Protection of Global Climate for Present and Future Generations of Mankind, G.A. res. 50/115, U.N. Doc. A/RES/50/115 (1995)
The General Assembly, Recalling its resolutions 45/212 of 21 December 1990, 46/169 of 19 December 1991, 47/195 of 22 December 1992, 48/189 of 21 December 1993 and 49/120 of 19 December 1994, Noting with satisfaction that a large number of States and one regional economic integration organization have ratified the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and calling upon other States to take appropriate action to that end, Noting that, in accordance with paragraphs 1 and 2 of General Assembly resolution 48/189, the first session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change was convened from 28 March to 7 April 1995 in Berlin, and that it was attended by one hundred and sixteen of the then one hundred and eighteen Parties to the Convention, as well as by a large number of governmental, intergovernmental and non-governmental observers, Expressing its deep appreciation to the Government of Germany for the generous manner in which it hosted the first session of the Conference of the Parties, Looking forward to the ongoing work of the Conference of the Parties and its subsidiary bodies in addressing climate change within the framework of the Convention and to the successful conclusion of the Berlin Mandate process at the third session of the Conference of the Parties, Noting the important scientific contribution of the World Meteorological Organization/United Nations Environment Programme Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change to the Convention process and looking forward to the completion of its second assessment report, Recognizing the contribution to the Convention process of the interim secretariat of the Convention, within the framework of the Department for Policy Coordination and Sustainable Development of the Secretariat, as well as the support provided to that secretariat by the World Meteorological Organization, the United Nations Environment Programme, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, the United Nations Development Programme and bilateral contributors, Taking note of the advice of the Secretary-General on an institutional linkage for the secretariat of the Convention with the United Nations, including the procedures indicated therein for the application of the Financial Regulations and the Staff Regulations and Staff Rules of the United Nations and for the appointment and accountability of the head of that secretariat, Taking note also of the decision of the Conference of the Parties, on the basis of the advice of the Secretary-General, that the Convention secretariat shall be institutionally linked to the United Nations, while not being fully integrated into the work programme and management structure of any particular department or programme, Taking note further of the financial procedures for the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, its subsidiary bodies and its permanent secretariat adopted at its first session, whereby, inter alia, the Secretary-General is asked to establish trust funds for the purposes of the Convention, to be managed by the head of the Convention secretariat in accordance with duly delegated authority, Taking note further of the decision of the Conference of the Parties whereby the General Assembly is requested, bearing in mind the institutional linkage of the Convention secretariat to the United Nations and the large number of States that are Parties to the Convention, to decide to finance from the regular programme budget of the United Nations the conference-servicing costs arising from sessions of the Conference of the Parties and its subsidiary bodies for the duration of the institutional linkage mentioned above, Having considered the report of the Secretary-General on the implementation of General Assembly resolution 49/120, with particular reference to the implications arising from the report of the Conference of the Parties on its first session, 1. Takes note with appreciation of: (a) The report of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee on a Framework Convention on Climate Change on its eleventh session; (b) The final report prepared on behalf of the Committee, by its Chairman, on the completion of the Committee's work; (c) The report of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on its first session and its presentation on behalf of the President of the Conference; 2. Endorses the institutional linkage between the Convention secretariat and the United Nations, as advised by the Secretary-General and adopted by the Conference of the Parties; 3. Requests the Secretary-General to review the functioning of this institutional linkage not later than 31 December 1999, in consultation with the Conference of the Parties, with a view to making such modifications as may be considered desirable by both parties and to report thereon to the General Assembly; 4. Notes that the Conference of the Parties has decided to accept the offer of the Government of Germany to host the Convention secretariat and expresses its appreciation for the support offered by the future host Government for the relocation and effective functioning of the Convention secretariat; 5. Notes with appreciation contributions made to the extrabudgetary funds established under paragraphs 10 and 20 of General Assembly resolution 45/212, and maintained in accordance with its resolution 47/195; 6. Urges Member States that are Parties to the Convention to pay promptly and in full for each of the years 1996 and 1997, in accordance with the indicative scale adopted by consensus by the Conference of the Parties, the contributions required for the trust fund for the core budget of the Convention envisaged in paragraph 13 of its financial procedures, so as to ensure continuity in the cash flow required to finance the ongoing work of the Conference of the Parties, the subsidiary bodies and the Convention secretariat; 7. Calls upon Member States that are Parties to the Convention to also contribute generously to the trust fund for participation in the Convention process envisaged in paragraph 15 of its financial procedures, as well as to the trust funds envisaged for supplementary activities under the Convention; 8. Decides to include in the calendar of conferences and meetings for 1996-1997 the sessions of the Conference of the Parties and its subsidiary bodies envisaged for that biennium entailing twelve weeks of conference- servicing facilities; 9. Requests the Secretary-General to make the necessary arrangements to include in the calendar of conferences and meetings for the biennium 1998-1999 those sessions of the Conference of the Parties and its subsidiary bodies that the Conference may need to convene in that period; 10. Takes note of the transitional arrangement for administrative support to the Convention secretariat, outlined in the report of the Secretary-General on the implementation of General Assembly resolution 49/120, with particular reference to the implications arising from the report of the Conference of the Parties, on its first session, which should facilitate the establishment and relocation of the Convention secretariat and assist it in addressing any initial financial and personnel problems that may be encountered within this context, and also takes note of the financing arrangements contained in paragraphs 8 and 9 above, and requests the Secretary-General to review these arrangements towards the end of the biennium 1996-1997 and to report upon the results of this review to the Assembly at its fifty-second session; 11. Notes that the Secretary-General intends: (a) To transfer the end-1995 balance in the trust fund for the negotiating process established under paragraph 20 of General Assembly resolution 45/212 into the trust fund for the core budget of the Convention envisaged in paragraph 13 of its financial procedures; (b) To transfer the end-1995 balance in the special voluntary fund for participation in the negotiating process established under paragraph 10 of the same resolution into the trust fund for participation in the Convention process envisaged in paragraph 15 of the aforementioned financial procedures; 12. Requests the Secretary-General to report to the General Assembly at its fifty-first session on the implementation of the present resolution; 13. Decides to include in the provisional agenda of its fifty-first session the item entitled "Protection of global climate for present and future generations of mankind". |