Mandates 

The Conference of the Parties (COP) at its twenty-first session requested the Adaptation Committee (AC) and the Least Developed Countries Expert Group (LEG) to undertake three inter-related tasks to assist implementation of the Paris Agreement, with outputs to be considered by the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Paris Agreement at its first session, CMA1 (decision 1/CP.21 , paras. 41 and 45). The mandates are as follows:

• Request to the AC and the LEG to jointly develop modalities to recognize the adaptation efforts of developing country Parties, as referred to in Article 7, paragraph 3, of the Agreement, and make recommendations for consideration and adoption by CMA 1;

• Request to the AC and the LEG, in collaboration with the Standing Committee on Finance (SCF) and other relevant institutions, to develop methodologies, and make recommendations for consideration and adoption by CMA 1 on:

(a) Taking the necessary steps to facilitate the mobilization of support for adaptation in developing countries in the context of the limit to global average temperature increase referred to in Article 2 of the Agreement;

(b) Reviewing the adequacy and effectiveness of adaptation and support referred to in Article 7, paragraph 14(c), of the Agreement.

The AC and the LEG at their meetings in March 2017 (AC11 and the LEG31), in collaboration with the SCF, jointly held a meeting to further progress in addressing the three mandates. The meeting considered draft options of modalities and methodologies as contained in a document prepared by the groups prior to the meetings (AC-LEG/2017/1, see box on the right under Documentation). The outcomes of the meeting are available on the right under Of interest!. The groups tasked their joint working group to further advance work and to prepare an updated paper based on the discussions during the joint meeting. 

The AC and the LEG convened a joint special event at the margins of SB 46 (Friday, 12 May 10.00-13.00) to present the latest findings in response to the mandates and to collect feedback from Parties and Non-Party stakeholders, with a view to selecting options to be included in relevant recommendations to CMA.

Progress of the joint work was presented during a side event at COP 22, on 10 November 2016. During the side event, feedback was invited from Parties and non-party stakeholders on the approach taken, as well as on the initial options for possible methodologies and modalities. See the presentation (168 kB) on the joint work given at the event.

The joint work is based on a synthesis of submissions from Parties and other stakeholders (see box on the right), the desk review of relevant information and previous relevant discussions.

The AC, at its 10th meeting (13-16 September 2016) and the LEG, at its 30th meeting (7-10 September 2016) considered a background note (AC-LEG/2016/2, see box on the right) which provides an overview of activities undertaken thus far by the AC and the LEG in responding to the above mandates. The paper in particular presents the results of a technical desk review of existing modalities and methodologies relevant to the mandates, as well as possible considerations and next steps for taking the mandates forward. To further the work on these mandates, the AC and the LEG agreed to establish a joint working group consisting of four members each from the AC and the LEG to work intersessionally. The working group is supported by two members from the SCF.

 Previous work 

• Overall, the AC and the LEG decided to take a three‐step approach for organizing the work:
  
  
  • Step 1 (Q2‐Q3 2016): gathering and synthesizing information relevant to the mandates;
    
    
  • Step 2 (Q3 2016 to Q1 2017): identifying a suite of possible methodologies and modalities (“options”) and validating them through outreach to Parties and relevant stakeholders;
    
    
  • Step 3 (Q2‐Q4 2017): selection of options to include in recommendations for CMA 1.
    
    
• The secretariat, following a request made by the AC and the LEG, prepared a background paper to initiate consideration of the mandates;
  
  
• Members of the AC and the LEG held a joint meeting on 27 May 2016 and developed a workplan for addressing the mandates;  A report on the meeting is available  here.
  
  
• Members of the AC and the LEG who attended NAP Expo 2016 held an informal meeting on 15 July 2016 to further discuss work in addressing the mandates;
  
  
• The AC and the LEG issued a call for submissions from Parties and non-Party stakeholders, to gather information relevant to the mandates (submission deadline was Friday, 30 September 2016).

More information is available in the recent reports of the AC and the LEG.