WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION INTERGOVERNMENTAL NEGOTIATING BODY ON THE WHO FRAMEWORK CONVENTION ON TOBACCO CONTROL Fourth session A/FCTC/INB4/DIV/1 14 March 2002
Preliminary daily timetable 1. The attached preliminary daily timetable provides for three meetings for each of the working groups, and for informal drafting meetings, either in the evenings (Monday, 18 March to Friday, 22 March 2002), or in parallel with other informal meetings, which might be convened at any time in lieu of a formal meeting. This provisional timetable is submitted on the understanding that, subject to the approval of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Body (INB), or the working group concerned, respectively, the Chair of INB or the Co-Chairs of each working group may convene, at their discretion, additional informal meetings, and may name facilitators for these meetings. Such facilitators may be chosen from a number of different sources including, but not limited to, the ViceChairs of INB, regional coordinators, and Member States that have expressed strong interest in the topic to be addressed during an informal drafting meeting. The selection process would be designed to ensure transparency. 2. During the third session of INB concurrent informal drafting meetings were held for all of the working groups. The Bureau of INB, at its audioconference on Thursday, 21 February 2002, noted that during the third session the distinction between formal and informal meetings had not always been clear. Accordingly, it was agreed that a cover note to the preliminary daily timetable would be prepared to explain the differences between formal and informal meetings. There was a consensus that in order to progress in the negotiations and to resolve difficult issues, informal meetings would increasingly be required. The view was expressed that informal meetings would be most effective if they focused on specific problems in an effort to seek solutions to them. Conversely, it was generally agreed that informal meetings were not useful if they merely duplicated the method of work adopted for the formal meetings of the working groups. 3. It is proposed that at the fourth session of INB the distinction between formal and informal meetings should be made as set out below. 4. Formal meetings of working groups are committees of the whole for which full conference and reporting services are provided. These services include the provision of summary records for all discussions. In addition, a compilation of textual proposals in the form of conference papers reproduced in the six official languages of the United Nations will be provided either during or following each session of INB. These meetings are open to delegations of all Member States and also to all accredited observers, unless they are closed in accordance with the rules of procedure. These meetings will focus on the full range of issues to be addressed by each working group and, as the negotiations progress, should move towards a consensus text that can be forwarded to INB in plenary for formal adoption. 5. Informal drafting meetings will be convened at the discretion of the Chair of INB or the Co-Chairs of each working group under the conditions indicated in paragraph 1; these meetings may be held concurrently with other informal drafting meetings. Informal meetings will not be provided
A/FCTC/INB4/DIV/1
with all the conference or reporting services provided for formal meetings; no summary records or conference papers summarizing textual amendments will be issued after informal meetings. At the discretion of the Chair or the Co-Chairs, depending on the availability of services and in consultation with delegations of Member States, these meetings may or may not include full interpretation facilities. As in the case of formal meetings of the working groups, electronic drafting services may be provided for two concurrent meetings if these services are considered useful. Informal drafting meetings will be open to delegations of all Member States, but will be closed to observers unless the Chair of the informal meeting and all Member States participating agree that observers may be present. Nongovernmental Organizations may be invited to attend pursuant to the decision adopted by INB at its first session.1 6. Informal drafting meetings will be ad hoc, will not have formal status, and will not focus on the full range of issues tabled in the formal meetings. Each informal drafting meeting will focus on the solution of particularly challenging problems that may arise during the course of the negotiations and will be time limited. Facilitators may be chosen to steer the discussions. The informal drafting meetings must report back to the formal working group, and any recommendations and/or texts that are produced by an informal drafting meeting must be submitted to the working group for formal consideration. No final decision may be made during an informal drafting meeting.
1 See document A/FCTC/INB2/3, page 155; the decision is also referred to in documents A/FCTC/INB3/DIV/6 and A/FCTC/INB4/DIV/4.
2
WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION INTERGOVERNMENTAL NEGOTIATING BODY ON THE WHO FRAMEWORK CONVENTION ON TOBACCO CONTROL Fourth session A/FCTC/INB4/DIV/1 14 March 2002
Preliminary daily timetable March 2002 Monday 18 9:00-9:30 Meeting of the Bureau Plenary Working Group 1 Working Group 2 Working Group 3 Other
9:30-10:00
1. Opening of the session and adoption of the agenda 2. Election of the Chair 3. Reports on activities since the previous session 4. Drafting and negotiation of the WHO framework convention on tobacco control • Comments by the Chair and discussion
-
-
-
10:00-12:30
-
-
-
-
-
-
14:00-17:00
-
Technical discussions and drafting -
-
-
18:00-21:00
-
-
-
Informal drafting meetings
A/FCTC/INB4/DIV/1
March 2002 Tuesday 19 9:30-12:30
Plenary
Working Group 1
Working Group 2
Working Group 3
Other
-
-
Technical discussions and drafting -
-
14:00-17:00
-
-
Technical discussions and drafting Informal drafting meetings
18:00-21:00
-
-
-
Wednesday 20 9:00-9:30 Meeting of the Bureau
09:30-12:30
-
-
Technical discussions and drafting -
-
14:00-17:00
-
Technical discussions and drafting -
-
18:00-21:00
-
-
-
Informal drafting meetings
2
A/FCTC/INB4/DIV/1
March 2002 Thursday 21 9:30-12:30
Plenary
Working Group 1
Working Group 2
Working Group 3
Other
-
Technical discussions and drafting -
-
-
14:00-17:00
-
-
Technical discussions and drafting Informal drafting meetings
18:00-21:00
-
-
-
Friday 22 9:00-9:30 Meeting of the Bureau
9:30-12:30
-
-
-
Technical discussions and drafting -
14:00-17:00
-
-
Technical discussions and drafting -
18:00-21:00
-
-
-
Informal drafting meetings
3
A/FCTC/INB4/DIV/1
March 2002 Saturday 23 9:00-9:30
Plenary
Working Group 1
Working Group 2
Working Group 3
Other
-
-
-
-
Meeting of the Bureau
9:30-10:00
• Reports of the Working Groups by the Co-Chairs 4. Drafting and negotiation of the WHO framework convention on tobacco control (continued) • Possible protocols to the framework convention
-
-
-
10:00-12:15
-
-
-
12:15-12:30
5. Next session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Body 6. Closure of the session
-
-
-
12:30
-
-
-
=
=
=
4