5 May 2014: The UNFCCC Secretariat has published a draft training programme for review experts for the technical review of information reported under the Convention related to biennial reports (BRs) and national communications (NCs) by Annex I parties (FCCC/SBSTA/2014/INF.12), in advance of the 40th session of the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice (SBSTA 40).

The document, which contains background information and the draft training programme, aims to formalize training provided to NC and BR review experts and the assessment of experts’ qualifications.

The report notes that while the existing review process has contributed significantly to the improvment of reporting by Annex I Parties, current training programmes are limited to experts reviewing greenhouse gas (GHG) inventories and supplementary information submitted under the Kyoto Protocol. It underlines, however, that the current programmes do not include the training of experts who are reviewing NCs, which has resulted in a more cumbersome and time-consuming process, and has sometimes undermined review quality. The report recalls that at recent SBSTA sessions, parties have discussed and explored the possibility of extending the current training experience to experts engaged in NC and BR review, and to supplement the existing training curriculum in order to address those elements that are unique to NC and BR review.

The draft training programme, to be implemented in 2014–2016, consists of: a general description of the training programme, including scope, format and examination procedures; and a detailed description of the courses, including implementation period, target audience, course type, and examination requirements and format.

Proposed training programme courses include: general and cross-cutting aspects of NC and BR reviews; technical review of targets, policies and measures, their effects and their contribution to achieving those targets; technical review of GHG emissions, emission trends, projections, and total effect of policies and measures; and technical review of the provision of financial support, technology transfer and capacity building. [Publication: Draft Training Programme for NC and BR Review Experts]