11th Meeting of the Scientific and Technical Review Panel (STRP)

Draft Agenda and organization of work

1. A full Annotated Agenda will be prepared in consultation with the STRP Chair and circulated prior to the 11th meeting of the Panel.

2. The meeting will last for four days (Tuesday 8 April to Friday 11 April 2003) and will work in the English language only.

3. The first day will be devoted to introductions and an "induction and briefing session" as called for in the modus operandi for the STRP adopted by Resolution VIII.28. This is designed to ensure that all participants, and especially members appointed for the first time, are fully aware of their respective roles and responsibilities in the work of the Panel.

4. As established by its modus operandi, the first meeting of the Panel has a major set of tasks to deliver, as follows:

i) establish the STRP work plan for the triennium, based on the tasks and priorities identified by the Conference of the Parties (COP) and Standing Committee;

ii) establish an Expert Working Group for each substantive task to be undertaken by the STRP, identify the members of each Working Group, and agree the modus operandi for each Working Group;

iii) identify additional experts to be invited to contribute to the work of each Working Group, either in the drafting of materials or in reviewing them. In doing that, the STRP should give consideration to geographical and gender balance and to the language abilities of the proposed experts; and

iv) identify key additional strategic issues for consideration by the STRP in relation to: a) the current tools and guidance available to Parties; and b) any new and emerging issues for the Convention; and establish a Working Group to progress these for reporting to the next COP.

5. In undertaking tasks ii) and iii) the Panel will be assisted by advice from the STRP Support Service (see document STRP11-7).

6. The draft agenda and schedule of work for the meeting is as follows:

Tuesday 8 April

0830-0930 Registration

0930-1300

Agenda item 1. Welcome & opening statements

Gordana Beltram, Chairperson of the Standing Committee
Delmar Blasco, Secretary General, Ramsar Convention
Max Finlayson, STRP Chair

Agenda item 2. Adoption of the Agenda

Agenda item 3. Admission of additional observers

Agenda item 4. Brief introductions of members and observers

Agenda item 5. Induction and briefing session

5.1 The Ramsar Convention, its Strategic Plan and the Resolutions adopted by COP8 relevant to the STRP
5.2 The role and operations of the STRP
5.3 The roles of STRP members and observers and of the Ramsar Bureau (secretariat) and Standing Committee
5.4 The role of the STRP Support Service
5.5 Overview of 2003-2005 work and priorities as determined by the 29th meeting of the Standing Committee
5.6 Additional ongoing tasks of the STRP
5.7 Budgetary issues

1500-1800

Agenda item 6. Development of STRP Work Plan 2003-2005, and establishment of Expert Working Groups and their core membership

[Note. It is anticipated that, as envisaged in the STRP modus operandi, the Panel will establish an expert Working Group, or an alternative mechanism, to progress its work on each substantive top priority area of work in its Work Plan (Agenda item 5.1). For lower priority areas of work (Agenda item 5.3), the Standing Committee has advised the Panel that this work should be included in the STRP Work Plan only if one or more contributing organizations or networks has the capacity and resources and agrees to take the lead in the preparation of materials.]

Evening Ramsar 'World Wetlands Day 2003 quiz', followed by welcome reception (IUCN HQ, Gland)

Wednesday 9 April

0930-1300

6.1 Content of and approach to the top priority areas of work for 2003-2005

i) Wetland Inventory and assessment
ii) the Wise Use Concept
iii) Water resource management
iv) Ramsar site designation
v) Managing and monitoring Ramsar sites
vi) Assessing the effectiveness of implementation of the Convention

6.2 Content of and approach to cross-cutting issues

i) Communication, Education and Public Awareness (CEPA)
ii) Agriculture

1500-1700

6.3 Content of and approach to lower priority areas of work for 2003-2005

i) Environmental and strategic impact assessment
ii) Peatlands
iii) Climate change
iv) Restoration and rehabilitation
v) Invasive alien species
vi) Participation of local communities and indigenous peoples in wetland management
vii) Further guidance for designating wetland types under-represented in the Ramsar List
viii) Sharing expertise and information

6.4 Work to defer to the 2005-2008 triennium

1700-1900

Agenda item 7. Expert Working Groups: break-out meetings to develop their modus operandi, including proposed products, additional experts to be invited to participate, schedule, estimation of additional resources needed for the work etc.

[Notes. A schedule for break-out meetings of Expert Working Groups will be prepared once the number and membership of such groups has been determined by the Panel.

The STRP Support Service will provide advice to each Expert Working Group concerning additional relevant organizations, networks, and experts whom it may be appropriate to invite to contribute to the work of the Working Group.]

Thursday 10 April

0930-1300

Agenda item 8. Report back to plenary by each Expert Working Group on progress made and outstanding issues requiring clarification or resolution

Agenda item 9. Expert Working Groups: continue in break-out meetings to develop their modus operandi, including proposed products, additional experts to be invited to participate, schedule, estimation of additional resources needed for the work etc.

1500-1800

Agenda item 10. Plenary report back by each Expert Working Group, and agreement on work to be undertaken

Evening 20.00 h: STRP Dinner (Hotel des Alpes, Nyon)

Friday 11 April

0930-1300

Agenda item 11. Identification of key additional strategic issues for STRP consideration

Agenda item 12. Agreement on procedures for delivering on-going STRP work tasks

1500-1700

Agenda item 13. Finalization of draft STRP Work Plan 2003-2005

a) Priority areas of work
b) Cross-cutting issues
c) Lower priority areas of work (confirmation of lead organizations, as appropriate)

Agenda item 14. Requirements and schedule for mid-term Expert Working Group meetings

Agenda item 15. Date and venue of next full STRP meeting

Agenda item 16. Any other business

Agenda item 17. Close of meeting

Agenda papers for STRP 11