Resolution Conf. 12.1

Financing and budgeting of the Secretariat and of meetings
of the Conference of the Parties

RECALLING that the financial amendment to the Convention, adopted in Bonn in 1979, entered into force on 13 April 1987;

RECALLING Resolution Conf. 11.2 (Rev. CoP12) adopted at the 11th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (Gigiri, 2000) and revised at its 12th meeting (Santiago, 2002);

HAVING NOTED the report on actual expenditures for 2000 and 2001 presented by the Secretariat (CoP12 Inf. 2, Annexes 1 and 2);

HAVING NOTED the estimated expenditures for 2002 presented by the Secretariat (CoP12 Inf. 3);

HAVING REVIEWED the 20032005 budget estimates submitted by the Secretariat [document Doc. 9.1 (Rev. 1), Annex 1] and the report of the Budget Working Group (document CoP12 Com.II 5);

RECOGNIZING the continuing need for administrative and financial arrangements between the Parties and the Executive Director of UNEP;

NOTING the considerable increase in the number of Parties to the Convention; the need for greater assistance to the Parties to achieve more effective implementation; the necessity to implement the various Decisions and Resolutions of the Conference of the Parties; and the resulting increasing expenditure incurred by the Secretariat;

NOTING also the serious economic difficulties being experienced by certain Parties and stressing the need to allow for flexibility in application of the UN scale of assessment to the countries concerned;

THE CONFERENCE OF THE PARTIES TO THE CONVENTION

ACCEPTS the expenditures for 20002001 and TAKES NOTE of the estimates of expenditure for 2002;

APPROVES the budget for the triennum 2003-2005 (Annex 2);

DECIDES that the budget for the triennium 20032005 shall be covered by average annual contributions from Parties that shall be increased by six per cent as compared to annual average contributions for the previous biennium;

REQUESTS the Secretariat to maintain an operating cash reserve of USD 700,000 to ensure financial liquidity and AUTHORIZES the Secretariat to draw additional funds from the CITES Trust Fund balance at the end of each year, provided that it is not reduced below USD 700,000 at the commencement of each year;

REQUESTS the Secretariat to identify, for review by the Standing Committee, items directed by the Conference of the Parties and the technical committees that are either insufficiently funded or will require external budgetary resources;

APPROVES the Terms of Reference for the Administration of the Trust Fund, attached to this Resolution, for the financial period beginning on 1 January 2003 and ending on 31 December 2005;

AGREES:

a) that contributions to the Trust Fund shall be based on the United Nations scale of assessment, as amended from time to time, adjusted to take account of the fact that not all members of the United Nations are Parties to the Convention;

b) that any other basis of assessment of contributions shall not be used without the consent of all Parties present and voting at a meeting of the Conference of the Parties;

c) that any change in the basic scale of contributions which would increase the liability of a Party to contribute, or would impose a new such liability, shall not apply to that Party without its consent, and that any proposal to change the basic scale of contributions from that currently in use shall only be considered by the Conference of the Parties if notice of such proposal has been communicated by the Secretariat to all Parties at least 90 days before the meeting; and

d) that Parties should pay their contributions to the Trust Fund in accordance with the agreed scale as in the Table attached to this Resolution and, whenever possible, should make special contributions to the Trust Fund above their assessed contributions;

REQUESTS all Parties to pay their contributions as far as possible during the year prior to the one to which they relate or, in any case, promptly by the beginning of the calendar year to which the contributions apply;

APPEALS strongly to those Parties which, for legal or other reasons, have so far been unable to contribute to the Trust Fund to do so;

URGES all Parties that have not yet done so to deposit as soon as possible an instrument of acceptance of the amendments to the Convention adopted on 22 June 1979 and 30 April 1983;

INVITES States not Parties to the Convention, other governmental, inter-governmental and non-governmental organizations, and other sources to consider contributing to the Trust Fund;

INVITES all Parties to support, through their representatives in UNEP, UNDP and the World Bank, the requests of the Secretariat for additional funding of CITES projects by the Global Environment Facility;

DECIDES that the standard participation charge for all observer organizations other than the United Nations and its specialized agencies shall be set at a minimum of USD 600 (except as otherwise decided by the Secretariat as required) and URGES such organizations to make a greater contribution if possible at least to meet their effective costs of participation;

REFERS the issue of a three-year budget cycle to the Standing Committee for its review and endorsement;

