Sylvia Bankobeza 1
3 Sample decisions used in the groups
3.1 Sample decision 1
CONFERENCE OF THE PARTIES TO A MULTILATERAL ENVIRONMENTAL AGREEMENT (MEA)
Fifth meeting 18-29 October 2000 Agenda item 4.3 (b)
DECISION ADOPTED BY THE CONFERENCE OF THE PARTIES OF AN MEA AT ITS FIFTH MEETING
X/5. National reporting: review of experience and proposals for the fifth national report
The Conference of the Parties,
Re-emphasizing [recognising] that national reporting is the obligation for all Parties under Article 26 of the Convention, and that timely submission of national reports by all Parties is essential for reviewing the implementation of the Convention as re-quired in Article 23,
1. Adopts the guidelines for the fifth national report as contained in the annex to this decision, noting that these may be supplemented by additional guidance from its eleventh meeting;
2. Decides [urge] that all Parties should [must] [shall] submit their fifth national report by 31 March 2014;
3. Encourages [recognizes that] all Parties to prioritize the preparation of their fifth national report to enable its submission by the deadline established in paragraph 2 above, irrespective of the status of submission of reports requested at previous meetings of the Conference of the Parties;
4. Requests [urges] those Parties that expect difficulty in meeting the deadline set in paragraph 2 above to initiate the preparation of the report as early as possible to ensure that the report will be submitted by the deadline;
5. Requests[decides] the Global Environment Facility to provide adequate and time-ly financial support for the preparation of the fifth and future national reports, and further requests the Global Environment Facility and its implementing agen-cies to ensure that procedures are in place to ensure an early and expeditious disbursement of funds;
6. Invites [calls on] other donors, Governments and multilateral and bilateral agen-cies to provide financial and technical support to developing countries, in par-ticular the least developed countries and small island developing States, as well as countries with economies in transition, for preparing their national reports;
7. Decides [requests] that the fifth national report should:
(a) Focus on the implementation of the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020, and progress toward the Aichi Biodiversity Targets, using indicators where pos-sible and feapos-sible, including application, as appropriate, of global headline
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cators contained in decision VIII/15 and additional indicators that may be adopted at its eleventh meeting for measuring progress towards the Aichi Bio-diversity Targets;
(b) Quantitative analysis and synthesis on the status of implementation of the Con-vention in particular the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020 and na-tional biodiversity strategies and action plans;
10. Decides that the fifth national report will use a narrative format where appropri-ate, combined with use of suggested tools, including tables, charts and question-naires for statistical analysis, and that the format for the fifth and sixth national reports should be consistent to allow for long-term tracking of progress towards the Aichi Biodiversity Targets;
11. Encourages [urges] Parties to continue to involve all relevant stakeholders, includ-ing indigenous and local communities, in the process of national reportinclud-ing, and to use the report as a tool for further planning and communication to the pub-lic to mobilize additional support for and participation in activities related to implementation of the Convention;
12. Encourages [calls upon] Parties to increase synergies in national reporting under biodiversity-related conventions to ensure that national reports comprehen-sively reflect the national situation and status of implementation, and to avoid unnecessary reporting burdens;
13. Requests [urges] the Executive Secretary to prepare a resource manual providing further suggestions for the preparation of the fifth national reports, drawing upon, inter alia, experience and examples from the fourth national reports, other relevant international work including the outcome of the ad hoc technical expert group on indicators. The resource manual should include suggestions for common formats, tables and charts to aid reporting. A first edition should be available before the end of 2011, and the manual should be maintained up to date in the light of new information that may become available. The manual should be made available in the six official United Nations languages.
