41st Meeting of the Standing Committee

CONVENTION ON WETLANDS (Ramsar, Iran, 1971)
41st Meeting of the Standing Committee
Kobuleti, Georgia, 26 April – 1 May 2010

DOC. SC41-1 Rev. 2

41st Meeting of the Standing Committee

Draft Agenda and Programme

Monday, 26 April

18:00-21:00                    Meeting of the Management Working Group (Chair and Vice Chair of COP9 Standing Committee, Chair and Vice Chair of COP10 SC, COP9 and COP10 Chairs of Subgroup on Finance, STRP COP9 Chair, STRP COP10 Chair, Secretary General (ex officio), Contracting Party representatives (Czech Republic, Japan, Kenya, Marshall Islands Mexico, Paraguay), IOP representative (WWF International)

• Personnel matters:

a)       Review of process for recruitment of the Secretary General (DOC. SC41-2)
b)      Secretary General’s contract (CLOSED SESSION)
c)       Other personnel matters

Tuesday, 27 April

08:15 – 09:45                  Regional meetings as relevant

10:00 – 13:00                  Meeting of the Subgroup on Finance (Finland (Chair), China, Jamaica, Marshall Islands, Mexico, and Nigeria)

Financial Matters (Items 8 and 9 of the SC41 Agenda)

a)       Review of 2009 core and projects income and expenditure, including audited financial statements (DOC. SC41-3)
b)      Current status of the reserve fund (Resolution X.2, paragraph 21) (DOC. SC41-4)
c)       Status of Secretariat services agreement with IUCN (DOC. SC41-5)
d)      Contracting Parties that are consistently in arrears with payments to the Convention (Resolution X.2, paragraph 17) (DOC. SC41-6)
e)       Review of process and mechanisms for Secretariat staff salary awards (Decision SC40-13) (DOC. SC41-7)
f)       Ramsar Core Budget 2010 (Resolution X.2) (DOC. SC41-8)
g)       Ramsar Non-Core requirements and activities 2010 and beyond including update on renewal of the Danone/Evian partnership (DOC. SC41-9)
h)      Towards a new budget Framework for COP11 (DOC. SC41-10)
i)       Progress report on engagement with the Global Environment Facility (Decision SC40-14) (DOC. SC41-11)
j)       Report on the Ramsar Small Grants Fund (DOC. SC41-12)
k)       Regional Initiatives 2009-2012 in the framework of the Ramsar Convention (Decision SC40-16) (DOC. SC41-13)
i)       Progress reports from initiatives which have received core budget funding
ii)      Levels of financial support to individual initiatives in 2010 (Resolution X.6)

15:00-17:00                    Meeting of the Subgroup on COP11 (Romania (Chair), Canada, Croatia, Lebanon; Marshall Islands, Panama, Uganda, Republic of Korea, STRP Chair)

a)       Memorandum of Understanding with the Government of Romania (DOC. SC41-14)
b)      Report of preparations (DOC. SC41-15):
i)   Substantial preparations made by Romania, in particular proposed COP11 venue,
ii)  Proposed dates for COP11, and
iii) Proposed theme for COP11
c)       Ramsar Award/Evian Special Prize (DOC. SC41-16)
d)      Regional meetings (verbal)

Wednesday, 28 April - Excursion to wetlands of Georgia

Thursday, 29 April

08:15 – 09:15                  Regional meetings as relevant

09:30 – 13:00                  Plenary Session of the Standing Committee

                                     Folkloric performance

1.       Opening statement

Chair of the Standing Committee, Kim Chan-woo, Republic of Korea

Welcome Statements:
H.E. Giorgi Khachidze, Minister of the Environment Protection and Natural Resources of Georgia
Representative of the Government of Adjara Autonomous Republic
Statement on behalf of the five International Organization Partners
Secretary General, Anada Tiega

10:15 – 10:45                  Coffee break

         Media Conference

10:45 – 12:45                  Plenary Session

2.       Adoption of the Agenda

3.       Admission of Observers

4.       Report of the Secretary General (DOC. SC41-17)

5.       Roles and responsibilities of the Standing Committee (Decision SC40-20, DOC. SC41-18)

14:00 – 18:00                  Plenary Session

6.       Report of the Management Working Group

7.       Progress with preparations for COP11: Report of the COP11 Subgroup (cf. DOC. SC41-15)

8.       Financial matters: Report of the Subgroup on Finance (cf. DOCs. SC41-3 to SC41-13)

9.       Regional initiatives 2009-2012 in the framework of the Ramsar Convention (Resolution X.6) (cf. DOC. SC41-13)

10.     Progress report on appointment of a Partnership Coordinator (Decision SC40-7 (DOC. SC41-19)

11.     COP10 outputs requiring action or review by Standing Committee (DOC. SC41-20)

18:15                              Children’s painting competition prize ceremony

19:30                              Departure from hotel for Reception hosted by the Ministry of Environment

Friday, 30 April

08:15 – 09:45                  Regional meetings as relevant

10:00 – 13:00                  Plenary Session

         Address by Prof. Ahmet Kideys, Executive Director of the Commission on the Protection of the Black Sea against Pollution

12.     Collaborative review with the International Organization Partners of the Convention’s relationships with the IOPs (Decision SC40-6) (DOC. SC41-21)

13.     Work plans and priorities for the future:

13.1   Promotion and utilization of the “Changwon Declaration” (Resolution X.3, Decision SC40-22) (DOC. SC41-22)
13.2   Ramsar Secretariat Work Plan 2010 – Report on activities since January 2010 (DOC. SC41-23)

14.     Report of the Ad Hoc Working Group on Administrative Reform (Resolution X.5)

15.     National Reports Format for COP11 (DOC. SC41-24)

16.     Status of Ramsar sites (Decision SC35-28 & Resolution X.13) (DOC. SC41-25)

14:00 – 18:00                  Plenary Session

17.     Scientific and Technical Review Panel (STRP) matters:

17.1   Report of the STRP Oversight Committee (Resolution X.9)(DOC. SC41-32)
17.2   Report of the STRP Chair and STRP Work Plan for 2010-2011 (Resolution X.10) (DOC. SC41-26)
17.3   Progress with the assessment of the ecological “outcome-oriented” indicators for assessing the implementation effectiveness of the Ramsar Convention (Resolution IX.1 Annex D), and the 2010 biodiversity target
17.4   Progress and advice on IPBES (DOC. SC41-27)

18.     Update on business partnership activities (DOC. SC41-31)

19.     Communication, Education, Participation and Awareness (CEPA) matters:

19.1   Report of the CEPA Programme Officer (DOC. SC41-28)
19.2   Theme for World Wetlands Day 2012 (DOC. SC41-29)
19.3   Plans for the Convention’s 40th anniversary (DOC. SC41-30)
19.4   Report on World Wetlands Week in Seychelles

19:30                              Departure from hotel for Reception hosted by the Government of Adjara

Saturday, 1st May

08:15 – 09:45                  Regional meetings as relevant

10:00 – 13:00                  Plenary Session

20.     Date and venue of the 42nd Meeting of the Standing Committee

21.     Adoption of the report of the meeting

22.     Any other business

23.     Closing remarks

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