THE UNFCCC GUIDELINES: AN INTRODUCTION Workshop on the Use of the Guidelines for the Preparation of National Communications from non-Annex I Parties 8-11 April 2003 Port Louis, Mauritius

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THE UNFCCC GUIDELINES AN INTRODUCTION
Workshop on the Use of the Guidelines for the
Preparation of National Communications from
non-Annex I Parties 8-11 April 2003Port Louis,
Mauritius

• Martha Perdomo
• UNFCCC secretariat
• mperdomo_at_unfccc.int

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Table of contents

• Introduction
• Background
• Guidelines adopted at COP 8 and related decisions
• CGE (decision 3/CP.8)
• New Funds

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Article 4 - Commitments

• All Parties, taking into account .
• (a) Inventory
• (b) Mitigation and adaptation
• (c) Technology transfer
• (d) Promote sustainable development
• (e) Cooperation in preparing for a adaptation,
  integrated plans
• (f) Impact assessment
• (g) Research and systematic observation
• (h) Exchange of scientific, technological,
  technical, socio- economic and legal information
• (i) Education, training and public awareness
• (j) Communicate to the COP, in accordance with
• Article 12

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Information to be communicated in national
communications (Article 12.1)

• In accordance with Article 4.1, each Party shall
  communicate to the COP, through the secretariat,
  the following elements of information
• A national inventory of anthropogenic emissions
  by sources and removals by sinks of all GHGs not
  controlled by the Montreal Protocol, to the
  extent its capacities permit, using comparable
  methodologies to be promoted and agreed upon by
  the COP
• A general description of steps taken or envisaged
  by the Party to implement the Convention and
• Any other information that the Party considers
  relevant to the achievement of the objective of
  the Convention and suitable for inclusion in its
  communication, including, if feasible, material
  relevant for calculations of global emission
  trends.

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Frequency of submission (Article 12.5)

• each non-Annex I Party shall make its initial
  communication within three years of the entry
  into force of the Convention for that Party, or
  of the availability of financial resources in
  accordance with Article 4, paragraph 3.
• Parties that are least developed countries may
  make their initial communication at their
  discretion.
• The frequency of subsequent communications by all
  Parties shall be determined by the Conference of
  the Parties.

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National communication submissions by region
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Relevant COP decisions

• Decision 11/CP.1
• Initial guidance on policies, programme
  priorities and eligibility criteria to the
  operating entity or entities of the financial
  mechanism
• Decision 10/CP.2
• Communications from Parties not included in Annex
  I to the Convention guidelines, facilitation
  and process of consideration
• Decision 11/CP.2
• Guidance to the Global Environment Facility

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Relevant COP decisions (cont.)

• Decision 2/CP.4
• Additional guidance to the operating entity
  of the financial mechanism
• Decision 12/CP.4
• Initial national communications from Parties
  not included in Annex
• to the Convention
• Decision 8/CP.5
• Other matters related to communications from
  Parties not included in Annex I to the
  Convention
• Decision 31/CP.7
• Consultative Group of Experts on National
  Communications from non-Annex I Parties
• Decision 32/CP.7
• Other matters relating to communications from
  Parties not included in Annex I to the
  Convention

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Revised Guidelines(Background)

• By decision 32/CP.7, the secretariat was to
  prepare the proposed draft guidelines, taking
  into account
• (a) Third Compilation and Synthesis report
• (b) Recommendations of the CGE
• (c) Recommendations of an interregional workshop
  (April 2002)
• (d) Background information on the initial
  national communications
• submitted as at 31 December 2001
• Draft guidelines (SBI Chairmans text) were
  discussed at SBI 16 (FCCC/SBI/2002/INF.8)
• Views from Parties were submitted
• A compilation of the views from Parties prepared
  by the secretariat (FCCC/SBI/2002/INF.9)
• Negotiations at COP 8
• Decision 17/CP.8
• Guidelines for the preparation of national
  communications from Parties not included in
  Annex I to the Convention

