The Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity,
Recalling paragraphs 10 and 11 of decision VII/34,
Satisfied with the development of the Secretariat-wide tracking mechanism for differentiating shared costs of secretariat services between the Convention on Biological Diversity and the Protocol as well as the analysis of the results by the Executive Secretary and the conclusions drawn from that analysis,
1. Welcomes the annual contribution to date of US$1,000,000 to be increased at 2 per cent per year, from the host country Canada and the Province of Quebec to the operation of the Secretariat, of which 83.5 per cent has been allocated per annum to offset contributions from the Parties to the Convention for the biennium 2007-2008;
2 . Approves a core (BY) programme budget of $11,012,400 for the year 2007 and of $11,390,600 for the year 2008 for the purposes listed in the table 1 below;
3. Adopts the scale of assessments for the apportionment of expenses for 2007 and 2008 as contained in the table 5 below;
4. Approves a Secretariat staffing table for the programme budget contained in table 2 below;
5. Notes with concern the high vacancy rate in staff positions, and requests that all positions be filled expeditiously with due regard to the need of recruiting qualified staff on as wide a geographical basis as possible, in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations, and to gender equality at all levels.
6. Reaffirms a working capital reserve at a level of 5 per cent of the core budget (BY Trust Fund) expenditure, including programme support costs;
7. Approves a drawing of US$4,000,000 from the unspent balances or contributions (“carryover”) from previous financial periods to cover part of the 2007-2008 budget;
8. Authorizes the Executive Secretary to transfer resources among the programmes between each of the main appropriation lines set out in table 1 below up to an aggregate of 15 per cent of the total programme budget, provided that a further limitation of up to a maximum of 25 per cent of each such appropriation line shall apply;
9. Notes with concern that a number of Parties have not paid their contributions to the core budget (BY Trust Fund) for 2006 and prior years, which are due on 1 January of each year in accordance with paragraph 4 of the financial rules, and the late payment of contributions to the core budget by Parties during each calendar year of a biennium has contributed to the significant carry-over from one biennium to the next, and, in the event that there is no improvement in the payment of contributions by Parties, invites the Executive Secretary to submit proposals for promoting full and timely payment of contributions by Parties for consideration and review by the Conference of the Parties at its ninth meeting;
10. Urges Parties that have still not paid their contributions to the core budget (BY Trust Fund) to do so without delay, and requests the Executive Secretary to publish and regularly update information on the status of contributions of Parties to the Convention’s trust funds (BY, BE, BZ);
11. Decides that, with regard to contributions due from 1 January 2001 onwards, Parties whose contributions are in arrears for two (2) or more years will:
(a) Not be eligible to become a member of any bureau of the Conference of the Parties or its subsidiary bodies; and
(b) Not receive any hard copies of documents from the Secretariat;
Subparagraphs (a) and (b) above will only apply in the case of Parties that are not least developed countries or small island developing States;
12. Authorizes the Executive Secretary to enter into arrangements with any Party whose contributions are in arrears for two or more years to mutually agree on a “schedule of payments” for such a Party, to clear all outstanding arrears, within six years depending on the financial circumstance of the Party in arrears and pay future contributions by the due date, and report on the implementation of any such arrangement to the next meeting of the Bureau and to the Conference of the Parties;
13. Decides that a Party with an agreed arrangement in accordance with paragraph 12 above and that is fully respecting the provisions of that arrangement will not be subject to the provisions of paragraph 11 above;
14. Authorizes the Executive Secretary to enter into commitments up to the level of the approved budget, drawing on available cash resources, including unspent balances, contributions from previous financial periods and miscellaneous income;
15. Decides to fund, upon request, from the core budget (BY) the participation of members of the bureaux of the Conference of the Parties and the Subsidiary Body on Scientific Technical and Technological Advice at the meetings of the respective bureaux;
16. Invites all Parties to the Convention to note that contributions to the core budget (BY) are due on 1 January of the year in which these contributions have been budgeted for, and to pay them promptly, and urges Parties, in a position to do so, to pay by 1 October 2006 for the calendar year 2007 and by 1 October 2007 for the calendar year 2008 the contributions required to finance expenditures approved under paragraph 2 above, as offset by amounts in paragraphs 1 and 7, and, in this regard, requests that Parties be notified of the amount of their contributions by 1 August of the year preceding the year in which the contributions are due;
17. Decides that the trust funds (BY, BE, BZ) for the Convention shall be extended for the period of two years, beginning 1 January 2008 and ending 31 December 2009;
18. Urges all Parties and States not Parties to the Convention, as well as governmental, intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations and other sources, to contribute to the trust funds (BY, BE, BZ) of the Convention;
19. Takes note of the funding estimates for the:
(a) Special Voluntary Trust Fund (BE) for Additional Voluntary Contributions in Support of Approved Activities for the Biennium 2007-2008 specified by the Executive Secretary and included in table 3 below;
(b) Special Voluntary Trust Fund (BZ) for Facilitating Participation of Developing Country Parties, in particular the Least Developed and the Small Island Developing States, as well as Parties with Economies in Transition, for the biennium 2007-2008, as specified by the Executive Secretary and included in table 4 below,
and urges Parties to make contributions to those funds;
