The most important task during COP 7 is for the 178 nations to sign and ratify the Protocol so that it comes into force by 2002 as envisaged. This would need substantial initiatives on part of the outgoing President of COP 6 (Jan Pronk) and the incoming President of COP 7 from Morocco and the member countries as well as support from NGOs, academia, business sector and the society.

Equally important task will be getting into the business of formulating rules of the game, particularly for the three flexibility mechanisms of the Protocol. During the reconvened conference at Bonn, the Clean Development Mechanism aroused considerable interest among the various stakeholders. The reason was the prospect of a prompt start and provision of small-scale Clean Development Mechanism project activities with simplified modalities and procedures.

Though the final decision on all such matters will be taken at the Eighth Session (COP 8), as was decided at Bonn, but a fair amount of work has to be completed at Marrakesh itself. Another very important task is to constitute the CDM Executive Board at the COP 7 itself at Marrakesh. Other important issues like the baseline formulation, particularly simplified baseline for small CDM projects to avoid the high transaction costs have to be resolved and this also forms an important agenda for the COP 7 at Marrakesh.

Many good resolutions and agreements were reached at Bonn but without a very strong compliance regime. This is bound to generate substantial debate to reach at a consensus to achieve the required goal.

Therefore, formulating a comprehensive compliance framework with the provision for consequences for non-compliance such as financial penalties and its acceptance by all Parties is another important task ahead at COP 7. Funds raised through such penalties should be used for capacity building in the developing countries. Any lax process and mechanism set under this provision will dilute the main objective of the Kyoto Protocol.

The Sixth Conference of Parties at the reconvened session at Bonn had also agreed upon establishing the climate change fund, least developed country’s fund under the Convention to Climate Change as well as an adaptation fund under the Kyoto Protocol. The Global Environment Facility (GEF) is to play a very important role in regard to servicing these funds. Though these funds are most welcome but the lessons learned so far tell us that there is a considerable need to streamline the process in the GEF and to decentralise its operation by providing more decision making powers to the regional / country GEF centres which will avoid delays in the implementation of the various tasks to be undertaken under these funds. The COP 7 may like to deliberate on this aspect and formulate rules for servicing these funds.