REQUESTS the Standing Committee to develop future budget containment strategies as follows:

a) facilitate the collection of arrears through innovative payment strategies and develop an approach for dealing with non-payment of contributions;

b) consider inviting bids for the relocation of the Secretariat to a lower cost location;

c) negotiate a reduction in the programme support costs from 13 per cent with the Executive Director of UNEP;

d) review overall travel costs and identify means to reduce expenditures;

e) review any CoP agenda items not requested by the Parties to ensure they are relevant to the meeting Agenda;

f) consider increasing the minimum contribution to the CITES Trust Fund;

g) investigate options regarding a Host Country Agreement with Switzerland; and

h) review possible cost-saving measures related to translation and interpretation;

APPROVES the Secretariats reports; and

DECIDES that:

a) in respect of the review of activities in any work unit, the Secretary-General shall have the authority to make staffing decisions as necessary to implement the priorities of the Parties within the overall budget and in accordance with the UN rules; and

b) any work of the Secretariat deriving from a new resolution or decision shall only be undertaken if additional funds are approved or if existing work carried out under the Trust Fund is reprioritized at the time such a resolution or decision is adopted by the Conference of the Parties.



Annex 1

Terms of Reference for the Administration of the Trust Fund for the Convention
on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora

1. The Trust Fund for the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (hereinafter referred to as the Trust Fund) shall be further continued for a period of three years (1 January 200331 December 2005) to provide financial support for the aims of the Convention.

2. Pursuant to the Financial Regulations and Rules of the United Nations, the Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), with the approval of the Governing Council of UNEP and the Secretary-General of the United Nations, shall continue the Trust Fund for the administration of the Convention.

3. The Trust Fund shall cover the financial period of three calendar years which begins on 1 January 2003 and ends on 31 December 2005.

4. The appropriations of the Trust Fund for the first financial period shall be financed from:

a) the contributions made by the Parties by reference to the attached Table including contributions from any new Parties which are to be added to the Table;

b) contributions from States not Parties to the Convention, other governmental, inter-governmental and non-governmental organizations and other sources; and

c) any uncommitted appropriations from any of the financial periods prior to 1 January 2003.

5. The budget estimates covering the income and expenditure for each of the calendar years constituting the financial period to which they relate, prepared in US dollars, shall be submitted for approval to the regular meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention.

6. The estimates for each of the calendar years covered by a financial period shall be specified according to objects of expenditure and shall be accompanied by such information as may be required by, or on behalf of, the contributors and such further information as the Executive Director of UNEP may deem useful and advisable.

7. The proposed budget, including all the necessary information, shall be dispatched by the Secretariat to all Parties at least 90 days before the date fixed for the opening of the regular meeting of the Conference of the Parties.

8. The budget shall be adopted by a 3/4 majority of the Parties present and voting at the regular meeting.

9. In the event that the Executive Director of UNEP expects that there might be a shortfall in resources, over the year as a whole, he shall consult with the Secretary-General of the Convention, who shall seek the advice of the Standing Committee as to its priorities for expenditure.

10. The Secretary-General of the Convention is authorized, to the extent consistent with the Financial Regulations and Rules of the United Nations, to make transfers from one budget line to another up to a maximum of 20 per cent over and above the annual amount foreseen in the budget under any budget sub-component (e.g. 11, 12, 13, etc.) provided that such action does not negatively affect any high-priority items. When any such transfers are made, these shall be reported to the Standing Committee at its following meeting. Any budget adjustments on a specific budget sub-component over and above the 20 per cent flexibility mentioned above may be made only after they have been agreed by the Standing Committee. However, the total budget approved by the Parties for that financial period shall not be exceeded unless this is specifically sanctioned in writing by the Standing Committee.

11. Commitments against the resources of the Trust Fund may be made only if they are covered by the necessary income of the Convention.

12. All contributions shall be paid in any convertible currency. The amount of any payment, however, shall be at least equal to the amount payable in US dollars on the day the contribution is made. Contributions from States that become Parties after the beginning of the financial period should be made on a pro-rata basis for the balance of the financial period.

13. At the end of each calendar year of a financial period, the Executive Director of UNEP shall submit to the Parties the accounts for the year. He shall also submit, as soon as practicable, the audited accounts for the financial period.

14. The Secretary-General of the Convention shall provide the Standing Committee with an estimate of proposed expenditure over the coming calendar year simultaneously with, or as soon as possible after, distribution of the accounts and reports referred to in the preceding paragraphs.