20. Endorses the decisions of the Bureau of the seventh meeting of the Conference of the Parties authorizing the Executive Secretary to utilize savings, unspent balances from previous financial periods and miscellaneous income in the amount of US$1,937,182 from the BY Trust Fund, of which US$761,531 was spent, to fund inter-sessional activities, that were not envisaged and therefore for which no budgetary allocations were approved by the Conference of the Parties at its seventh meeting, including the participation of developing country Parties, in particular the least developed countries and small island developing States, as well as Parties with economies in transition, in the meetings of the Convention, as well as US$116,678 reimbursement for participation of eligible participants to the eighth meeting of the Conference of the Parties, and requests the Executive Secretary, in consultation with the Bureau, to continue to monitor the availability of voluntary contributions to the special voluntary Trust Funds (BE and BZ) in the event of any shortfalls;
21. Requests the Executive Secretary with guidance from the Bureau of the Conference of the Parties, to develop as an interim arrangement for the 2007-2008 biennium pending endorsement by the Conference of the Parties at its ninth meeting, procedures for the allocation of funding from the Special Voluntary Trust Fund (BZ) for Facilitating Participation of Parties in the Convention Process, to developing countries, in particular the least developed countries and small island developing States, as well as Parties with economies in transition, to secure adequate representation from each region;
22. Decides that all Parties eligible for funding from the Special Voluntary Trust Fund (BZ), and who requested funding within three weeks of the official notification of the meeting being disseminated by the Secretariat, shall be informed by the Executive Secretary no later than four weeks prior to the relevant meeting, whether funding is available or not, and urges Parties to contribute to the special voluntary Trust Fund (BZ) in a timely manner but no later than five weeks before the meeting, to facilitate the planning of meetings and the full participation of representatives from developing country Parties, in particular the least developed countries and small island developing states, as well as Parties with economies in transition;
23. Authorizes the Executive Secretary to draw, subject to the agreement of the Bureau of the Conference of the Parties, on available cash resources, including unspent balances, contributions from previous financial periods and miscellaneous income within the approved core budget (BY Trust Fund) for the biennium 2007-2008, to cover shortfalls temporarily in the special voluntary Trust Fund (BZ), until such time as these shortfalls can be met with pledges in writing, but which have not yet been received by the Executive Secretary, for facilitating participation of developing country Parties, in particular the least developed countries and the small island developing States, as well as Parties with economies in transition, for the biennium 2007-2008, in priorities identified in the core budget (BY Trust Fund) and requests that the BY Funds be reimbursed as soon as the pledges are received;
24. Authorizes the Executive Secretary to consult with the Bureau of the Conference of the Parties on any adjustments which may be necessary in the servicing of the programme of the work as foreseen in the core budget (BY Trust Fund) for the biennium 2007-2008, including the postponement of meetings, in the event that sufficient resources are not available to the Secretariat in a timely fashion from the approved budget (BY Trust Fund), including available cash resources, unspent balances, contributions from previous financial periods and miscellaneous income;
25. Requests the Executive Secretary, in accordance with rule 14 of the rules of procedure, to provide Parties with an indication of the administrative and financial implications of decisions to be referred by the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice; an ad hoc openended working group; or an ad hoc technical expert group for adoption by the Conference of the Parties, that may have administrative and budgetary implications that cannot be met from existing resources within the core budget (BY Trust Fund);
26. Requests the Executive Secretary to prepare and submit a budget for the programme of work for the biennium 2009-2010 for the consideration of the Conference of the Parties at its ninth meeting, and to report on income and budget performance as well as any adjustments made to the Convention budget for the biennium 2007-2008;
27. Authorizes the Executive Secretary, in an effort to improve the efficiency of the Secretariat and to attract highly qualified staff to the Secretariat, to enter into direct administrative and contractual arrangements with Parties, Governments and organizations, in response to offers of human resources and other support to the Secretariat, as may be necessary for the effective discharge of the functions of the Secretariat, while ensuring the efficient use of available competencies, resources and services, and taking into account United Nations rules and regulations. Special attention should be given to possibilities of creating synergies with relevant, existing work programmes or activities that are being implemented within the framework of other international organizations;
28. Welcomes the development and continuation of the fellowship programme as a means of enabling developing country Parties, as well as Parties with economies in transition to send their nationals to the Secretariat for the purposes of enhancing their understanding of the Convention and for increasing awareness of biodiversity related issues;
29. Notes that the Junior Professional Officer programme and the internship programme afford an opportunity for Parties to learn about and further develop an understanding of the thematic or cross-cutting issues covered under the Convention;
30. Requests that, in accordance with article 14 of the Financial Rules, a financial audit of the budget be undertaken on a biennial basis and the report submitted to the Conference of the Parties, together with the management response;
31. Agrees to share the costs for secretariat services between those that are common to the Convention on Biological Diversity and the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety on an 85:15 ratio for the biennium 2007-2008;
32. Requests the Executive Secretary, in presenting the proposed programme budget for the biennium 2009-2010 to the ninth meeting of the Conference of the Parties, to use the tracking mechanism to review the ratio specified in paragraph 31 above.
