Information

The Conference of the Parties,

Having considered the proposed budget for the biennium 2001-2002 submitted by the Executive Secretary (UNEP/CBD/COP/5/18 and Add.1),

Noting the commendable work done by the Executive Secretary and his staff in the delivery of the programme of work for biennium 1999-2000,

Noting with appreciation the annual contribution to the rental of the premises of the Secretariat, as well as the annual contribution of US$ 1 million, by the host Government for the period 1996-2000, which was used to offset planned expenditures and urging that this be continued for the biennium 2001-2002,

Noting also that there is wide support for the implementation of the Convention’s work programme among Governments, international organizations, non-governmental organizations, and the private sector, through the provision of expertise, information and human and financial resources,

1. Approves a programme budget of US$ 8,594,000 for the year 2001 and of US$ 10,049,900 for the year 2002, for the purposes listed in table 1 below;

2. Adopts the indicative scale of contributions for 2001 and 2002 contained in the annex to the present decision;

3. Approves the staffing table for the programme budget contained in table 2 below and requests that all staff positions be filled expeditiously;

4. Approves a drawing of US$ 5,203,200 from the unspent balances or contributions ("carry-over") from previous financial periods to cover part of the 2001-2002 budget;

5. Authorizes the Executive Secretary to transfer resources among the programmes within the limits agreed to in decisions IV/17 and III/23, namely the ability to transfer between each of the main appropriation lines set out in table 1 up to an aggregate of 15 per cent of the total programme budget, provided that a further limitation of up to a maximum of 25 per cent of each such appropriation line shall apply;

6. Notes with concern that a number of Parties have not paid their contributions to the core budget (BY Trust Fund) for previous years, which are due on 1 January of each year in accordance with paragraph 4 of the financial rules, and the late payment of contributions to the core budget by Parties during each calendar year of a biennium, which have contributed to the significant carry-over from one biennium to the next, and, in the event that there is no improvement in the payment of contributions by Parties, invites the Executive Secretary to submit proposals for promoting full and timely payment of contributions by Parties for the consideration and review of the seventh meeting of the Conference of the Parties;

7. Urges Parties that have still not paid their contributions to the core budget (BY Trust Fund) to do so without delay, and requests the Executive Secretary to publish and regularly update information on the status of contributions of Parties to the Convention’s trust funds (BY, BE, BZ);

8. Decides, with regard to contributions due from 1 January 2001 onwards, that Parties whose contributions are in arrears for two or more years will be allowed to attend the meetings of the Convention’s bodies with a maximum of two delegates until their arrears have been cleared;

9. Further decides that, with regard to contributions due from 1 January 2001 onwards, Parties that are not least developed countries or small island developing States whose contributions are in arrears for two or more years, will not receive funding from the Secretariat to attend meetings of the Convention’s bodies until their arrears have been cleared;

10. Authorizes the Executive Secretary to enter into commitments up to the level of the approved budget, drawing on available cash resources, including unspent balances, contributions from previous financial periods and miscellaneous income;

11. Decides also to fund, upon request, from the core budget (BY) the participation of members of the bureaux of the Conference of the Parties, Subsidiary Body on Scientific Technical and Technological Advice and the Intergovernmental Committee on the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety at the inter-sessional meetings of the respective bureaux;

12. Takes note of the decisions of the Bureau of the fourth meeting of the Conference of the Parties authorizing the Executive Secretary to utilize savings, unspent balances from previous financial periods and miscellaneous income in the amount of US$ 1,565,000 from the BY Trust Fund to fund the participation of developing country Parties, in particular the least developed and small island developing States, and other Parties with economies in transition, in the meetings of the Convention and requests the Executive Secretary, in consultation with the Bureau, to monitor the availability of voluntary contributions to the BZ Trust Fund in the event of any shortfall;

13. Decides that the trust funds (BY, BE, BZ) for the Convention shall be extended for the period of two years, beginning 1 January 2002 and ending 31 December 2003;

14. Invites all Parties to the Convention to note that contributions to the core budget (BY) are due on 1 January of the year in which the these contributions have been budgeted for, and to pay them promptly, and urges Parties, in a position to do so, to pay by 1 October 2000 for the calendar year 2001 and by 1 October 2001 for the calendar year 2002 the contributions required to finance expenditures approved under paragraph 1 above, as offset by the amount in paragraph 4, and, in this regard, requests that Parties be notified of the amount of their contributions by 1 August of the year preceding the year in which the contributions are due;

15. Urges all 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 funds (BY, BE, BZ) of the Convention;

16. Takes note of the funding estimates for the Special Voluntary Trust Fund (BE) for Additional Voluntary Contributions in Support of Approved Activities for the Biennium 2001-2002 specified by the Executive Secretary and included in table 3 below, and urges Parties to make contributions to this Fund;

17. Takes note of the funding estimates for the special voluntary Trust Fund (BZ) for facilitating participation of developing country Parties, in particular the least developed and the small island developing States amongst them, and other Parties with economies in transition, for the biennium 2001-2002, as specified by the Executive Secretary and included in table 4 below, and urges Parties to make contributions to this Fund;

18. Authorizes the Executive Secretary, in consultation with the Bureau of the Conference of the Parties, to adjust the servicing of the programme of the work, including postponement of meetings, if sufficient resources are not available to the Secretariat in a timely fashion;

19. Requests the Executive Secretary to prepare and submit a budget for the programme of work for the biennium 2003-2004 for the sixth meeting of the Conference of the Parties, and report on income and budget performance as well as any adjustments made to the Convention budget for the biennium 2001- 2002;

20. Instructs the Executive Secretary, in an effort to improve the efficiency of the Secretariat and to attract highly qualified staff to the Secretariat, to enter into direct administrative and contractual arrangements with Parties and organizations - in response to offers of human resources and other support to the Secretariat - as may be necessary for the effective discharge of the functions of the Secretariat, while ensuring the efficient use of available competencies, resources and services, and taking into account United Nations rules and regulations. Special attention should be given to possibilities of creating synergies with relevant, existing work programmes or activities that are being implemented within the framework of other international organizations;

21. Requests the President of the Conference of the Parties to consult with the Secretary-General of the United Nations on an assessment of the level of the post of the Executive Secretary of the Convention and report to the Bureau of the Conference of the Parties, taking into account paragraph 1 of the Administrative Arrangements endorsed in decision IV/17

Table 1

BIENNIUM BUDGET OF THE TRUST FUND FOR THE CONVENTION ON BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY 2001 2002

(thousands of United States dollars)

Annex

SCALE OF CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE TRUST FUND FOR THE CONVENTION ON BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY FOR 2001-2002