15. The general procedures governing the operations of the Fund of UNEP and the Financial Regulations and Rules of the United Nations shall govern the financial operations of the Trust Fund for the Convention.

16. These Terms of Reference shall be effective for the financial period of 1 January 2003 to 31 December 2005 subject to amendments at the 13th meeting of the Conference of the Parties.

 

Table

Trust Fund for the Convention on International Trade in Endangered
Species of Wild Fauna and Flora

SCALE OF CONTRIBUTIONS FOR THE TRIENNIUM 2003-2005
in United States Dollars (USD)

Party

UN scale for 2003

CITES adjusted scale

2003-2005
contributions

Annual
contribution

%

%

USD

USD

Afghanistan

0.00900

0.00892

1,265

422

Algeria

0.07000

0.06941

9,843

3,281

Antigua and Barbuda

0.00200

0.00198

281

94

Argentina

1.14900

1.13927

161,560

53,853

Australia

1.62700

1.61322

228,771

76,257

Austria

0.94700

0.93898

133,157

44,386

Azerbaijan

0.00400

0.00397

562

187

Bahamas

0.01200

0.01190

1,687

562

Bangladesh

0.01000

0.00992

1,406

469

Barbados

0.00900

0.00892

1,265

422

Belarus

0.01900

0.01884

2,672

891

Belgium

1.12900

1.11944

158,748

52,916

Belize

0.00100

0.00099

141

47

Benin

0.00200

0.00198

281

94

Bhutan

0.00100

0.00099

141

47

Bolivia

0.00800

0.00793

1,125

375

Botswana

0.01000

0.00992

1,406

469

Brazil

2.39000

2.36976

336,056

112,019

Brunei Darussalam

0.03300

0.03272

4,640

1,547

Bulgaria

0.01300

0.01289

1,828

609

Burkina Faso

0.00200

0.00198

281

94

Burundi

0.00100

0.00099

141

47

Cambodia

0.00200

0.00198

281

94

Cameroon

0.00900

0.00892

1,265

422

Canada

2.55800

2.53634

359,678

119,893

Central African Republic

0.00100

0.00099

141

47

Chad

0.00100

0.00099

141

47

Chile

0.21200

0.21020

29,809

9,936

China

1.53200

1.51903

215,413

71,804

Colombia

0.20100

0.19930

28,262

9,421

Comoros

0.00100

0.00099

141

47

Congo

0.00100

0.00099

141

47

Costa Rica

0.02000

0.01983

2,812

937

Côte d'Ivoire

0.00900

0.00892

1,265

422

Croatia

0.03900

0.03867

5,484

1,828

Cuba

0.03000

0.02975

4,218

1,406

Cyprus

0.03800

0.03768

5,343

1,781

Czech Republic

0.20300

0.20128

28,544

9,515

Democratic Republic of the Congo

0.00400

0.00397

562

187

Denmark

0.74900

0.74266

105,316

35,105

Djibouti

0.00100

0.00099

141

47

Dominica

0.00100

0.00099

141

47

Dominican Republic

0.02300

0.02281

3,234

1,078

Ecuador

0.02500

0.02479

3,515

1,172

Egypt

0.08100

0.08031

11,389

3,796

El Salvador

0.01800

0.01785

2,531

844

Equatorial Guinea

0.00100

0.00099

141

47

Eritrea

0.00100

0.00099

141

47

Estonia

0.01000

0.00992

1,406

469

Ethiopia

0.00400

0.00397

562

187

Fiji

0.00400

0.00397

562

187

Finland

0.52200

0.51758

73,398

24,466

France

6.46600

6.41125

909,179

303,060

Gabon

0.01400

0.01388

1,969

656

Gambia

0.00100

0.00099

141

47

Georgia

0.00500

0.00496

703

234

Germany

9.76900

9.68628

1,373,611

457,870

Ghana

0.00500

0.00496

703

234

Greece

0.53900

0.53444

75,788

25,263

Grenada

0.00100

0.00099

141

47

Guatemala

0.02700

0.02677

3,796

1,265

Guinea

0.00300

0.00297

422

141

Guinea-Bissau

0.00100

0.00099

141

47

Guyana

0.00100

0.00099

141

47

Honduras

0.00500

0.00496

703

234

Hungary

0.12000

0.11898

16,873

5,624

Iceland

0.03300

0.03272

4,640

1,547

India

0.34100

0.33811

47,948

15,983

Indonesia

0.20000

0.19831

28,122

9,374

Iran (Islamic Republic of)

