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WGRI-5 Recommendations

WGRI 5 Recommendation 5/9

5/9Retirement of decisions

The Ad Hoc Open-ended Working Group on Review of Implementation of the Convention,
Recalling the decision of the eleventh meeting of the Conference of the Parties to refocus the exercise of retirement of decisions towards supporting the review of implementation of existing decisions and creating a good basis for the adoption of new decisions by integrating the exercise and proposals for retirement into the preparation and adoption of new decisions on the same subject matter, wherever possible, and the request to this Working Group to prepare a recommendation for consideration by the Conference of the Parties at its twelfth meeting,
Recognizing the need to simplify the identification of and access to decisions that are still in effect,
Recommends that the Conference of the Parties at its twelfth meeting adopt a decision along the following lines:
The Conference of the Parties
1.Decides to discontinue the current approach for the retirement of decisions and to replace the exercise by a new approach for the review of decisions or elements of decisions in a manner that supports implementation and creates a good basis for the preparation and adoption of new decisions;
2.Also decides to refocus the exercise of retiring decisions, using an online decision tracking tool to be developed and maintained in the clearing-house mechanism, with a view to supporting the review of existing decisions and improving the development and adoption of new decisions;
3.Requests the Executive Secretary:
(a)To develop, by building on existing tools, as appropriate, and maintain an online decision tracking tool in the clearing-house mechanism with a view to supporting the review of existing decisions and improving the development and adoption of new decisions;
(b)To implement the online decision tracking tool on a pilot basis and use it to review the decisions of the eighth and ninth meetings of the Conference of the Parties, assemble information on their status and any other related information as contained in the annex to this decision and make the information on the outcome of this exercise available to Ad Hoc Open-ended Working Group on Review of Implementation of the Convention at its sixth meeting 32 for its consideration and an appropriate recommendation to the Conference of the Parties at its thirteenth meeting;
(c)To prepare a summary of the information contained in the online decision tracking tool and make it available to Parties, as necessary;
(d)To identify cases where the preparation and adoption of elements for a new decision on the same subject matter show that the previous decision in question: (i) will inevitably be superseded by the new decision; and (ii) may not be consistent with the new decision;
(e)To explore the experience of other multilateral environmental agreements, in particular the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, 33 in managing and consolidating decisions and resolutions, and include proposals in the information to be made available in accordance with paragraph (b) above;
4.Requests the Ad Hoc Open-ended Working Group on Review of Implementation of the Convention at its sixth meeting, or its successor body 34 to consider the information from the Executive Secretary referred to in paragraph 3 (b) above and to prepare a recommendation regarding the online decision tracking tool beyond the pilot phase for consideration by the Conference of the Parties at its thirteenth meeting;

Annex

Outline of information that may be included in an online decision tracking tool

1.Information regarding the decision:
(a)Type of decision – whether the decision is “operational” or “for information”;
(b)Status of the decision – whether “implemented”, “superseded”, “elapsed”, “active” or “retired”;
(c)The entity to which the decision is directed – the Conference of the Parties, a Party/Parties, other Governments, Secretariat, the Global Environment Facility, Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice, other subsidiary bodies, indigenous and local communities, other stakeholders;
(d)Timelines (implementation or process related), if applicable;
2.Related information:
(a)The recommendation or the element of a recommendation of a subsidiary body, if any, that formed the basis of the decision;
(b)Related decisions;
(c)Notifications issued;
(d)Submissions received;
(e)Related documents (such as reports, working or information documents, publications);
(f)Related activities and outcomes (such as workshops, technical meetings or training programmes).
5/85/10
32This is subject to a decision by the Conference of the Parties at its twelfth meeting on the establishment of a subsidiary body on implementation, as recommended by the Working Group on Review of Implementation of the Convention at its fifth meeting (see paragraph 7 of the draft decision contained in recommendation 5/2).
33United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 993, No. 14537.
34This is subject to a decision by the Conference of the Parties at its twelfth meeting on the establishment of a subsidiary body on implementation, as recommended by the Working Group on Review of Implementation of the Convention at its fifth meeting (see paragraph 7 of the draft decision contained in recommendation 5/2).