33. Authorizes the Executive Secretary to review the terms of reference of posts in the Secretariat with a view to adjusting the staffing to meet the new challenges facing the Convention and to ensure the effective functioning of the Secretariat, and in that regard also authorizes the Executive Secretary to fill a P-2 position in his office through, inter alia, the adjustment of the staffing in the Secretariat.
Table 1
Expenditures
2007
2008
(US$ thousands)
I
Programmes
Office of the Executive Secretary
574.4
645.2
Scientific, technical and technological matters
2,200.6
2,497.0
Social, economic and legal matters
1,903.4
1,288.0
Outreach and major groups
1,561.8
1,283.7
Implementation and technical support
1,505.9
1,393.6
Resource management and conference services
1,950.1
2,972.7
Sub-total (I)
9,696.2
10,080.2
II
Programme support charge 13%
1,260.5
1,310.4
GRAND TOTAL (I + II )
10,956.7
11,390.6
III
Working capital reserve
55.7
GRAND TOTAL (I + II + III)
11,012.4
Less contribution from the host country
851.7
868.7
Less savings from previous years
2,000.0
NET TOTAL (amount to be shared by Parties)
8,160.7
8,521.9
Priority meetings to be funded from the core budget
Meetings of the bureaus of the Conference of the Parties and SBSTTA
Twelfth and thirteenth meetings of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice
Ninth meeting of the Conference of the Parties
Ad Hoc Working Group on Article 8(j) and Related Provisions of the Convention on Biological Diversity
Ad Hoc Working Group on Access and Benefit-sharing
Ad Hoc Open-ended Working Group on Review of Implementation of the Convention
Ad Hoc Open-ended Working Group on Protected Areas
Table 2
A
Professional category
ASG
1
D-1
3
P-5
4
P-4
17
P-3
8
P-2
Total professional category
34
B.
Total General Service category
26
TOTAL (A + B)
60
Table 3
Description
1. Meetings/Workshops
Regional meetings for the ninth meeting of the Conference of the Parties
-
40.0
Scientific technical and technological matters
AHTEG on forest targets indicators
60.0
Consultative Workshop on dry and sub-humid lands
Global Taxonomy Initiative development Workshop
120.0
International workshops on Inland waters biodiversity (2) back-to-back with RAMSAR STRP mtgs.