0.27200

0.26970

38,246

12,749

Ireland

0.29400

0.29151

41,339

13,780

Israel

0.41500

0.41149

58,353

19,451

Italy

5.06475

5.02186

712,150

237,383

Jamaica

0.00400

0.00397

562

187

Japan

19.51575

19.35050

2,744,094

914,698

Jordan

0.00800

0.00793

1,125

375

Kazakhstan

0.02800

0.02776

3,937

1,312

Kenya

0.00800

0.00793

1,125

375

Kuwait

0.14700

0.14576

20,670

6,890

Latvia

0.01000

0.00992

1,406

469

Liberia

0.00100

0.00099

141

47

Liechtenstein

0.00600

0.00595

844

281

Lithuania

0.01700

0.01686

2,390

797

Luxembourg

0.08000

0.07932

11,249

3,750

Madagascar

0.00300

0.00297

422

141

Malawi

0.00200

0.00198

281

94

Malaysia

0.23500

0.23301

33,043

11,014

Mali

0.00200

0.00198

281

94

Malta

0.01500

0.01487

2,109

703

Mauritania

0.00100

0.00099

141

47

Mauritius

0.01100

0.01091

1,547

516

Mexico

1.08600

1.07680

152,702

50,901

Monaco

0.00400

0.00397

562

187

Mongolia

0.00100

0.00099

141

47

Morocco

0.04400

0.04363

6,187

2,062

Mozambique

0.00100

0.00099

141

47

Myanmar

0.01000

0.00992

1,406

469

Namibia

0.00700

0.00694

984

328

Nepal

0.00400

0.00397

562

187

Netherlands

1.73800

1.72328

244,379

81,460

New Zealand

0.24100

0.23896

33,887

11,296

Nicaragua

0.00100

0.00099

141

47

Niger

0.00100

0.00099

141

47

Nigeria

0.06800

0.06742

9,561

3,187

Norway

0.64600

0.64053

90,834

30,278

Pakistan

0.06100

0.06048

8,577

2,859

Panama

0.01800

0.01785

2,531

844

Papua New Guinea

0.00600

0.00595

844

281

Paraguay

0.01600

0.01586

2,250

750

Peru

0.11800

0.11700

16,592

5,531

Philippines

0.10000

0.09915

14,061

4,687

Poland

0.37800

0.37480

53,150

17,717

Portugal

0.46200

0.45809

64,961

21,654

Qatar

0.03400

0.03371

4,781

1,594

Republic of Korea

1.85100

1.83533

260,268

86,756

Republic of Moldova

0.00200

0.00198

281

94

Romania

0.05800

0.05751

8,155

2,718

Russian Federation

1.20000

1.18984

168,731

56,244

Rwanda

0.00100

0.00099

141

47

Saint Kitts and Nevis

0.00100

0.00099

141

47

Saint Lucia

0.00200

0.00198

281

94

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

0.00100

0.00099

141

47

Sao Tome and Principe

0.00100

0.00099

141

47

Saudi Arabia

0.55400

0.54931

77,897

25,966

Senegal

0.00500

0.00496

703

234

Serbia and Montenegro

0.02000

0.01983

2,812

937

Seychelles

0.00200

0.00198

281

94

Sierra Leone

0.00100

0.00099

141

47

Singapore

0.39300

0.38967

55,259

18,420

Slovakia

0.04300

0.04264

6,046

2,015

Slovenia

0.08100

0.08031

11,389

3,796

Somalia

0.00100

0.00099

141

47

South Africa

0.40800

0.40455

57,369

19,123

Spain

2.51875

2.49742

354,159

118,053

Sri Lanka

0.01600

0.01586

2,250

750

Sudan

0.00600

0.00595

844

281

Suriname

0.00200

0.00198

281

94

Swaziland

0.00200

0.00198

281

94

Sweden

1.02675

1.01806

144,370

48,123

Switzerland

1.27400

1.26321

179,136

59,712

Thailand

0.29400

0.29151

41,339

13,780

The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia

0.00600

0.00595

844

281

Togo

0.00100

0.00099

141

47

Trinidad and Tobago

0.01600

0.01586

2,250

750

Tunisia

0.03000

0.02975

4,218

1,406

Turkey

0.44000

0.43627

61,868

20,623

Uganda

0.00500

0.00496

703

234

Ukraine

0.05300

0.05255

7,452

2,484

United Arab Emirates

0.20200

0.20029

28,403

9,468

United Kingdom

5.53600

5.48912

778,413

259,471

United Republic of Tanzania

0.00400

0.00397

562

187

United States of America

22.00000

21.81371

3,093,402

1,031,134

Uruguay

