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Financial and budgetary matters

Repealed

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Table of Contents

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  34. Paragraph 34.
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  36. Paragraph 36.
  37. Paragraph 37.
  38. Paragraph 38.
  39. Annex 1
  40. Annex 2
  41. Annex 3
  42. Annex 4

Financial and budgetary matters

1.RECALLING the budgetary provisions established by paragraphs 5 and 6 of Article 6 of the Convention;
2.RECALLING Resolution XII.7 on Resource mobilization and partnership framework of the Ramsar Convention;
3.ACKNOWLEDGING WITH APPRECIATION the prompt payment by the majority of Contracting Parties of their contributions to the core budget of the Convention; but NOTING WITH CONCERN that a number of Parties have significant outstanding contributions (see document COP13 Doc.14, Report on financial and budgetary matters);
4.NOTING WITH GRATITUDE the additional voluntary financial contributions made by many Contracting Parties, including those from Contracting Parties of Africa specifically earmarked for African Regional Initiatives (in accordance with paragraph 23 of Resolution X.2 on Financial and budgetary matters), and also the contributions made by non-governmental organizations and private companies for activities undertaken by the Secretariat;
5.RECALLING the Delegation of Authority to the Secretary General of the Convention on Wetlands signed by the Director General of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and the Chairman of the Convention’s Standing Committee on 29 January 1993, and the Supplementary Note to Delegation of Authority signed on the same date;
6.ACKNOWLEDGING WITH APPRECIATION the financial and administrative services provided to the Secretariat by IUCN, underpinned by the Services Agreement between Ramsar and IUCN revised in 2009;
7.NOTING that Contracting Parties have been kept informed of the financial situation of the Secretariat through the audited annual financial statements for the years from 2015 to 2017 and the reports of the Standing Committee meetings from 2016 to 2018; and
8.RECOGNIZING the need to continue to strengthen financial partnerships with relevant international organizations and other entities, and to explore additional funding opportunities through their existing financial mechanisms;
The Conference of the Contracting Parties
9.APPRECIATES that, since the 12th meeting of the Conference of the Contracting Parties (COP12), in 2015, the Secretariat has substantially improved its management of the Convention’s funds, prudently, efficiently and openly;
10.EXPRESSES ITS GRATITUDE to the Contracting Parties that have served in the Subgroup on Finance of the Standing Committee during the triennium 2016-2018, and in particular to Senegal, which has acted as Chair of the Subgroup;
11.DECIDES that the Terms of Reference for the Financial Administration of the Convention contained in Annex 3 to Resolution 5.2 on Financial and budgetary matters (1993), shall be applied in toto to the 2019-2021 triennium;
12.FURTHER DECIDES that the Subgroup on Finance will be continued and operate under the aegis of the Standing Committee and with the roles and responsibilities specified in Resolution VI.17 on Financial and budgetary matters (1996), and will include one Standing Committee representative from each Ramsar region plus the immediately prior Chair of the Subgroup on Finance, as well as any other interested Contracting Parties, bearing in mind the desirability of equitable regional participation and the need to keep the group to a manageable size, and will designate one of its members as its Chair; and NOTES that travel support for eligible Contracting Parties to attend Subgroup meetings will be limited to the regional representatives of the Standing Committee;
13.NOTES that the 2019-2021 budget includes a core element funded by contributions from Contracting Parties, and that the Secretariat will seek additional non-core resources in line with the priorities identified by the Conference of the Parties, which are listed in Annex 3 of the present Resolution; and REQUESTS that the Secretariat continue to develop new approaches and tools to secure voluntary financial support for currently unfunded priority projects as listed in Annex 3;
14.APPROVES the core budget for the triennium 2019-2021 as presented in Annex 1 of the present Resolution, to enable the implementation of the Ramsar Strategic Plan 2016-2024;
15.APPROVES the use of surplus from the core budget for the 2016-2018 triennium of CHF 228,000 to supplement the approved 2019-2021 triennium budget in the following areas: CHF 120,000 for Communications, translation, publications and reporting implementation, CHF 60,000 for staff travel (CHF 15,000 for travel of Secretariat Senior Management, CHF 15,000 for travel of Resource Mobilization and Outreach and CHF 30,000 for travel of Regional Advice and Support), CHF 15,000 for STRP implementation, and CHF 33,000 for planning and capacity building; and REQUESTS the Secretariat to achieve a balanced budget by the end of the 2019-2021 triennium;
16.APPROVES the use of surplus from the core budget of the 2016-2018 triennium of up to CHF 70,000 to support the work of the Effectiveness Working Group;
17.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;
18.REQUESTS that the Secretariat contact Contracting Parties that have outstanding contributions in excess of three years and assist them to identify appropriate options to rectify the situation and to request a plan for making payment of contributions, and report back at each meeting of the Standing Committee and the Conference of the Contracting Parties on activities taken in this regard and results achieved; and AGREES that the Standing Committee should continue to consider appropriate action concerning Parties that have neither paid their outstanding contributions nor submitted a payment plan for this purpose;
19.REQUESTS regional representatives in the Standing Committee to engage Parties from their respective regions with outstanding contributions to encourage them to identify appropriate options to rectify the situation;
20.NOTES WITH CONCERN the situation with voluntary contributions from Contracting Parties; and ENCOURAGES Contracting Parties and others to increase such contributions;
