Mandate

Article 3, paragraph 9 of the Kyoto Protocol provides that The Conference of the Parties acting as the Meeting of the Parties (CMP) shall initiate consideration of future commitments for Annex I Parties at least seven years before the end of the first commitment period. Pursuant to that provision the CMP at its first session held at Montreal from 28 November to 10 December 2005, established the Ad Hoc Working Group on Further Commitments for Annex I Parties under the Kyoto Protocol (AWG-KP).

The AWG-KP is mandated to report to each CMP on the status of its work. It aims to complete its work and have its results adopted by the Conference of the Parties at the earliest possible time to ensure that there is no gap between the first and second commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol.

The first part of its sixth session was held from Thursday, 21 August to Wednesday, 27 August 2008, in conjunction with the third session of the AWG-LCA in Accra, Ghana. Reports and submissions can be found here.

The first session of the AWG-KP was held in Bonn from 17 May to 25 May 2006. At this session the AWG-KP affirmed that it would proceed expeditiously towards agreement on future commitments for Annex I Parties and noted with appreciation the willingness of Parties to work towards this end. Parties were also invited to present information and views on this issue. The secretariat was requested to organize at the second session of the AWG-KP an in-session workshop providing for presentation and exchange of relevant information.

The second session of the AWG-KP was held in Nairobi from 6 to 14 November 2006. The AWG-KP adopted a work programme for the completion of its mandate covering:
(a) Analysis of mitigation potentials and ranges of emission reduction objectives of Annex I Parties
(b) Analysis of possible means to achieve mitigation objectives
(c) Consideration of further commitments by Annex I Parties
It decided to focus in 2007 on task (a) and requested the secretariat to organize a round table discussion during its third session.

The third session of the AWG-KP was held in Bonn from 14 to 18 May 2007. The round table  took place on Monday 14 May 2007. The round table provided delegates an opportunity to discuss the current status of scientific understanding and relevant experience.

The first part of the fourth session of the AWG-KP was held in Vienna from 27 to 31 August 2007. The group completed the first step of the work programme agreed at the second session.  It adopted conclusions on the analysis of mitigation potentials and identification of ranges of emission reduction objectives of Annex I Parties.  A side event on this topic was held on Monday 27 August.

The AWG-KP resumed its fourth session at Bali from 3 to 14 December 2007 and developed a timetable to guide the completion of its work in order to avoid a gap between the first and second commitment period.

The first part of the fifth session of the AWG-KP was held in Bangkok from 31 March to 4 April 2008. An in-session workshop on the means to reach emission reduction targets was held from 1 to 3 April.

The AWG-KP resumed its fifth session in Bonn from 2 to 12 June 2008. More information about the round table and the workshop for this session can be found here.