50.0
Regional capacity building workshops on Protected Areas
Subregional capacity building workshops (2) on Strategic Environment Assessment
Meeting of the Open-ended Ad Hoc Working Group on Access and Benefit Sharing *
400.0
Technical Expert Group meeting on the functioning of certificates of origin under ABS
Advisory group meeting on the indigenous knowledge
Capacity building workshops for indigenous and local communities in particular indigenous women
Regional and subregional workshops on new information and web-based technologies to assist indigenous and local communities
Expert Group on communication, education and public awareness
CEPA needs assessments workshop
CEPA global support network
100.0
Regional workshops on the CEPA (4)
180.0
Regional workshops on the clearing-house mechanism (4)
Regional and subregional workshops on strengthening capacity of national focal points
Regional training workshops for national reporting
Regional workshops on in-depth review of the financial resources and mechanisms and National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (4) (back-to back)
360.0
Expert meeting on technology transfer and scientific technological cooperation
Biodiversity Finance Study Group to assist the in-depth review of financial resources and mechanisms
2. Staff
Senior Liaison Officer (FAO)
178.1
183.4
3. Consultants
SEL – ABS ($30K); Incentive measures ($10K); Technology Transfer ($15K)
15.0
ITS - Indepth review of Articles 20 and 21 and preparation of a draft strategy
150.0
OMG - CEPA consultants
30.0
4. Publications
CEPA tool kit in UN languages
20.0
5. Activities
Outreach activities
250.0
Technical Assistance and Training activities
Sub-total I
3,158.1
1,938.4
II. Programme support costs (13%)
410.6
252.0
Sub-total II
III. Working Capital Reserve (5%)
22.9
Sub-total III
TOTAL COST (I + II+III)
3,591.5
2,190.4
* Funding pledged by Canada (US$50,000); Finland (US$50,000); France (US$60,000); Ireland (US$60,000); Netherlands (US$60,000); Norway (Euros 50,000); Sweden (US$60,000); Switzerland (US$50,000)
Table 4
I. Meetings
1,800.0
Regional meetings in preparation for the Conference of the Parties (4) (COP-9)
300.0
Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice (2)
1,300.0
Open-ended Ad hoc Working Group on Review of Implementation of the Convention on Biological Diversity
650.0
Ad-hoc Open-ended Working Group meeting on Article 8(j)
Open-ended Ad Hoc Working Group on Access and Benefit Sharing
2nd Open-ended Ad Hoc Working Group on Protected Areas
Support to indigenous and local communities
Subtotal I
3,000.0
4,850.0
390.0
630.5
TOTAL COST (I + II)
3,390.0
5,480.5
Table 5
Party
UN scale of
assessments
2006
(per cent)
Scale with 22%
ceiling, no LDC
paying more than
0.01 %
Contributions
per
1 Jan. 2007
US$
UN scale of assessments
Contributionsas
per1 Jan. 2008(US$)
Total contributions
2007-2008 (US$)
Afghanistan
0.002
0.003
211
220
431
Albania
0.005
0.006
527
550
1,077
Algeria
0.076
0.098
8,008
8,363
16,371
Angola
0.001
105
110
215
Antigua and Barbuda
0.004
316
330
646
Argentina
0.956
1.234
100,736
105,194
205,930
Armenia
Australia
1.592
2.056
167,752
175,177
342,929
Austria
0.859
1.109
90,514
94,521
185,035
Azerbaijan
Bahamas
0.013
0.017
1,370
1,430
2,800
Bahrain
0.030
0.039
3,161
3,301
6,462
Bangladesh
0.010
816
852
1,668
Barbados
1,054
1,100
2,154
Belarus
0.018
0.023
1,897
1,981
3,877
Belgium
1.069
1.380
112,643
117,628
230,271
Belize
Benin
Bhutan
Bolivia
0.009
0.012
948
990
1,939
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Botswana
0.015
1,264
1,320
2,585
Brazil
1.523
1.967
160,481
167,584
328,066
Bulgaria
0.022
1,791
1,871
3,662
Burkina Faso
Burundi
Cambodia
Cameroon
0.008
843
880
1,723
Canada
2.813
3.632
296,411
309,530
605,942
Cape Verde
Central African Republic
Chad
Chile
0.223
0.288
23,498
24,538
48,036
China
2.053
2.651
216,328
225,903
442,232
Colombia
0.155
0.200
16,333
17,056
33,388