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Guidelines adopted at COP8(Decision 17/CP.8)

• Guidelines contained in the annex to decision
  17/CP.8, together with the guidance to an
  operating entity of the financial mechanism
  provided in decision 6/CP.8, should be used for
  the preparation of second and, where appropriate,
  third and initial national communications

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Decision 17/CP.8

• Frequency of submission of second, and where
  appropriate, third national communications, shall
  be determined by COP 9
• Invites non-Annex I Parties to use elements from
  the guidelines for Annex I countries, in
  preparing their national communications
• Requests the secretariat
• To facilitate assistance to non-Annex I Parties
  in the preparation of their national
  communications
• To prepare reports for consideration by the SBI

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Guidelines adopted at COP8(Decision 17/CP.8)

• Section 1 Objectives
• To assist non-Annex I Parties in meeting their
  reporting requirements
• To encourage the presentation of information in a
  consistent, transparent and comparable, and
  flexible manner
• To facilitate the presentation of information on
  support required for the preparation of national
  communications
• To serve as a policy guidance to the GEF for the
  timely provision of financial support
• To ensure that the COP has sufficient information
  to carry out its responsibility for assessing the
  implementation of the Convention by Parties

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Guidelines adopted at COP8(Decision 17/CP.8)

• Condition (p 27)
• 27. Taking into account Article 4, paragraph 7,
  and, as appropriate, Article 4, paragraphs 3 and
  5, of the Convention, the extent to which
  developing country Parties will effectively
  implement their commitment to communicate this
  information will depend on the effective
  implementation by developed country Parties of
  their commitments under the Convention relating
  to financial resources and transfer of
  technology.

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Summary of guidelines

• Old guidelines (decision 10/CP.2) New
  guidelines (decision 17/CP.8)
• Objectives
• National circumstances National
  circumstances
• Inventory of emissions/removals National
  GHG inventory
• General description of steps General
  description of steps
• programmes containing measures to
  facilitate adequate adaptation
• programmes containing measures to
  mitigate climate change
• Other information Other information
• transfer of technologies (4/CP.7)
• research and systematic observation
  (5/CP.5)
• education, training and public
  awareness (Article 6)
• capacity-building (2/CP.7)
• information and networking
• Financial and technological Constraints and
  gaps
• needs and constraints

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Capacity-building in developing countries (2/CP.7)

• Institutional capacity-building and/or
  strengthening
• The preparation of national communications
• The preparation of climate change programmes
• GHG inventories, emission database management,
  and system for collecting and utilizing activity
  data and EF
• Vulnerability and adaptation assessment
• Implementation of adaptation measures
• Development and transfer of technology

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Development and transfer of technologies (4/CP.7)

• Technology needs and needs assessments
• Technology information and enabling environments
• Capacity-building in relation to technology
  transfer (education and training)
• Mechanisms for transfer of technology
• Establishment of the EGTT

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Decision 5/CP.5

• There is a need to identify the priority
  capacity-building needs related to participation
  in systematic observation
• Invites GCOS (Global Climate Observing System) to
  organize workshops
• Urges Parties to address deficiencies in their
  climate observing networks, propose projects,
  identify capacity-building needs and funding
  required to collect, exchange and utilize data on
  a continuous basis
• Adopt the UNFCCC reporting guidelines on global
  climate observing systems

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Other relevant COP decisions

• Decision 3/CP.8
• Consultative Group of Experts on National
  Communications from Parties not included in Annex
  I to the Convention (CGE)
• Decision 6/CP.8
• Additional guidance to an operating entity of
  the financial mechanism

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Additional guidance to the operating entity of
the financial mechanism (6/CP.8)

• The GEF should
• On matters relating to national communications
• Provide financial resources at an appropriate
  level to cover the requirements of the guidelines
  (decision 17/CP.8) in an expedited manner, on an
  agreed full costs basis, for the preparation of
  national communications, as well as
  capacity-building activities pursuant to decision
  2/CP.7 and paragraphs 1(c), 3 and 4 of decision
  6/CP.7