17 November 2011: The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the International Energy Agency (IEA) have published a paper titled “Design Options for International Assessment and Review (IAR) and International Consultations and Analysis (ICA).”

IAR and IAC were decided at the 16th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 16) to the UNFCCC, in Cancun, Mexico, as steps to improve the system of reporting and verification under the UNFCCC. The paper suggests that, in terms of process, the IAR and ICA are both made up of three stages: technical review/analysis of information reported by countries to the UNFCCC; engagement at an international level to discuss some of the information reported; and further consideration of outputs.

However, due to the different objectives and principles of IAR and ICA, the components and focus at each stage could vary – allowing for the processes to be both common and differentiated. The approach proposed by the paper for the ICA process is not more onerous than that for IAR.

The paper provides a background and context, including a current review system, developments under the Cancun Agreements, and the relationship between the current review process and IAR for developed countries. The paper then analyzes the objectives and principles of IAR and ICA, including that they must be transparent, non-intrusive, non-punitive, respectful of national sovereignty, comparable, rigorous and robust, and account for capacity building. The paper also analyzes the scope, inputs, frequency and outputs of the IAR and ICA processes, including a technical analysis, and discusses international consultations and sequencing. [Publication: Design Options for International Assessment and Review (IAR) and International Consultations and Analysis (ICA)] [OECD Climate Change Expert Group]