3.2 Sample decision 2
CONFERENCE OF THE PARTIES OF AN MEA Fifth meeting
London 18–29 October 2000 Agenda Item 4
DECISION ADOPTED BY THE CONFERENCE OF THE PARTIES TO AN MEA at ITS FIFTH MEETING
X/8. United Nations Decade on Biodiversity 2011-2020 The Conference of the Parties,
Highlighting [recognizing] the importance of biodiversity for the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals,
161 Sylvia Bankobeza Emphasizing [calling for] the need to achieve the full implementation of the objec-tives of this Convention and other biodiversity-related conventions, organizations and processes,
Reaffirming the importance of raising public awareness on biodiversity related issues, Stressing the need to build on the momentum achieved by the celebration of the International Year of Biodiversity,
1. Invites [calls upon][encourages] the United Nations General Assembly to con-sider declaring 2011-2020 the United Nations Decade on Biodiversity;
2. Requests [calls upon] [decides] the Executive Secretary, in cooperation with rele-vant partners, in particular the secretariats of biodiversity-related conventions:
(a) To encourage full participation of Parties, and all relevant organizations and stakeholders in the United Nations Decade on Biodiversity and their support for implementation of the Convention and the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020;
(b) To take stock of progress in the implementation of the Strategic Plan, and re-lated activities of Parties and stakeholders, with a view to including this informa-tion in the regular reports of the Secretary-General to the United Nainforma-tions Gen-eral Assembly on the implementation of the Convention;
3. Invites [urges] the Environment Management Group to facilitate cooperation and information exchange among its members in support of the Convention and its Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020.
3.3 Sample decision 3
Resolution Conf. 10.4 (Rev. CoP14)*
Cooperation and synergy with the Convention on Biological Diversity
WELCOMING decision III/21 of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity, which endorsed the Memorandum of Understanding be-tween the CITES Secretariat and the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity;
EXPRESSING appreciation for the cooperation and cordial relationship that has been developed between the two Secretariats;
AWARE that decision III/21 of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diverisity invites (calls upon) “the governing bodies of biological-diversi-ty-related conventions to consider the possible contributions of those conventions to the implementation of the objectives of the Convention on Biological Diversity, and to share experience with the Conference of the Parties on, inter alia, successful management practices”;
RECALLING that the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity has invited “contracting Parties to relevant biological-diversity-related con-ventions to explore opportunities for accessing funding through the Global Environ-ment Facility for relevant projects involving a number of countries, which fulfil the eligibility criteria and guidance provided by the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity to the Global Environment Facility”;
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RECALLING also Chapter 38 of Agenda 21 and welcoming decision 19/9c of the Governing Council of UNEP which “recognizes the importance of the Programme’s role in promoting and supporting cooperation and coordination with and amongst environmental agreements and their secretariats” and “requests the Conference of the Parties of the relevant conventions to encourage their respective convention secre-tariats to engage and continue to participate actively in the coordination process”;
NOTING the proposal to explore the revival of the Ecosystem Conservation Group, which would meet within the context of UNEP’s meetings on coordination of Sec-retariats of environmental conventions;
RECOGNIZING that UNEP should undertake such tasks in full cooperation with the Conference of the Parties;
THE CONFERENCE OF THE PARTIES TO THE CONVENTION
CALLS upon [requests][urges] the CITES Secretariat and the Secretariat of the Con-vention on Biological Diversity to coordinate their programme activities particu-larly through the UNEP coordination meetings;
SUGGESTS [calls upon] that Parties, as appropriate to their national circumstances and to encourage synergy, take measures to achieve coordination and reduce duplica-tion of activities between their naduplica-tional authorities for each Convenduplica-tion;
CALLS upon [urges] Parties to explore opportunities for obtaining funding through the Global Environment Facility for relevant projects, including multilateral projects, which fulfill the eligibility criteria and guidance provided by the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity to the Global Environment Facil-ity;RECOMMENDS [Requests] that the Secretariat investigate opportunities whereby CITES can become a partner in the implementation of appropriate provisions of the Convention on Biological Diversity; and
DIRECTS [Decides] the Chairman of the Standing Committee to transmit to the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity this and other relevant Resolutions and Decisions adopted at the 10th and all future meetings of the Conference of the Parties.
3.4 Sample decision 4
UNEP Special Session of the Governing Council, Item 4b
Decision adopted at the Special Session of the Governing Council, Global Ministe-rial Forum of the Environment;
The Governing Council,
Acknowledging that Biodiversity is at the core of human existence;
Recognizing that biodiversity is threatened by rapid global change and pressure from ecosystem degradation and change.