21.ENCOURAGES Contracting Parties and INVITES other governments, financial institutions, International Organization Partners and other implementing partners to support the implementation of the Ramsar Convention;
22.REQUESTS the Secretariat to update the resource mobilization strategy for the Convention to reflect the priorities identified in Annex 3 to the present Resolution and make it available to the Standing Committee at its 57th meeting, for its consideration;
23.NOTES WITH APPRECIATION the alignment of the Secretariat with International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) policies and procedures for managing non-core funding;
24.REQUESTS the Secretariat to provide to the Ramsar Regional Initiatives (RRIs) in Africa, on an annual basis, the available balance of the African voluntary contribution fund; and INVITES those RRIs to submit requests to the Secretariat as part of the reports to access available funds in accordance with the provisions of Resolution XIII.9 on Ramsar Regional Initiatives 2019-2021;
25.INVITES the regional representatives in the Standing Committee to decide on the use of those funds based on the requests submitted by the RRIs and inform the Secretariat accordingly;
26.REQUESTS the Secretariat within ‎its existing legal framework and mandate, to assist, as appropriate, Contracting Parties in the administration of non-core funded projects, including, but not limited to successful fund-raising for Regional Initiatives; and FURTHER INSTRUCTS Secretariat staff, identified in Annex 4, supported with core funds, not to be involved in the day-to-day administration of non-core funded projects as this role would be the responsibility of any Secretariat staff supported with non-core funds for that specific purpose.
27.AUTHORIZES the Standing Committee, with the advice of its Subgroup on Finance, to transfer core budget allocations between budget lines as may be required in the light of significant positive or negative changes during the triennium to costs, rates of inflation, interest and tax income projected in the budget, without increasing the assessed contributions of Parties or increasing the charges paid to IUCN above a maximum of 13% of the budget;
28.RECOGNIZES the benefits of flexibility in travel budget lines to deliver on the Secretariat Work Plan for the triennium; and AUTHORIZES the Secretary General to transfer resources between travel budget lines, ensuring that the Subgroup on Finance is informed and that such transfers are reported to the Standing Committee at its next meeting;
29.DECIDES that the contribution of each Contracting Party to the core budget should be in accordance with the most recent scale of assessments for the contribution of Member States to the United Nations budget as approved by the UN General Assembly, except in the case of Contracting Parties which, in applying the UN scale of assessments, would make annual contributions to the Ramsar Convention core budget of less than CHF 1,000, in which case the annual contribution is to be that amount;
30.URGES all Contracting Parties to pay their contributions promptly by 1 January of each year, or as soon thereafter as that country’s budget cycle will permit;
31.AGREES to phase out the Small Grants Fund Programme upon exhaustion of its currently available resources; and URGES the Secretariat and ENCOURAGES Contracting Parties to seek funding alternatives for small-scale projects;
32.EXPRESSES GRATITUDE to the governments of Switzerland and the United States of America and to Danone, the MAVA Foundation and the Nagao Natural Environment Foundation for their voluntary contributions to non-core activities of the Convention, namely the Swiss Grant for Africa, the Wetlands for the Future Fund, World Wetlands Day, Conservation of the natural and cultural heritage in wetlands, and the Nagao Wetland Fund, respectively;
33.REAFFIRMS the decision taken at the 11th meeting of the Conference of Contracting Parties (in Resolution XI.2 on Financial and budgetary matters) that the Reserve Fund:
a.provides for unforeseen and unavoidable expenditures;
b.receives realized triennial core budget surpluses (or deficits);
c.should not be lower than 6% of the annual core budget of the Convention and not greater than 15%; and
d.should be administered by the Secretary General with the approval of the Subgroup on Finance established by the Standing Committee;
34.REQUESTS the Secretariat to endeavour to maintain the Reserve Fund over the 2019-2021 triennium and to report annually to the Standing Committee on its status and to seek the concurrence of the Subgroup on Finance prior to any use of the Fund;
35.ALSO AUTHORIZES the Secretary General, within the rules of IUCN, to adjust the staffing levels, numbers and structure of the Secretariat presented in Annex 4, provided that the adjustments are within the costs indicated and made in accordance with the 1993 Delegation of Authority to the Secretary General of the Convention on Wetlands and its Supplementary Note;
36.NOTES with appreciation the transparency and accountability regarding Secretariat operations that the Secretary General has fostered during the past triennium; and REQUESTS, as a means to further enhance these efforts, that the Secretariat establish a section of the Convention website to publish information to ensure transparency and accountability, including inter alia: completed and accepted audit reports; financial rules and regulations; annual reports of the Secretary General to the Standing Committee; procedures for engagement with the private sector; materials related to staff codes of conduct and professional ethics; the 1993 delegation of authority and its supplementary note; anti-fraud policies; anti-harassment policies; whistle-blower rules and protections; policies on conflict of interest; policies on gender equity and equality; and any other relevant information;
37.REQUESTS the Secretariat to consider Contracting Parties that are on the UN Conference on Trade and Development’s List of Small Island Developing States (SIDS) as eligible for sponsorship for delegate travel, whether or not they are formally classified as such on economic grounds in the OECD Development Assistance Committee (DAC) list; and
38.CONFIRMS that the present Resolution and its annexes supersede Resolution XII.1 on Financial and budgetary matters, and paragraph 11.a of Resolution VI.17.

