010/MISC.1, as well as views expressed by Parties during its eleventh session.
3. The AWG-KP agreed to continue its work in 2010 in accordance with its work programme. It further agreed to focus its work on the issues identified in paragraph 49 (a) (“consideration of the scale of emission reductions to be achieved by Annex I Parties in aggregate”.) and (b) (“consideration of the contribution of Annex I Parties, individually or jointly, consistent with Article 4 of the Kyoto Protocol, to the scale of emission reductions to be achieved by Annex I Parties in aggregate”) of document FCCC/KP/AWG/2008/8, and to continue to work on the issues identified in paragraph 49 (c) (“other issues arising from the implementation of the work programme, with due attention to improving the environmental integrity of the Kyoto Protocol”) of the same document.
4. The AWG-KP agreed that its twelfth session would be held in conjunction with the thirty-second sessions of the Subsidiary Body for Implementation (SBI) and the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice (SBSTA), as well as to hold its fifteenth session in conjunction with the sixth session of the CMP for as long as necessary. The AWG-KP further agreed that its sessions would be held in conjunction with those of the Ad Hoc Working Group on Long-term Cooperative Action under the Convention (AWG-LCA).
5. The AWG-KP agreed that in order to conclude its work it would need to hold two sessions between its twelfth session and the sixth session of the CMP, of a duration of at least one week each, while ensuring sufficient negotiating time as well as allowing sufficient time between sessions to enable Parties to consult and prepare in order to enable the AWG-KP to continue its work and to deliver the results of its work pursuant to decision 1/CMP.1 for adoption by the CMP at its sixth session. The AWGKP requested the secretariat to make the necessary arrangements.
6. The AWG-KP took note of a proposal for the SBI to consider the option that a high-level session be held between the thirty-second sessions of the SBI and the SBSTA and the sixth session of the CMP to provide guidance.
7. The AWG-KP invited Parties in a position to do so to offer, as soon as possible, to host such sessions.
8. The AWG-KP expressed appreciation for the contributions received from Parties for the work of the AWG-KP and strongly urged Parties in a position to do so to provide contributions to the Trust Fund for Participation in the UNFCCC Process and the Trust Fund for Supplementary Activities in order to ensure the widest possible participation in the negotiations, aimed at funding two delegates from each eligible Party and a third delegate from the least developed countries and small island developing States.
9. The AWG-KP acknowledged that financial contributions or firm pledges should preferably be made by 26 April 2010 for its thirteenth session and by 9 June 2010 for the fourteenth and subsequent sessions, to allow the secretariat to make the necessary arrangements.
10. The AWG-KP requested its Chair:
(a) To prepare documentation to facilitate negotiations on the basis of the annex to the report of the AWG-KP on its tenth session,1 taking into consideration the work undertaken and decisions adopted by the CMP at its fifth session on the basis of the report of the AWGKP on its tenth session, for consideration by the AWG-KP at its twelfth session, and to make this documentation available at least two weeks before that session;
(b) To make proposals on the scheduling of the issues referred to in paragraph 3 above in his scenario note prepared for each of its sessions in 2010, bearing in mind the focus specified in that paragraph.
11. In order to make progress in its work under paragraph 3 above, the AWG-KP requested the secretariat to prepare for consideration by the AWG-KP at its twelfth session:
(a) A paper compiling pledges for emission reductions and related assumptions provided by the Parties to date and the associated emission reductions;
(b) A technical paper laying out issues relating to the transformation of pledges for emission reductions into quantified emission limitation and reduction objectives.
12. The AWG-KP noted that taking fully into account the mandate of the AWG-KP, the Chair of the AWG-KP has undertaken, under his own initiative, to meet with the Chair of the AWG-LCA to identify information on commitments of Annex I Parties which is to be made available to Parties.
(For background to conclusions of the working groups, see present and previous articles of the TWN updates 1-6.).