Information

COP 12 Decision XII/28

XII/28.Retirement of decisions

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 outlined in the annex to this decision and make the information on the outcome of this exercise available to the Subsidiary Body on Implementation;
(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 of elements for a new decision on the same subject matter show that the previous decision in question: (i) would inevitably be superseded by the new decision; and (ii) may not be consistent with the new decision;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, 153 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 Subsidiary Body on Implementation to consider, at its first meeting, 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, Executive Secretary, 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).
XII/27XII/29

153United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 993, No. 14537.