Notification

Please find attached Diplomatic Note 2019/2, which has been sent to Contracting Parties via diplomatic channels along with invoices for 2020. The text of the Note is included below.

For more information or to receive a copy of the invoice or invoices, please contact Catherine Loetscher, at loetscher@ramsar.org.
 

Diplomatic Note 2020/1

Annual contributions 2020

The Secretariat of the Convention on Wetlands presents its compliments to the Permanent Mission of […] and has the honour to refer to the following:

At its 13th meeting (COP13, Dubai, United Arab Emirates, 2018), the Conference of the Contracting Parties to the Convention on Wetlands adopted the Convention budget for 2019-2021 (Resolution XIII.2). On this basis, the Secretariat has prepared invoices for the payment of annual contributions by the Parties. The 2020 invoice is enclosed with the present Note.

Annual contributions to the core budget of the Convention are assessed and invoiced annually on the basis of the United Nations scale of contributions of Member States, proportionally adjusted to reflect the fact that not all UN Member States are party to the Convention, and subject to a minimum annual contribution of 1,000 Swiss Francs.

In accordance with paragraph 30 of Resolution XIII.2, the invoices include a payment date of 1 January 2020. Contracting Parties are requested to make the payment of contributions as early as possible.

The Secretariat also takes this opportunity to provide a current statement of contributions to the core budget of the Convention.

The Secretariat further recalls paragraph 17 of Resolution XIII.2 which “urges Contracting Parties with outstanding contributions to make a renewed effort to settle them as expeditiously as possible to enhance the financial sustainability of the Convention through contributions by all Contracting Parties”. Subsequently, at its 57th meeting, the Standing Committee instructed the Secretariat to continue encouraging timely payment of annual contributions (Decision SC57-44).

Countries of Africa addressed in paragraph 23 of Resolution X.2, adopted at the 10th meeting of the Conference of the Contracting Parties (COP10, Changwon, Republic of Korea, 2008), will also find enclosed a further invoice for a possible voluntary contribution.

The Secretariat of the Convention on Wetlands respectfully requests that the content of the present Note be communicated to the competent national authorities and avails itself of this opportunity to renew to the Permanent Mission of […] the assurance of its highest consideration.

Gland, 20 January 2020