Comoros
Congo
Cook Islands
Costa Rica
Cote d'Ivoire
Croatia
0.037
0.048
3,899
4,071
7,970
Cuba
0.043
0.056
4,531
4,732
9,263
Cyprus
0.050
4,110
4,291
8,401
Czech Republic
0.183
0.236
19,283
20,137
39,420
Democratic People's Republic of Korea
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Denmark
0.718
0.927
75,657
79,006
154,663
Djibouti
Dominica
Dominican Republic
0.035
0.045
3,688
3,851
7,539
Ecuador
0.019
0.025
2,002
2,091
4,093
Egypt
0.120
12,645
13,204
25,849
El Salvador
0.028
2,318
2,421
4,739
Equatorial Guinea
Eritrea
Estonia
Ethiopia
421
440
862
European Community
2.500
204,018
213,048
417,065
Fiji
Finland
0.533
0.688
56,163
58,649
114,812
France
6.030
7.786
635,392
663,515
1,298,908
Gabon
Gambia
Georgia
Germany
8.662
11.184
912,731
953,129
1,865,861
Ghana
Greece
0.530
0.684
55,847
58,319
114,166
Grenada
Guatemala
Guinea
Guinea-Bissau
Guyana
Haiti
Honduras
Hungary
0.126
0.163
13,277
13,865
27,141
Iceland
0.034
0.044
3,583
3,741
7,324
India
0.421
0.544
44,362
46,325
90,687
Indonesia
0.142
14,963
15,625
30,588
Iran (Islamic Republic of)
0.157
0.203
16,543
17,276
33,819
Ireland
0.350
0.452
36,880
38,513
75,393
Israel
0.467
0.603
49,209
51,387
100,595
Italy
4.885
6.308
514,742
537,525
1,052,266
Jamaica
Japan
19.468
22.000
1,795,354
1,874,818
3,670,172
Jordan
0.011
0.014
1,159
1,210
2,369
Kazakhstan
0.032
2,634
2,751
5,385
Kenya
Kiribati
Kuwait
0.162
0.209
17,070
17,826
34,896
Kyrgyzstan
Lao People's Democratic Republic
Latvia
1,581
1,651
3,231
Lebanon
0.024
0.031
2,529
2,641
5,170
Lesotho
Liberia
Libya
0.132
0.170
13,909
14,525
28,434
Liechtenstein
Lithuania
Luxembourg
0.077
0.099
8,114
8,473
16,586
Madagascar
Malawi
Malaysia
0.262
21,390
22,337
43,728
Maldives
Mali
Malta
1,475
1,541
3,016
Marshall Islands
Mauritania
Mauritius
Mexico
1.883
2.431
198,415
207,197
405,612
Micronesia (Federated States of )
Monaco
Mongolia
Morocco
0.047
0.061
4,952
5,172
10,124
Mozambique
Myanmar
Namibia
632
660
1,292
Nauru
Nepal
Netherlands
1.690
2.182
178,078
185,960
364,039
New Zealand
0.221
0.285
23,287
24,318
47,605
Nicaragua
Niger
Nigeria
0.042
0.054
4,426
4,622
9,047
Niue
Norway
0.679
0.877
71,547
74,714
146,262
Oman
0.070
0.090
7,376
7,703
15,079
Pakistan
0.055
0.071
5,795
6,052
11,847
Palau
Panama
Papua New Guinea
Paraguay
Peru
0.092
0.119
9,694
10,123
19,817
Philippines
0.095
0.123
10,010
10,453
20,464
Poland
0.461
0.595
48,576
50,726
99,303
Portugal
0.470
0.607
49,525
51,717
101,242
Qatar
0.064
0.083
6,744
7,042
13,786
Republic of Korea
1.796
2.319
189,248
197,624
386,872
Republic of Moldova
Romania
0.060
6,322
6,602
12,924
Russian Federation
1.100
1.420
115,909
121,039
236,948
Rwanda
Saint Kitts and Nevis
Saint Lucia
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Samoa
San Marino
Sao Tome and Principe
Saudi Arabia
0.713
0.921
75,130
78,455
153,586
Senegal
Serbia and Montenegro
Seychelles
Sierra Leone
Singapore
0.388
0.501
40,884
42,694
83,578
Slovakia
0.051
0.066
5,374
5,612
10,986
Slovenia
0.082
0.106
8,640
9,023
17,663
Solomon Islands
South Africa
0.292
0.377
30,769
32,130
62,899
Spain
2.520
3.254
265,537
277,290
542,827
Sri Lanka
Sudan
Suriname
Swaziland
Sweden
0.998
1.289
105,161
109,816
214,977
Switzerland
1.197
1.546
126,130
131,713
257,843
Syrian Arab Republic
0.038
0.049
4,004
4,181
8,185
Tajikistan
Thailand
0.270
22,023
22,997
45,020
The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia
Togo
Tonga
Trinidad and Tobago
Tunisia
0.041
3,372
3,521
6,893
Turkey
0.372
0.480
39,198
40,933
80,132
Turkmenistan
Tuvalu
Uganda
Ukraine
United Arab Emirates
0.235
0.303
24,762
25,858
50,621
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
6.127
7.911
645,613
674,189
1,319,802
United Republic of Tanzania
Uruguay
0.062
5,058
5,282
10,340
Uzbekistan
Vanuatu
Venezuela
0.171
18,019
18,816
36,835
Viet Nam
0.021
0.027
2,213
2,311
4,524
Yemen
Zambia
Zimbabwe
0.007
738
770
1,508
TOTAL
80.445
100.00
8,160,700
8,521,900
16,682,600
