| Necessary funds may be transferred from the conference servicing budget lines (1321–1326) should such services be required to be rendered either by individual consultancies or corporate contracts.
The current conference servicing costs have been based on the following reasons and assumptions:
1321: The requested increase of $100,000 in 2004 is related to the conference service requirements of the Ad Hoc Working Group meeting on Methyl Bromide as requested in decision Ex.1/5 of the First Extraordinary Meeting of the Parties, held in March 2004, for extra weekend costs incurred due to back-to-back arrangements with the Executive Committee meeting and increased costs due to exchange rate fluctuations.
The budget proposed is for one meeting of the Open-ended Working Group to be held each year during 2005 and 2006 in Nairobi or another United Nations venue, using six languages.
1322: The requested increase of $40,000 in 2004 is related to the conference service requirements for the Ad Hoc Working Group meeting on methyl bromide as requested by the Open-ended Working Group at its twenty-fourth meeting, in July 2004.
It is assumed that the Meeting of the Parties and its preparatory meeting will be held in Nairobi in 2005 and 2006, in six languages. The total conferencing costs in 2005 will be shared with the Vienna Convention Trust Fund, as the seventh meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention will be held concurrently with the Seventeenth Meeting of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol. Accordingly, the amount allocated for the Seventeenth Meeting of the Parties in 2005 has been reduced as the Convention share in this meeting has already been allocated in the approved 2005 budget for the Vienna Convention Trust Fund.
When meetings are not held in Nairobi, the differential costs will be borne by the host Governments.
1323: An increase of $25,000 in the approved 2004 allocation for the organization of the meetings of the assessment panels is proposed to cover the additional meetings of the Methyl Bromide Technical Options Committee unforeseen during preparations for the Fifteenth Meeting of the Parties.
Provision has been made in 2005 for one meeting of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and the Technology and Economic Assessment Panel as called for in decision XIV/10.
The budget allocation in 2005 and 2006 for the Technology and Economic Assessment Panel and its technical options committees, the Scientific Assessment Panel and the Environmental Effects Assessment Panel will cover the costs of organizing their annual meetings, as well as communication and other sundry costs related to the work of panel members from developing countries and countries with economies in transition.
Financial assistance has been provided by the Parties for 2005, on an exceptional basis, to cover the costs of expert assistance to the Methyl Bromide Technical Options Committee for the maximum sum of $68,300.
1324: Two Bureau meetings are scheduled for each of the years 2005 and 2006, with provision for interpretation and documents translation in the appropriate languages based on the membership of the Bureau.
1325: An increase of $25,000 in the approved 2004 budget for the conduct of the meetings of the Implementation Committee is being requested to cover interpretation and translation requirements, as mentioned in paragraph 102 of UNEP/OzL.Pro/ImpCom/30/4.
At least two Implementation Committee meetings of three days’ duration are scheduled for each of the years 2005 and 2006 with interpretation and documents translation as required, to be held back-to-back with the Open-ended Working Group meeting and the Meeting of the Parties in that year.
1326: At least one informal consultation meeting per year, expected to take place in Nairobi, is envisaged for 2005 and 2006 to facilitate the work of assisting the Parties, as well as in the promotion of the ratification of and compliance with the Montreal Protocol and its amendments.
1329: The requested increase of $89,000 in 2004, relating to the conference service costs of the First Extraordinary Meeting of the Parties, held in March 2004, is due to unforeseen documentation levels, weekend costs arising from back-to-back arrangements with the Executive Committee meeting, as well as increased costs due to exchange rate fluctuations.
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