Decision 70/23

Following discussion of the matter in an informal group, the Executive Committee decided:

1. To take note of the document on the operation of the Executive Committee (UNEP/OzL.Pro/ExCom/70/55), prepared pursuant to decision 69/25;
2. To convene two meetings of the Executive Committee in 2014 on a trial basis, preferably in mid-April/early-May for the first meeting, and prior to the Twenty‑Sixth Meeting of the Parties for the second meeting, on the understanding that:
   1. The revised schedule of tranche requests for stage I of HCFC phase-out management plans (HPMPs) for Article 5 countries would be submitted between the first and the last meetings, as contained in Annex XXIV to the present report;
   2. The terminal report and the plan of future action associated with the renewal of institutional strengthening projects could be submitted to the meeting immediately preceding the set date, namely, six months before the end of the previously approved period, to avoid any delay in the approval of such projects and on the understanding that they were in compliance with all relevant decisions;
   3. Tranche requests for HPMPs with a funding level of up to US $5 million (including agency support costs) would be included in the list of projects and activities recommended for blanket approval, provided that they contained no policy issues and all technical and cost issues had been agreed between the Secretariat and relevant bilateral and/or implementing agencies;
   4. The 2014-2016 business plan of the Multilateral Fund would be submitted to the last meeting of the year, beginning in 2013;
   5. The document on the 2014 business plan and tranche submission delays would be submitted to both the first and last meetings of the year, thus amending decision 53/3(c);
   6. A revised 2015-2017 business plan could be submitted to the first meeting of 2015 following the adoption of the 2015-2017 replenishment of the Multilateral Fund by the Parties to the Montreal Protocol;
   7. The evaluation of the 2013 business plans would be submitted to the last meeting in 2014;
   8. With regard to progress and financial reports:
      1. Bilateral and implementing agencies would be requested to continue submitting their annual progress and financial reports to the Secretariat by 1 May each year;
      2. The Secretariat would be requested to finalize the consolidated progress report and the relevant progress reports of the bilateral and implementing agencies and to post those documents on the Secretariat’s intranet, once finalized, for consideration to the last meeting of the year;
      3. The Secretariat would be authorized to request relevant bilateral and implementing agencies to provide status reports on issues identified during the review of the annual progress and financial reports;
3. To note that the Executive Committee could request the Secretariat to organize an intersessional meeting to discuss any urgent policy issues or project proposals that would need to be addressed between the first and last meetings where the compliance of an Article 5 country with its obligations under the Montreal Protocol was at risk; and
4. To review the two meetings per year scenario at the last meeting of 2014.