34th Meeting of the Standing Committee

Action requested: The Standing Committee and Subgroup on Finance are invited to consider what clarifications are needed in requested core budget funds in their consideration of arrangements for budget allocations to regional initiatives for 2007 and 2008.

1. In DOC. SC34-21 the Secretariat noted that "it is not clear from all the budget tables submitted by proponents of the regional initiatives and provided in COP9 DOC. 21 what funds (if any) each initiative is anticipating requesting for 2007 and 2008".

2. In order to assist the Standing Committee and its Subgroup on Finance in its deliberation on this matter, the Secretariat has compiled the budget tables for each regional initiative which has been allocated Ramsar core funding for 2006, from COP9 DOC. 21 and DOC. SC34-21. These are annexed to this note.

3. For each of these regional initiatives, a comment on its budget is provided below, as it relates to the core budget line for regional initiatives for 2007 and 2008, and any issues of clarification which may need to be made with the proponents of each regional initiative are identified.

4. West African Coastal Zone Wetlands Network (WacoWet). The budget provided to COP9 (DOC. 21) indicates a request for Ramsar core funding for Financial Years 02-03 of US$ 7,000 (= CHF 9,000). From the figures provided it appears that this is for each of the two years (i.e., CHF 9,000 for 2007 and CHF 9,000 for 2008), but this should be confirmed. Note also that the sum requested for 2006 (US$ 139,000) was considerably larger than the CHF 60,000 approved by COP9 Resolution IX.7.

5. Regional Strategy for the Conservation and Wise Use of High Andean Wetlands. The budget information supplied to the Secretariat and provided in DOC. SC34-21 appears to be for one year only (i.e., 2006). The Secretariat is seeking clarification from the proponents of the initiative as to whether a request for core budget funds for 2007 and/or 2008 can be expected as well.

6. Ramsar Regional Center for Training and Research on Wetlands in Western and Central Asia in Iran (RRC-CWA). The information provided in COP9 DOC. 21 indicates that financial support from the Convention's core budget will be requested for first three years. However, the budget table supplied includes only total budget figures for 2007 and 2008, and does not indicate the amounts for each of these years to be requested from the Convention core budget. These amounts should be clarified. The amount for 2006 requested and approved was CHF 20,000.

7. Ramsar Regional Center for Training and Research on Wetlands in the Western Hemisphere (CREHO). Budget figures provided in COP9 DOC.21 indicate that US$ 80,000 is requested for each of the three years (2006, 2007 and 2008). COP9 approved CHF 80,000 for 2006. The requested US$ 80,000 for 2007 (and 2008) is approx. CHF 102,500 per annum.

8. As indicated in DOC. SC34-21, COP9 approved MedWet allocations from the core budget of CHF 15,499 for 2007 and CHF 10,849 for 2008.

Annex

i) Regional (and subregional) networks for capacity-building and cooperation:

West African Coastal Zone Wetlands Network (WacoWet) - Budget 2006-2008

Items	Total cost (CFA)	FY01 in $	FY02-03 in $	Support
Internet communication infrastructure
Setting up	700000	1400		Benin
Bandwidth allowance (64 Kbp) per month	6696000	13392	13392	Benin
WacoWet Website development and management
Basic Website development	300000	600		Benin
Website management	200000	400	400	Benin
Bilingual secretary
Recruitment process (announcement and selection)	300000	600		Benin
Salary per month	4800000	9600	9600	Ramsar Core Budget or ECOWAS
Material of bureau
Desktop (Pentium IV, DVD, Graver and Zip)	1500000	3000		Benin
Laptop (Pentium IV, DVD, Graver)	2000000	4000		CBCM* Project
Printer	400000	800		CBCM Project
Scanner	150000	300		CBCM Project
Video projector	1500000	3000		CBCM Project
Numeric (i.e., digital) camera	250000	500		CBCM Project
Table (bureau)	400000	800		Benin
Seat	120000	240		Benin
Document storage units	100000	200		Benin
Tel/Fax	200000	400		Benin
Office running costs and communication
Furnitures (paper, bubble for printer, etc.) per month	600000	1200	1200	Benin
Telephone / communication	600000	1200	1200	Benin
Stamps	10000	20		Benin
Acquiring of bank account	500000	1000		Benin
Creation of the Network, Adoption and Implementation of the Strategic Plan of Action
Preparation of fundamentals (MoU, Strategy Plan)	2000000	4000		Ramsar Core Budget
Launching workshop (02 persons / 8 countries) for adoption of the fundamentals	24000000	48000		Ramsar Core Budget
Elaboration of the detailed action plan	3000000	6000		Benin
Sensitization of decision makers at subregional level (ECOWAS, States)	1000000	2000		Ramsar Core Budget
Creation and updating of the Network�s Database	20000000	40000	2000	Ramsar Core Budget CBCM Project
Adoption of WacoWet Transboundary Guidelines on Wetland management (elaboration, adoption)	20000000	40000		Ramsar Core Budget
Creating and updating a professionals register	2500000	5000	5000	Ramsar Core Budget
	93826000	187652	32792
Total FY1-3	253236 $

Note. CBCM project is a GEF-funded project on "Community Based Coastal Biodiversity Management" running from 2006-2010.

Contribution of Benin
Items	Total cost (CFA)	FY01 in $	FY02-03 in $	Support
Internet communication infrastructure
Setting up	700000	1400		Benin
Bandwidth allowance (64 Kbp) per month	6696000	13392	13392	Benin
WacoWet Website development and management
Basic website development	300000	600		Benin
Website management	200000	400	400	Benin
Bilingual secretary
Recruitment process (announcement and selection)	300000	600		Benin
Material of bureau
Desktop (Pentium IV, DVD, Graver and Zip)	1500000	3000		Benin
Table (bureau)	400000	800		Benin
Seat	120000	240		Benin
Document storage units	100000	200		Benin
Tel/Fax	200000	400		Benin
Office running costs and communication
Furnitures (paper, bubble for printer, etc.) per �mo.	600000	1200	1200	Benin
Telephone / communication	600000	1200	1200	Benin
Stamps	10000	20		Benin
Acquiring of bank account	500000	1000		Benin
Creation of the Network, Adoption and Implementation of the Strategic Plan of Action
Elaboration of the detailed action plan	3000000	6000		Benin
	15226000	30452	16192
Total: years 1-3	62836 $

Contribution requested from Ramsar Core Budget
Items	Total cost (CFA)	FY01 in $	FY02-03 in $	Support
Internet communication infrastructure
Material of bureau
Creation of the Network, Adoption and Implementation of the Strategic Plan of Action
Preparation of fundamentals (MoU, Strategy Plan)	2000000	4000		Ramsar Core Budget
Launching workshop (02 persons / 8 countries) for adoption of the fundamentals	24000000	48000		Ramsar Core Budget
Sensitization of decision makers at subregional level (ECOWAS, States)	1000000	2000		Ramsar Core Budget
Creation and updating of the Network�s Database	20000000	40000	2000	Ramsar Core Budget CBCM Project
Adoption of WacoWet Transboundary Guidelines on Wetlands management (elaboration, adoption)	20000000	40000		Ramsar Core Budget
Creating and updating a professionals register	2500000	5000	5000	Ramsar Core Budget