1. The Conference of the Parties, the supreme body of the Convention, shall
serve as the meeting of the Parties to this Protocol.
2. Parties to the Convention that are not Parties to this Protocol may
participate as observers in the proceedings of any session of the Conference of
the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to this Protocol. When the
Conference of the Parties serves as the meeting of the Parties to this
Protocol, decisions under this Protocol shall be taken only by those that are
Parties to it.
3. When the Conference of the Parties serves as the meeting of the Parties
to this Protocol, any member of the Bureau of the Conference of the Parties
representing a Party to the Convention but, at that time, not a Party to this
Protocol, shall be substituted by an additional member to be elected by and
from amongst the Parties to this Protocol.
4. The Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to this Protocol shall keep under regular review the implementation of this Protocol and shall make, within its mandate, the decisions necessary to promote its effective implementation. It shall perform the functions assigned to it by this Protocol and shall:
(a) Assess, on the basis of all information made available to it in
accordance with the provisions of this Protocol, the implementation of this
Protocol by the Parties, the overall effects of the measures taken pursuant to
this Protocol, in particular environmental, economic and social effects as well
as their cumulative impacts and the extent to which progress towards the
objective of the Convention is being achieved;
(b) Periodically examine the obligations of the Parties under this Protocol,
giving due consideration to any reviews required by Article 4, paragraph 2(d),
and Article 7, paragraph 2, of the Convention, in the light of the objective of
the Convention, the experience gained in its implementation and the evolution
of scientific and technological knowledge, and in this respect consider and
adopt regular reports on the implementation of this Protocol;
(c) Promote and facilitate the exchange of information on measures adopted
by the Parties to address climate change and its effects, taking into account
the differing circumstances, responsibilities and capabilities of the Parties
and their respective commitments under this Protocol;
(d) Facilitate, at the request of two or more Parties, the coordination of
measures adopted by them to address climate change and its effects, taking into
account the differing circumstances, responsibilities and capabilities of the
Parties and their respective commitments under this Protocol;
(e) Promote and guide, in accordance with the objective of the Convention
and the provisions of this Protocol, and taking fully into account the relevant
decisions by the Conference of the Parties, the development and periodic
refinement of comparable methodologies for the effective implementation of this
Protocol, to be agreed on by the Conference of the Parties serving as the
meeting of the Parties to this Protocol;
(f) Make recommendations on any matters necessary for the implementation of
this Protocol;
(g) Seek to mobilize additional financial resources in accordance with
Article 11, paragraph 2;
(h) Establish such subsidiary bodies as are deemed necessary for the
implementation of this Protocol;
(i) Seek and utilize, where appropriate, the services and cooperation of,
and information provided by, competent international organizations and
intergovernmental and non-governmental bodies; and
(j) Exercise such other functions as may be required for the implementation of this Protocol, and consider any assignment resulting from a decision by the Conference of the Parties.
5. The rules of procedure of the Conference of the Parties and financial
procedures of the Convention shall be applied mutatis mutandis under this
Protocol, except as may be otherwise decided by consensus by the Conference of
the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to this Protocol.
6. The first session of the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting
of the Parties to this Protocol shall be convened by the secretariat in
conjunction with the first session of the Conference of the Parties that is
scheduled after the date of the entry into force of this Protocol. Subsequent
ordinary sessions of the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of
the Parties to this Protocol shall be held every year and in conjunction with
ordinary sessions of the Conference of the Parties unless otherwise decided by
the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to this
Protocol.
7. Extraordinary sessions of the Conference of the Parties serving as the
meeting of the Parties to this Protocol shall be held at such other times as
may be deemed necessary by the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting
of the Parties to this Protocol, or at the written request of any Party,
provided that, within six months of the request being communicated to the
Parties by the secretariat, it is supported by at least one third of the
Parties.
8. The United Nations, its specialized agencies and the International Atomic Energy Agency, as well as any State member thereof or observers thereto not party to the Convention, may be represented at sessions of the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to this Protocol as observers. Any body or agency, whether national or international, governmental or non-governmental, which is qualified in matters covered by this Protocol and which has informed the secretariat of its wish to be represented at a session of the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to this Protocol as an observer, may be so admitted unless at least one third of the Parties present object. The admission and participation of observers shall be subject to the rules of procedure, as referred to in paragraph 5 above.