0.08000

0.07932

11,249

3,750

Uzbekistan

0.01100

0.01091

1,547

516

Vanuatu

0.00100

0.00099

141

47

Venezuela

0.20800

0.20624

29,247

9,749

Viet Nam

0.01600

0.01586

2,250

750

Yemen

0.00600

0.00595

844

281

Zambia

0.00200

0.00198

281

94

Zimbabwe

0.00800

0.00793

1,125

375

Total

100.85400

100.00000

14,181,000

4,727,000

 



Annex 2

Trust Fund for the Convention on International Trade in Endangered
Species of Wild Fauna and Flora

BUDGET FOR THE TRIENNIUM 2003-2005
(expressed in USD)

Description

2003

2004*

2005

USD

USD

USD

       

Personnel costs

 

 

 

Professional staff

2,000,000

2,020,000

2,040,000

Support staff

692,000

699,000

706,000

Temporary assistance/overtime

15,000

16,000

16,000

Staff travel

140,000

142,000

144,000

Total

2,847,000

2,877,000

2,906,000

       

Office maintenance costs

 

 

 

Office supplies

30,000

31,000

31,000

Non-expendable equipment

51,000

51,000

52,000

Maintenance of the office**

0

0

0

Maintenance of office equipment

40,000

41,000

41,000

Communications (telephone, fax, mail)**

85,000

85,000

87,000

Bank charges

7,000

7,000

7,000

Hospitality

5,000

5,000

5,000

Total

218,000

220,000

223,000

 

 

 

 

CoP meeting

 

 

 

External translation of CoP documents

0

51,000

0

Salary/travel of Conference staff to CoP

0

286,000

0

Travel of Secretariat's staff to CoP

0

204,000

0

CoP-related documents

0

90,000

0

Logistics for CoP

0

102,000

0

African Elephant Panel of Experts

0

26,000

0

Total

0

759,000

0

 

 

 

 

SC meeting

 

 

 

External translation of documents

5,000

5,000

5,000

Salary/travel of Conference staff to SC mtg

25,000

26,000

26,000

Travel of SC members

25,000

26,000

26,000

Logistics for SC mtg

10,000

10,000

10,000

Total

65,000

67,000

67,000

 

 

 

 

AC meeting

 

 

 

External translation of documents

10,000

11,000

11,000

Salary/travel of Conference staff to AC mtg

18,000

20,000

18,000

Travel of AC members

26,000

28,000

26,000

Logistics for AC mtg

10,000

11,000

10,000

Travel of Secretariat's staff

0

12,000

0

Total

64,000

82,000

65,000

 

 

 

 

PC meeting

 

 

 

External translation of documents

10,000

11,000

11,000

Salary/travel of Conference staff to PC mtg

18,000

20,000

18,000

Travel of PC members

26,000

28,000

26,000

Logistics for PC mtg

10,000

11,000

10,000

Travel of Secretariat's staff

 

12,000

0

Total

64,000

82,000

65,000

       

Publications

 

 

 

Identification manual

30,000

31,000

31,000

CITES, Checklist w/annot. Append. and reserv.

44,000

0

45,000

Newsletter

15,000

15,000

15,000

In-house printing

20,000

20,000

21,000

Other publications/documents

30,000

31,000

31,000

Total

139,000

97,000

143,000

 

 

 

 

Other activities

 

 

 

Significant trade

73,000

73,000

74,000

Assistance to Scientific Authorities

143,000

145,000

146,000

CITES website

61,000

61,000

62,000

Training courses/seminars

59,000

59,000

60,000

Trade monitoring and support

106,000

133,000

108,000

Legislation, compliance and enforcement

10,000

10,000

10,000

Consultants

35,000

36,000

36,000

Total

487,000

517,000

496,000

 

 

 

 

TOTAL DIRECT COSTS

3,884,000

4,701,000

3,965,000

 

 

 

 

Programme support costs (13%)

505,000

611,000

515,000

 

 

 

 

GRAND TOTAL

4,389,000

5,312,000

4,480,000

* CoP year

** No provision was made by the Conference of the Parties for office maintenance costs, including Internet connection, of USD 100,000 annually.