Decision COP I/6

The Conference of the Parties,

1. Adopts the Financial Rules for the Administration of the Trust Fund for the Convention on Biological Diversity, which are attached as annex I to this decision, to apply in conjunction with the general procedures governing the operations of the Fund of the United Nations Environment Programme and the Financial Regulations and Rules of the United Nations;

2. Designates the United Nations Environment Programme as the Trustee of the Trust Fund for the Convention on Biological Diversity;

3. Decides that the Trust Fund shall be established for an initial period of two years, beginning on 1 January 1995 and ending on 31 December 1996;

4. Adopts the budget for 1995, which is attached as annex II to this decision;

5. Urges all the Parties to pay promptly their contributions to the Trust Fund, based on the scale set forth in the appendix to the budget;

6. Requests the 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 Fund;

7. Requests the Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme to ensure, by advances, that the 1995 budget of the Convention is financed until such time as sufficient contributions have been paid in 1995 to allow for the functioning of the Secretariat;

8. Takes note of the indicative budget for 1996, also attached as annex II to this decision, and directs the Secretariat to prepare an indicative budget that would provide for implementing the remainder of the medium-term programme of work;

9. Directs the Secretariat to consider carefully all offers of support from other organizations and to cooperate with them with a view to making the most effective use of the competencies and resources available.

The Conference of the Parties,

1. Adopts for 1995 the scale for contributions contained in the Appendix to the budget (annex II), based on the United Nations scale of assessments for the apportionment of the expenses of the United Nations adjusted to provide that no one contribution shall exceed 25 per cent of the total and that no contribution from a least developed country Party shall exceed 0.01 per cent of the total. The contribution referred to in paragraph 3 (a) of the Financial Rules shall be due 1 January 1995;

2. Being aware that a comprehensive review of all aspects of scale methodology is to be presented to the General Assembly of the United Nations at its fiftieth session, requests the Secretariat to make it available, as well as information related to scale methodology in other international organizations and information provided by Governments to assist the second meeting of the Conference of the Parties in its consideration of this matter;

3. Decides to transfer to the next meeting of the Conference of the Parties, for further consideration, paragraph 4 of the Financial Rules contained in annex I of the present decision;

4. Also decides to transmit paragraph 16 of the Financial Rules to the second meeting of the Conference of the Parties for further consideration;

5. Decides that at its second meeting it will agree upon and adopt a Financial Rule governing the determination of the scale, taking account of paragraphs 2 and 3 above, and a Financial Rule governing decision-making under the Financial Rules, taking into account paragraph 4 above.