Notification 2020-079

Dear Madam/Sir, On behalf of the President of the COP Bureau, and further to notification 2020-077 (https://www.cbd.int/doc/notifications/2020/ntf-2020-077-budget-en.pdf) issued on 17 September 2020, I am pleased to inform you that the informal group of representatives of Parties to support the preparation of the interim budget for 2021 has been established, through the guidance of the COP Bureau. The composition and operation of the informal group will be informed by precedents and experience from previous relevant processes as regards reviewing and finalizing the budget for the programme of work of the Secretariat. The work of the informal group on budget will start on Monday 12 October and will continue until 30 October 2020, and will be chaired by Ambassador Spencer Thomas of Grenada. As indicated previously, the informal group will conduct its work under the guidance of the COP President and members of the Bureau, and with the support of the Secretariat. It will work on the basis of the working document prepared by the Executive Secretary and will submit the outcome of its work to the COP President on or before 2 November 2020 in the form of a draft decision on the interim budget for 2021. The draft will then be submitted, through the COP President, to the Parties for their consideration at the concurrent extraordinary meetings scheduled to take place from 16 to 19 November 2020, through a written/silent procedure, as described in the annotated agenda. Please accept, Madam/Sir, the assurances of my highest consideration.

Executive Secretary

To: CBD National Focal Points, Cartagena Protocol Focal Points, Nagoya Protocol Focal Points