Distr.

GENERAL

UNEP/CBD/ExCOP/1/1/Add.1/Rev.1

16 February 1999

ORIGINAL: ENGLISH

CONFERENCE OF THE PARTIES TO THE

CONVENTION ON BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY

First extraordinary meeting

Cartagena, 22-23 February 1999

ANNOTATED PROVISIONAL AGENDA

Item 1. Opening of the meeting

The meeting will be opened at 10 a.m. on Monday, 22 February 1999, at the Centro de Convenciones, Cartagena de Indias, Colombia, by the President of the Conference of the Parties. The President of the fourth meeting of the Conference of the Parties or, in his absence, one of the Vice-Presidents acting as his representative, will preside over the proceedings of the Conference of the Parties, until the first extraordinary meeting of the Conference of the Parties has elected or confirmed its President.

Opening and welcoming statements will be delivered by:

(a)	The President of the host Government;

(b)	The President of the fourth meeting of the Conference of the Parties;

(c)	The President of the first extraordinary meeting of the Conference of the Parties;

(d)	The acting Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity.

(e)	The Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP);

Item 2. Organizational matters

(a)	Adoption of the agenda

The Conference of the Parties may wish to adopt its agenda, on the basis of the provisional agenda as contained in document UNEP/CBD/ExCOP/1/1/Rev.1.

(b)	Organization of work

The Conference of the Parties may wish to work in its entirety in plenary, without establishing any subsidiary body.

The Conference of the Parties may wish to decide to take up item 4 of its agenda from 11.30 a.m. to 1 p.m. and items 5 and 6 from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. on 22 February 1999, and items 7 and 8 on 23 February 1999, subject to adjustment as appropriate.

Item 3. Report on the credentials of representatives to the first extraordinary meeting of the Conference of the Parties

Rule 18 of the rules of procedure for meetings of the Conference of the Parties states that "the credentials of representatives and the names of alternate representatives and advisers shall be submitted to the Executive Secretary of the Conference of the Parties or the representative of the Executive Secretary if possible not later than twenty-four hours after the opening of the meeting. Any later change in the composition of the delegation shall also be submitted to the Executive Secretary or the representative of the Executive Secretary. The credentials shall be issued by the Head of State or Government or by the Minister for Foreign Affairs or, in the case of a regional economic integration organization, by the competent authority of that organization". Rule 19 provides that "the Bureau of any meeting shall examine the credentials and submit its report to the Conference of the Parties for decision".

In accordance with rule 20 of the rules of procedure, representatives shall be entitled to participate provisionally in the meeting, pending a decision of the Conference of the Parties on their credentials.

The Conference of the Parties shall consider and adopt the report on credentials submitted to it by the Bureau.

Item 4. Report of the Open-ended Ad Hoc Working Group on Biosafety

The Chair of the Open-ended Ad Hoc Working Group on Biosafety shall report to the Conference of the Parties on the results of the sixth meeting of the Open-Ended Ad Hoc Working Group on Biosafety. The report of the meeting will be contained in document UNEP/CBD/ExCOP/1/2.

Item 5. Adoption of the Protocol and related decisions

The Conference of the Parties will have before it the text of the Protocol on Biosafety to the Convention on Biological Diversity, as agreed by the Open-ended Ad Hoc Working Group on Biosafety at its sixth meeting and annexed to document UNEP/CBD/ExCOP/1/2.

The President will invite the Chair of the Open-ended Ad Hoc Working Group on Biosafety formally to present the text of the Protocol, as agreed by the Open-ended Ad Hoc Working Group on Biosafety at its sixth meeting, to the Conference of the Parties.

On the basis of the text agreed on by the Open-ended Ad Hoc Working Group on Biosafety at its sixth meeting, the Conference of the Parties may wish to adopt the Protocol.

In paragraph 4 of decision IV/3, the Conference of the Parties decided that, in accordance with rule 13 of the rules of procedure, the agenda of the extraordinary meeting would address all matters relating to:

(a)	Adoption of the Protocol on Biosafety; and

(b)	Preparations for the first Meeting of the Parties to the Protocol with regard to, inter alia, interim arrangements, taking into account the budgetary provision made for this purpose in accordance with decision IV/17 on the budget of the Trust Fund for the Convention.

Accordingly, the Conference of the Parties may wish to consider the adoption of decisions relating to interim arrangements including the establishment of an Intergovernmental Committee for the Protocol on Biosafety to the Convention on Biological Diversity, the election of the Chair and other officers of the Intergovernmental Committee, and administrative and budgetary requirements.

In addition, the Conference of the Parties may wish to adopt a decision on a tribute to the host Government.

Item 6. Adoption of the Final Act

The Conference of the Parties will have before it, for adoption, the draft Final Act. It is expected that the adoption of the Final Act will take place on 23 February 1999.

Item 7. Signature of the Final Act

It is expected that the Final Act, having been adopted by the Conference of the Parties, will be open for signature at the meeting on 23 February 1999.

Item 8. Closure of the meeting

The meeting will be closed on Tuesday, 23 February 1999.

Annex

LIST OF DOCUMENTS FOR THE FIRST EXTRAORDINARY MEETING

OF THE CONFERENCE OF THE PARTIES

Symbol	Title

UNEP/CBD/ExCOP/1/1/Rev.1	Provisional agenda

UNEP/CBD/ExCOP/1/1/Add.1/Rev.1	Annotated provisional agenda

UNEP/CBD/ExCOP/1/2	Report of the Open-Ended Ad Hoc Working Group on Biosafety on the work of its sixth meeting

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