Annex 1

Core budget 2019-2021

Ramsar core budget 2019-2021Budget 2019Budget 2020Budget 2021Total Budget 2019-2021
CHF 000s    
INCOME    
Parties’ contributions3,7793,7793,77911,337
Voluntary contributions1,0651,0651,0653,195
Income tax225225225675
Income interest12121236
TOTAL INCOME5,0815,0815,08115,243
EXPENDITURE    
A.  Secretariat Senior Management1,0091,0271,0333,070
B.  Resource Mobilization and Outreach6386156031,856
C.  Regional Advice and Support1,3251,3471,3614,033
D.  Support to Regional Initiatives100100100300
E.  Science and Policy7547337222,209
G.  Administration4364404441,320
H. Standing Committee services150150150450
I.  IUCN administrative service charges (maximum)5605605601,680
J.  Miscellaneous including Reserve Fund109108109326
TOTAL EXPENDITURES5,0815,0815,08115,243

Annex 2

Estimated core budget contributions by Contracting Parties for 2019-2021

Contracting Party (Membership as at 1 June 2018)2016-2018 UN Scale*% Ramsar total Estimated annual contribution 2019-2021 Annual contribution 2016-2018Estimated change in annual contribution compared to previous triennium
Albania0.0080.008%1,0001,0000
Algeria0.1610.165%7,8717,872-1
Andorra0.0060.006%1,0001,0000
Antigua and Barbuda0.0020.002%1,0001,0000
Argentina0.8920.915%43,60843,616-8
Armenia0.0060.006%1,0001,0000
Australia2.3372.397%114,250114,272-22
Austria0.7200.738%35,19935,206-7
Azerbaijan0.0600.062%2,9332,934-1
Bahamas0.0140.014%1,0001,0000
Bahrain0.0440.045%2,1512,1510
Bangladesh0.0100.010%1,0001,0000
Barbados0.0070.007%1,0001,0000
Belarus0.0560.057%2,7382,7380
Belgium0.8850.908%43,26643,274-8
Belize0.0010.001%1,0001,0000
Benin0.0030.003%1,0001,0000
Bhutan0.0010.001%1,0001,0000
Bolivia (Plurinational State of)0.0120.012%1,0001,0000
Bosnia and Herzegovina0.0130.013%1,0001,0000
Botswana0.0140.014%1,0001,0000
Brazil3.8233.921%186,898186,933-35
Bulgaria0.0450.046%2,2002,2000
Burkina Faso0.0040.004%1,0001,0000
Burundi0.0010.001%1,0001,0000
Cabo Verde0.0010.001%1,0001,0000
Cambodia0.0040.004%1,0001,0000
Cameroon0.0100.010%1,0001,0000
Canada2.9212.996%142,801142,828-27
Central African Republic0.0010.001%1,0001,0000
Chad0.0050.005%1,0001,0000
Chile0.3990.409%19,50619,510-4
China7.9218.123%387,239387,313-74
Colombia0.3220.330%15,74215,745-3
Comoros0.0010.001%1,0001,0000
Congo0.0060.006%1,0001,0000
Costa Rica0.0470.048%2,2982,2980
Côte d’Ivoire0.0090.009%1,0001,0000
Croatia0.0990.102%4,8404,841-1
Cuba0.0650.067%3,1783,1780
Cyprus0.0430.044%2,1022,103-1
Czech Republic0.3440.353%16,81716,821-4
Democratic People’s Republic of Korea0.0050.005%1,00001,000
Democratic Republic of the Congo0.0080.008%1,0001,0000
Denmark0.5840.599%28,55028,556-6
Djibouti0.0010.001%1,0001,0000
Dominican Republic0.0460.047%2,2492,2490
Ecuador0.0670.069%3,2753,276-1
Egypt0.1520.156%7,4317,432-1
El Salvador0.0140.014%1,0001,0000
Equatorial Guinea0.0100.010%1,0001,0000
Estonia0.0380.039%1,8581,8580
Eswatini0.0020.002%1,0001,0000
Fiji0.0030.003%1,0001,0000
Finland0.4560.468%22,29322,297-4
France4.8594.983%237,545237,590-45
Gabon0.0170.017%1,0001,0000
Gambia0.0010.001%1,0001,0000
Georgia0.0080.008%1,0001,0000
Germany6.3896.552%312,343312,403-60
Ghana0.0160.016%1,0001,0000
Greece0.4710.483%23,02623,030-4
Grenada0.0010.001%1,0001,0000
Guatemala0.0280.029%1,3691,3690
Guinea0.0020.002%1,0001,0000
Guinea-Bissau0.0010.001%1,0001,0000
Honduras0.0080.008%1,0001,0000
Hungary0.1610.165%7,8717,872-1
Iceland0.0230.024%1,1241,125-1
India0.7370.756%36,03036,037-7
Indonesia0.5040.517%24,63924,644-5
Iran (Islamic Republic of)0.4710.483%23,02623,030-4
Iraq0.1290.132%6,3076,308-1
Ireland0.3350.344%16,37716,380-3
