At its sixth session held from 3 to 7 November 2014 in Bangkok, Thailand, the intergovernmental negotiating committee on mercury (INC6) established an ad hoc working group of experts on financing, with the mandate to provide input to INC7 in implementing the decision of the Conference of Plenipotentiaries, as outlined in paragraph 6 of resolution 2 of the Final Act, on financial arrangements, which is :
“ … to develop for consideration by the Conference of the Parties at its first meeting a proposal for the hosting institution for the specific international programme, including any necessary arrangements with the hosting institution, as well as guidance on operation and duration of that programme”.
The ad hoc working group of experts was expected to meet once intersessionally before INC7 and this meeting was held from 26 to 29 October 2015 in Sao Paulo, Brazil. The agenda for the meeting is available here. The outcome of the meeting was presented to INC7 in the form of a co-chairs report available in document UNEP(DTIE)/Hg/INC.7/9 here.
The ad hoc working group of experts on financing comprised the two co-chairs appointed by INC6 as well as a total of 19 experts, drawn from each of the five UN regional groups. Its meeting was supported by the presence of the Chair of the INC and, as observer, the GEF secretariat. Other technical advisors from relevant institutions were also invited by the co-chairs but were not in a position to attend. The meeting was assisted by the interim secretariat of the Minamata Convention.
INC6 also requested the interim secretariat to invite and compile comments from INC parties on the mandate of the ad hoc working group of experts, as well as subsequently to prepare a document outlining options for hosting institutions for the specific international programme and any necessary information available on arrangements with the hosting institutions, in order to inform the work of the ad hoc working group of experts prior to its meeting. The letter inviting contributions in relation to this request is available here.
Responses were received from Brazil, Burkina Faso, the European Union and its Member States, Oman, Peru and Thailand.