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Version
française: BNT
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Thursday,
11 October 2001
The Committee of the Whole (COW) met in the morning to consider agenda items relating to the Global Mechanism (GM), relationships with relevant conventions and organizations, and other outstanding issues. The contacts groups on the budget and on the committee for the review of implementation (CRIC) convened in the afternoon and evening to continue their negotiations. Informal discussions were also held on three draft decisions relating to the GEF, the WSSD, and relationships with relevant conventions and organizations, which had been submitted to the COW on Thursday morning
Global
Mechanism:
COW Chair Mohammed Jabarri, Iran, opened the morning session to asked delegates to resume their discussions on the review of the report of the Secretariat and the
GM on their role in facilitating consultative processes for negotiating and concluding partnerships agreements based on national, sub-regional and regional action programmes
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Mohammed Reza Jabbari (right) with Grégoire de
Kalbermatten
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Rajeb Boulharouf
Relationships
with other Conventions and International Organizations:
Following
its consideration of the GM, the COW took up the agenda item
on review of activities for the promotion and strengthening of
relationships with other relevant conventions and relevant
international organizations, institutions and agencies
Rajeb
Boulharouf, CCD Secretariat, introduced the issue,
reporting on interactions with the Convention on Biological
Diversity CBD), the Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC),
and the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, and noting cooperation
with a number of organizations and institutions, including
UNEP
Listen
to the RealAudio
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Fatiha
Djehiche, Algeria,
supported a budget increase for GM activities
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Fatiha Djehiche
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Maria Urquiza Rodriguez
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Maria
Urquiza Rodriguez, CUBA,
and others called for the GM to be given the resources to fully
carry out its funding mobilization role. SENEGAL highlighted the
GM’s role in facilitating partnerships for pilot projects
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to the RealAudio
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The
EU said the GM had demonstrated its effectiveness as a brokering
institution, helping improve resource allocation for CCD
implementation, and stated that it was important to enhance its
response capacity. He proposed, however, that the question of
enhancing the GM’s response capacity should be taken up at COP-6
when more information will be available through the review of its
policies and activities. He also said that the GM should prioritize
use of existing resources to activities directly contributing to
innovative approaches to cooperation and resource mobilization,
adding that other activities, such as information dissemination and
mainstreaming, should be priorities only where they contribute to
such activities
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Ahmed
Salem ould Ahmed, Mauritania,
said it had been dissatisfied when the GM was adopted as a financing
instrument, as it had preferred a mechanism with its own resources.
However, it expressed appreciation for the GM�s �imaginative
efforts and intelligence,� which had compensated for the
deficiencies in funding
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Ahmed Salem ould Ahmed
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Maria
Mbengashe, South
Africa, expressed appreciation for the GM�s work in its subregion,
and its role in mobilizing support for NAPs
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Maria Mbengashe
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Fawzi Abusaa, Libya
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Bush
Encroachment Research, Monitoring and Management Project
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Djiri
Dakar, Burkina
Faso, noted the important work of the GM in assisting developing
countries to combat desertification at the local level
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Djiri Dakar
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Stephen Muwaya
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Stephen
Muwaya, Uganda,
noted financial constraints on the GM�s work in his country and
subregion, and said the GM is the instrument that should move the CCD
from planning to implementation
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GM
Managing Director Per Ryd�n responded to delegates comments
and concerns by noting, inter
alia, that the GM: does not intend to duplicate the work of other
organizations; is discussing the possibility of capacity-building
support in accessing GEF funding; and is continuing its efforts to
mobilize new resources for CCD implementation. He also underlined the
necessity of increasing the GM�s response capacity, particularly
human resource capacity, and stressed the importance of voluntary
contributions in effectively carrying of the GM�s work
Listen
to the RealAudio
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Outstanding
Items:
Consideration of Rule 47 of the rules of procedure:
Delegates
briefly considered Rule 47 of the rules of procedure, recalling that
previous COPs had discussed Rule 47, and had not resolved the question of whether failure to reach consensus on a matter should be
decided, as a last resort, by a �simple majority� or a
�two-thirds majority� vote
Draft
decision on collaboration with the GEF: The G-77/CHINA
introduced a draft decision on the GEF for consideration by the COW.
The proposed text includes decisions to: invite the next GEF Assembly
in October 20002 to designate desertification as a GEF focal area;
invite the GEF Assembly to identify the GEF as the principal financial
mechanisms for CCD implementation; request the CCD�s Executive
Secretary to explore modalities for anticipating funding needs and
defining the focal area with regards to the GEF replenishment;
requests the Executive Secretary to liaise with the GM in
consultations with the GEF Secretariat to develop a Memorandum of
Understanding; and calls on the third replenishment of the GEF to take
account of the need for �new adequate and additional financial
resources� with regard to the new focal area
Draft
decision on the WSSD: The G-77/CHINA then introduced a
draft decision on the WSSD, which: welcomes the establishment of a
Panel of Eminent Persons to consider the poverty-environment nexus and
asks that the Panel�s outcomes be submitted to the WSSD; requests
the CCD�s Executive Secretary to continue to participate actively in
WSSD preparations to ensure that CCD goals are reflected in its
outcome; invites the WSSD to address new challenges and opportunities
relating to desertification and land degradation, with a view to
renewing its political commitments; requests the Secretariat to
produce comprehensive reports on CCD implementation for the WSSD
Preparatory Committee; and invites developed countries to support CCD
National Focal Points and NGOs participate in the WSSD process
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Willem
van Cotthem (left), during informal consultations
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The
Southern African Development Community,
Mali, Armenia, Cuba, the Philippines, and others called for the GM to
be given the resources to fully carry out its funding mobilization
role
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SADC / RIOD
information Display
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The TerraCottem
display
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The COW concluded its business early Thursday to enable regional groups to consult further on the two outstanding issues: the committee to review the implementation of the convention (CRIC), and the programme and budget. Negotiations on the CRIC are being negotiated in a small group chaired since Tuesday by Alain Tellier (Canada), following the early departure of its former chair, Franklin Moore (US)
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