Explanatory notes for the budget for the Montreal Protocol

Notes for the 1998 and 1999 budgets

■ The inflation in general is assumed to be 2.5 per cent.

■ All figures (except programme support cost) in 1999 budget are rounded downwards to the closest US$10.

Budget line

(a) 1100 and 1300 Classification of the posts in UNEP is currently taking place in accordance with the guidelines of the United Nations. Provision is made for upgrading, if found necessary in the classification and if approved by the Executive Director, after review. Salaries are updated to reflect the current and estimated future salary levels in Nairobi.

(b) 1106 A post for a Programme Officer (Data Systems) was approved by the Eighth Meeting of the Parties to take care of and analyse the data on ozone-depleting substances (ODS) reported by the large number of Parties and to co-ordinate the computer systems of the Secretariat (bulletin boards, the "World Wide Web, etc.). The post was to be funded from the Trust Fund only if JPO funding was not available. It is now expected that the Government of the Netherlands would finance this post. If this materialises before the end of 1997 or in 1998, the expenditure under this item for 1998 and 1999 will be zero (0).

(c) 1307 The post of a Data Assistant has been necessitated by the increased workload of the Secretariat due to higher volume of correspondence with an increasing number of Parties reporting data, in order to guarantee high level of quality and continuity in the processing of data.

(d) 1321-1326 Necessary funds may be transferred from conference- servicing budget lines (1321-1326) should such services be required to be rendered either through individual consultancies or corporate contracts. The total cost of organising the meeting should not, however, exceed the amounts agreed in this budget.

(e) 1321-1326 The conference-servicing costs have been based on the following assumptions:

1321 One Open-ended Working Group meeting will be held each year during 1998 and 1999 in Nairobi or Geneva using six languages.

1322 The Meeting of the Parties and its Preparatory meeting will be held in Nairobi, in six languages. When meetings are not held in Nairobi, the incremental cost will be paid by the host Government.

1323 $37,000 is included in the budget to cover the communication and other sundry costs related to the work of TEAP members from developing countries and countries with economies in transition.

1324 Two Bureau meetings are scheduled for each of the years 1998 and 1999.

1325 Two Implementation Committee meetings, in English only, are assumed to take place in Nairobi.

1326 One informal consultation a year, in English only, is assumed to take place in Nairobi.

(f) 3300 This item includes assistance to participants from countries with economies in transition (CEIT) in addition to the participants from developing countries. The average cost of participation from developing countries or countries with economies in transition is assumed to be $5,000 per participant, with no more than one person's travel cost being covered for each country and using the most appropriate economical fare and United Nations per diem allowances.

3301 The number of travels required by the members of the assessment panels for adequate developing country and CEIT participation in 1998 is much larger than usual, since it is a year in which a full assessment is due. It is expected that 150 travels will be required in 1998. The requirement in 1999 is expected to be only some 70 travels. The additional travels for 1998 will be financed by the savings expected of 1999, without amending either years budget. The actual 1998 expenditure will be managed by temporarily utilising the reserves as necessary.

This budget item includes financial assistance to Dr. Aucamp of South Africa as a Co-Chair of the Scientific Assessment Panel to attend meetings of that Panel, as recommended by the Open-ended Working Group of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol at its thirteenth meeting (see UNEP/OzL.Pro/WG.1/13/6, para. 197) and approved by the Eighth Meeting of the Parties.

3304 The participation costs for the two Bureau meetings are based on four participants from developing countries or CEITs in each meeting.

3305 The participation costs for the two Committee meetings are based on eight participants from developing countries or CEITs in each meeting.

3306 Funds are required for assisting non-Parties to participate in the meetings of the Protocol for promoting awareness regarding the benefits of ratification of the Protocol.

(g) 4200 The cost of non-expendable equipment is increased marginally from 1997 to 1999 to cover inflation.

4203 The Secretariat is developing its electronic data storage and retrieval system in order to make the documentation of the Protocol and the Convention available electronically. This development will require procurement of a high-speed scanner, establishment of a server with a mirror back-up server as well as mass date storage space and related software with licences.

(h) 5202 The next assessment is scheduled to take place in 1998.