Israel0.4300.441%21,02221,026-4
Italy3.7483.844%183,231183,266-35
Jamaica0.0090.009%1,0001,0000
Japan9.6809.927%473,232473,323-91
Jordan0.0200.021%1,0001,0000
Kazakhstan0.1910.196%9,3389,339-1
Kenya0.0180.018%1,0001,0000
Kiribati0.0010.001%1,0001,0000
Kuwait0.2850.292%13,93313,936-3
Kyrgyzstan0.0020.002%1,0001,0000
Lao People’s Democratic Republic0.0030.003%1,0001,0000
Latvia0.0500.051%2,4442,445-1
Lebanon0.0460.047%2,2492,2490
Lesotho0.0010.001%1,0001,0000
Liberia0.0010.001%1,0001,0000
Libya, State of0.1250.128%6,1116,112-1
Liechtenstein0.0070.007%1,0001,0000
Lithuania0.0720.074%3,5203,521-1
Luxembourg0.0640.066%3,1293,1290
Madagascar0.0030.003%1,0001,0000
Malawi0.0020.002%1,0001,0000
Malaysia0.3220.330%15,74215,745-3
Mali0.0030.003%1,0001,0000
Malta0.0160.016%1,0001,0000
Marshall Islands0.0010.001%1,0001,0000
Mauritania0.0020.002%1,0001,0000
Mauritius0.0120.012%1,0001,0000
Mexico1.4351.472%70,15470,167-13
Monaco0.0100.010%1,0001,0000
Mongolia0.0050.005%1,0001,0000
Montenegro0.0040.004%1,0001,0000
Morocco0.0540.055%2,6402,6400
Mozambique0.0040.004%1,0001,0000
Myanmar0.0100.010%1,0001,0000
Namibia0.0100.010%1,0001,0000
Nepal0.0060.006%1,0001,0000
Netherlands1.4821.520%72,45272,465-13
New Zealand0.2680.275%13,10213,104-2
Nicaragua0.0040.004%1,0001,0000
Niger0.0020.002%1,0001,0000
Nigeria0.2090.214%10,21810,219-1
Norway0.8490.871%41,50641,514-8
Oman0.1130.116%5,5245,525-1
Pakistan0.0930.095%4,5474,5470
Palau0.0010.001%1,0001,0000
Panama0.0340.035%1,6621,6620
Papua New Guinea0.0040.004%1,0001,0000
Paraguay0.0140.014%1,0001,0000
Peru0.1360.139%6,6496,650-1
Philippines0.1650.169%8,0668,068-2
Poland0.8410.862%41,11541,122-7
Portugal0.3920.402%19,16419,168-4
Republic of Korea2.0392.091%99,68299,701-19
Republic of Moldova0.0040.004%1,0001,0000
Romania0.1840.189%8,9958,997-2
Russian Federation3.0883.167%150,965150,994-29
Rwanda0.0020.002%1,0001,0000
Saint Lucia0.0010.001%1,0001,0000
Samoa0.0010.001%1,0001,0000
Sao Tome and Principe0.0010.001%1,0001,0000
Senegal0.0050.005%1,0001,0000
Serbia0.0320.033%1,5641,565-1
Seychelles0.0010.001%1,0001,0000
Sierra Leone0.0010.001%1,0001,0000
Slovakia0.1600.164%7,8227,824-2
Slovenia0.0840.086%4,1074,1070
South Africa0.3640.373%17,79517,799-4
South Sudan0.0030.003%1,0001,0000
Spain2.4432.505%119,433119,455-22
Sri Lanka0.0310.032%1,5161,5160
Sudan0.0100.010%1,0001,0000
Suriname0.0060.006%1,0001,0000
Sweden0.9560.980%46,73746,746-9
Switzerland1.1401.169%55,73255,743-11
Syrian Arab Republic0.0240.025%1,1731,174-1
Tajikistan0.0040.004%1,0001,0000
Thailand0.2910.298%14,22614,229-3
The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia0.0070.007%1,0001,0000
Togo0.0010.001%1,0001,0000
Trinidad and Tobago0.0340.035%1,6621,6620
Tunisia0.0280.029%1,3691,3690
Turkey1.0181.044%49,76849,777-9
Turkmenistan0.0260.027%1,2711,2710
Uganda0.0090.009%1,0001,0000
Ukraine0.1030.106%5,0355,036-1
United Arab Emirates0.6040.619%29,52829,534-6
United Kingdom4.4634.577%218,186218,227-41
United Republic of Tanzania0.0100.010%1,0001,0000
Uruguay0.0790.081%3,8623,863-1
Uzbekistan0.0230.024%1,1241,125-1
Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of)0.5710.586%27,91527,920-5
Viet Nam0.0580.060%2,8352,836-1
Yemen0.0100.010%1,0001,0000
Zambia0.0070.007%1,0001,0000
Zimbabwe0.0040.004%1,0001,0000
Total76.05978.000%****3,779,0003,778,701299
Other contributions     
United States of America** 22%1,065,7991,065,7990
Grand Total  100%4,844,7994,844,500299
*As per UN Resolution A/RES/70/245; revised UN Scale for triennium will be applied when released**As previously, 22% of total contributions from Contracting Parties