Also recognizing that the Biodiversity decade presents an opportunity to address bio-diversity loss and to raise public awareness for achieving the 2020 biobio-diversity target;
163 Sylvia Bankobeza Reinforcing [stressing] the importance of promoting actions at national, regional and international levels for achieving biodiversity targets.
Welcoming [takes note of] the adoption of an international regime on Access and Benefit Sharing in 2010;
Encourage, [calls upon] UNEP to continue to play a leadership role in advancing programme activities for developing countries relating to biodiversity and enhancing the understanding of the economics of biodiversity and ecosystems services and its policy implications, through the initiative on The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity.
Decides to support the efforts of the Executive Director to encourage synergies among multilateral environmental agreements in order to improve on environmental gov-ernance;
Requests [directs] [instructs] the Executive Director to report to the next Governing Council on the progress made in the coordination of programme activities of all partners in achieving environmental goals and objectives in the field of bio-diversity.
3.5 Sample decision 5
UNEP Governing Council, Twenty Second Session;
Agenda item 4h
Decision adopted at the twenty second session of the Governing Council, Global Ministerial Forum of the Environment.
The Governing Council,
Recalling the Nusa Dua declaration adopted during the UNEP Special Session of the Governing Council in February 2010;
Recognizing [stressing] the importance of enhancing synergies among biodiversity related conventions without prejudice to their specific objectives;
Urges [calls upon][encourages] the Conferences of the Parties of biodiversity related Conventions to increase efforts towards co-operation taking into account relevant experiences from other MEAs;
Welcoming [taking note of] [endorsing] the efforts being made by various conventions to cooperate with one another during the International Year of Biodiversity,
Encourages [requests] [urges] Governments to provide the necessary support to the reforms of the international environmental governance system in relation to MEAs;
Requests [calls upon] [directs] [instructs] the Executive Director to continue exploring ways and means of streamlining the work of multilateral environmental agreements for the purpose of maximizing the use of resources provided.
Decides to mandate UNEP to undertake a study on the ongoing activities coordi-nated by regional offices that enhance synergies of biodiversity related conventions, and to report on the results at the next session of the Governing Council.
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4 Evaluation
Towards the end of the MEA course the overall evaluation sought to obtain the views of the participants on whether the drafting exercise component had enhanced their expertise. The feedback was to a large extent positive, with most participants finding the drafting exercise useful; while others called for more time, emphasis and detail to be given to developing drafting skills. There were differences in the experiences of the participants in the drafting groups which was a concern for some experienced participants who, at times, found it difficult to learn from one another. A useful example of this is that at times many questions were raised in a group by less expe-rienced participants trying to understand processes, such as the UNEP Governing Council and how it works, instead of focusing more on the content in drafting the decision.
The drafting exercise was deliberately separated from the major negotiation simula-tion exercises on the 2011 Course so that the two would not end up duplicating each other. In this regard, the aim of the drafting exercise was to prepare the participants to negotiate actively during the negotiation simulation exercise session; and to assist participants to think carefully about when to propose particular terms/texts or draft-ing decisions in MEA meetdraft-ings, knowdraft-ing that there might well be implications to such words, phrases and texts. This was the objective rather than addressing the-matic issues in detail during the drafting exercise. The issue of redundancy of the drafting exercise session because of its not being merged by the negotiation simula-tion exercise session, which was raised by one participant as a possible concern, therefore does not arise.
To conclude, two of the 21 feedback comments received from the participants in the drafting exercise component during the Course evaluation could be highlighted:
I have learnt a lot on the process…..a lot in terms of language and the process of bringing together compromise text.
…While the exercise focused most on drafting in negotiations, the exercise has only been useful in terms of drafting documents for meetings. It has also helped in providing practical pointers to prepare on to negotiate well and make drafting as a strategic tool to advance positions.
These comments, and others not repeated here, clearly articulated the result of the drafting exercise component of the 2011 UNEP – UEF MEA Course and provide useful feedback toward improving this component of the MEA Course in the future.
It is hoped also that this brief description of a relatively small exercise might have pedagogical value for teaching or working groups – or even individuals – trying to improve their understanding of international environmental law-making and diplo-macy techniques.
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