Parties recognized in decision 3/COP.8 “… that regional coordination is an important component in implementing the Convention and the Strategy …”, and requested “… each region to develop a proposal, in collaboration with the Executive Secretary and the Global Mechanism on mechanism to facilitate regional coordination of the implementation of the Convention …”

Following the mandate received with decision 3/COP.8, and along an agreed upon joint work programme, the Secretariat and the Global Mechanism (GM) have assisted Parties in the development of five proposals, one per Regional Implementation Annex to the Convention, on mechanisms to facilitate regional coordination.

To this effect, the Secretariat and the GM convened a first meeting of representatives of the five Regional Implementation Annexes in Bonn (October 2008) to define a strategy and a road-map on how to complete this exercise, and facilitated consultations among Parties in the sidelines of CRIC 7. As a result, during CRIC 7 the Regional Implementation Annexes established task forces, with the view of conducting wide consultations among their constituencies and develop regional proposals for submission to COP 9 and follow up by the Secretariat.

The Secretariat and the GM assisted the task forces in their work by preparing background documentation, convening two meetings of the task forces, facilitating consultations among Parties throughout the whole process including through a questionnaire, and making external expertise available to the task forces.

As a result of this process, the Regional Implementation Annexes have finalized their respective proposals (Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean, Northern Mediterranean and Central and Eastern Europe)which will be compiled in an official document to be submitted to the COP.

Finally, as requested by decision 3/COP.8 the Secretariat, “taking into account the views of the GM on its regional arrangements” will

1. “ Review the current regional coordination arrangements within the secretariat and within the GM with a view to improving them;
2. Develop evidence-based options for improving regional coordination arrangements based on the above-mentioned review and the proposals received from regions;
3. Submit these to COP 9 for consideration”.