Annex 3

2019-2021 budgeted non-core items, in order of recommended priority

No.Non-core funds 2019 - 20213-year funding requirement (CHF)
1Ramsar Advisory Missions225,000
1Gender and wetlands36,000
2Regional Initiatives networks and centres support150,000
3World Wetlands Day250,000
4Complete wetland inventories to report on indicator 6.6.1 including digital mapping and online reporting165,000
5COP14 sponsorship for eligible delegates600,000
6Ramsar CEPA Programme200,000
7Supporting STRP work300,000
8Pre-COP14 sponsorship for eligible delegates650,000
9Language strategies530,000
 Total3,106,000

Annex 4

Secretariat staff (core) for 2019-2021 as per budget in Annex 1

Team2018201920202021
Secretariat Senior Management1 S, 1 M2, 1 A31 S, 1 M2, 1 P2, 2 A31 S, 1 M2, 1 P2, 2 A31 S, 1 M2, 1 P2, 2 A3
Resource Mobilization and Outreach1 M1, 1 P2, 1 P11 M1, 1 P1, 1 A31 M1, 1 P1, 1 A31 M1, 1 P1, 1 A3
Regional Advice and Support4 M1, 2 P1, 4 interns4 M1, 2 P1, 4 interns4 M1, 2 P1, 4 interns4 M1, 2 P1, 4 interns
Science and Policy1 M1, 1 P11 M1, 2 P1, 1 A31 M1, 2 P1, 1 A31 M1, 2 P1, 1 A3
Administration1 P2, 1 P1, 1 P1 (50%), 3 A31 P2, 1 P1 (50%), 1 A21 P2, 1 P1 (50%), 1 A21 P2, 1 P1 (50%), 1 A2
Total23.5 staff24.5 staff24.5 staff24.5 staff
Total costs (in ‘000 CHF)3,4303,5523,6033,649
Note:2018 staff numbers and positions shown for reference. Costs budgeted and allocated to budget lines on the basis of current core-funded positions. Team refers to the categorization of expenditures as listed in Annex 1.Levels as per IUCN HR policy and guidelines on position classification.S = Secretary General; M1-M2 = management positions; P1-P2 = professional positions; A1-A3 = support positions