The Subsidiary Body for Implementation (SBI) is one of two permanent subsidiary bodies established by Article 10 of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), adopted in 1992. Together with the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice (SBSTA), it supports the Conference of the Parties (COP), the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol (CMP), and the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Paris Agreement (CMA).
The SBI's core mandate is to assess and review the effective implementation of the climate regime. Its work covers several recurring streams:
- Reporting and review: examining national communications, biennial reports, biennial update reports, and (under the Paris Agreement's Enhanced Transparency Framework) biennial transparency reports submitted by Parties.
- Finance, capacity-building, and technology transfer: reviewing the operations of the financial mechanism, including the Global Environment Facility and the Green Climate Fund, and overseeing the Paris Committee on Capacity-building.
- Administrative, financial, and institutional matters: approving the UNFCCC secretariat's programme budget and work arrangements.
- Matters relating to least developed countries (LDCs), including the work of the LDC Expert Group and National Adaptation Plans.
The SBI meets at least twice a year. One session is typically held in conjunction with the COP in November or December; the other takes place in Bonn, Germany, where the UNFCCC secretariat is based, usually in May or June ("the Bonn Climate Change Conference"). Sessions are open to Party delegations and admitted observer organisations.
The SBI is chaired by an elected Chair serving a one-year term, with rotation among the five UN regional groups, supported by a Vice-Chair and a Rapporteur. Decisions are taken by consensus and forwarded as draft conclusions or draft decisions to the COP, CMP, or CMA for adoption. The SBI frequently works jointly with SBSTA on cross-cutting items such as the Global Stocktake, response measures, and the Koronivia joint work on agriculture (concluded at COP27 in 2022).
Example
At the June 2023 Bonn Climate Change Conference, the SBI, co-chaired with SBSTA, advanced negotiations on the first Global Stocktake under the Paris Agreement ahead of COP28 in Dubai.
Frequently asked questions
The SBI focuses on implementation issues such as reporting, finance, and administration, while SBSTA handles scientific, technological, and methodological questions. They often hold joint sessions on overlapping items.
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