Letter from IPCC to National governments inviting nominations of experts

Also available as PDF File

Letter from Acting Secretary of the IPCC (R. Christ) (dtd 26 Nov 2003), to national governments inviting nominations of experts [PDF] for consideration as Coordinating Lead Authors, Lead Authors, Contributing Authors, Expert Reviewers or Review Editors for the different chapters of the Fourth Assessment Report (AR4) of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).

No. 9577-03/IPCC/AR4

Geneva, 26 November 2003

Sir/Madam,

I am writing to you to invite nominations from your Government of experts for consideration as Coordinating Lead Authors, Lead Authors, Contributing Authors, Expert Reviewers or Review Editors for the different chapters of the Fourth Assessment Report (AR4) of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).

The IPCC has been jointly established by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) to

(i) assess available information on science, impacts and adaptation, and mitigation of climate change,
(ii) assess and develop methodologies and practices such as the IPCC guidelines for the determination of national greenhouse inventories,
(iii) to provide, on request, scientific/technical/socio-economic information to the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UN FCCC) and its subsidiary bodies.

At its 18th Session (Wembley, UK, September 2001) the Panel agreed to continue to prepare comprehensive assessment reports and to maintain the existing Working Group structure under which

(i) Working Group I assesses the scientific aspects of the climate system and climate change;
(ii) Working Group II assesses the scientific, technical, environmental, economic and social aspects of the vulnerability (sensitivity and adaptability) to climate change of, and the negative and positive consequences (impacts) for, ecological systems, socio-economic sectors and human health, with an emphasis on regional sectoral and cross-sectoral issues;
(iii) Working Group III assesses the scientific, technical, environmental, economic and social aspects of the mitigation of climate change.

At its 19th Session (Geneva, April 2002) the Panel decided that the Fourth Assessment Report (AR4) would be completed in 2007. Working Group reports and, if it is decided to prepare one, the Synthesis Report, would be sequenced such that the Working Group I report would be finalised during the first quarter of 2007, Working Group II and Working Group III reports in mid-2007 and the Synthesis Report during the last quarter of 2007. In preparing the AR4 greater attention should be given to cross cutting issues and the Panel at it 20th Session (Paris, February 2003) has identified the following cross cutting themes:

(i) Uncertainty and risk
(ii) Integration of adaptation and mitigation
(iii) Issues relating to Article 2 of the UNFCCC and key vulnerabilities
(iv) Sustainable development
(v) Regional integration
(vi) Water
(vii) Technology

To designated IPCC Focal Points and Ministries for Foreign Affairs (if no focal point has been designated)

The outlines of the three Working Group contributions to the AR4 as agreed by the 21st Session of the Panel (Vienna, Austria, November 2003) are attached to this letter for your use in guiding the choice of nominees (Attachment 1). You may also consult the notes that will be provided by the Working Groups to authors, which include agreed comments raised by Governments at the Sessions of the IPCC and its Working Groups, in November 2003. These notes can be accessed by 12 December 2003 at the following closed web site:

[URL to be posted]

An IPCC description of the roles and responsibilities of Co-ordinating Lead Authors, Lead Authors, Contributing Authors, Expert Reviewers and Review Editors is attached to this letter (Attachment 2). The Coordinating Lead Authors and Lead Authors are responsible for drafting the chapters and revising them taking into account comments submitted by reviewers during the two IPCC-mandated reviews, namely the expert review and the second review by governments and experts. A representative cross-section of authors will also contribute to drafting, revising and finalising the Technical Summary and Summary for Policymakers (SPM). The "Procedures for the Preparation, Review, Acceptance, Adoption, Approval and Publication of IPCC Reports" [pdf] can be viewed on the IPCC website.

The task of Co-ordinating Lead Authors and Lead Authors is a demanding one. The workload, during the period from the second half of 2004 -- 2007, will be in the order of a several months and can be particularly heavy during certain periods. It is expected that Co-ordinating Lead Authors and Lead Authors would need to attend four Lead Authors meetings between mid 2004 and mid 2006 and possibly other chapter drafting meetings. The presence of Co-ordinating Lead Authors and selected Lead Authors may be requested at sessions of the IPCC and its Working Groups during 2007 to assist in finalising the SPM and/or the Working Group contribution to the Fourth Assessment Report. The time commitment of Review Editors is less than that for Lead Authors but will include attendance at two Lead Authors meetings between late 2005 and 2006. Contributing Authors are normally not required to attend any of these meetings.

Being fully intergovernmental, it has been the practice in IPCC for the Governments in the developed world to support their respective Lead Authors/Contributing Authors/Review Editors for participation in the preparation of the chapters/sections of IPCC reports. Such support extends to the travel and subsistence of Lead Authors/Review Editors to attend meetings of Lead Authors and other relevant meetings such as the sessions of the IPCC Working Groups and of the IPCC. The travel and subsistence of the Lead Authors/Review Editors from the developing countries and countries with economies in transition to attend the meetings of Lead Authors and other relevant meetings will be borne out of the IPCC Trust Fund by the IPCC Secretariat.

The role of the IPCC is to assess scientific, technical and socio-economic information, based on peer reviewed and internationally available literature. This being the case, the IPCC requires that the nominee(s) have appropriate expertise. All nominations should indicate the working group(s), chapter(s) and author role(s) for which the candidate is being nominated and be accompanied by a summarized curriculum vitae, including a specification of the nominees expertise and a list of relevant publications. To facilitate the selection of suitable candidates and to respond to the guidance provided by the Panel on the selection of authors, in particular the need for openness and transparency, and to aim for geographical balance, involvement of new authors and expanding the range of disciplines, a standardised nomination form has been prepared. Please use the attached nomination form (Attachment 3 -- available in electronic form on the internet at www.ipcc.ch) for your reply and return it by e-mail through the designated focal point of your country, who according to IPCC procedures are expected to facilitate the identification of experts. All nominations should reach me no later than 20 January 2004 preferably by e-mail at IPCC-nominations@wmo.int or at the IPCC Secretariat, c/o World Meteorological Organization, P.O. Box 2300, 7bis Avenue de la Paix, CH-1211Geneva 2, Switzerland (fax: +4122 7308 025/013).

Nominations are also being requested from intergovernmental and non-governmental organisations. Irrespective of such requests, your Government may wish to include experts from academia, industry, environmental organisations and other non-governmental organisations in your nomination(s). All nominations will be provided to the Bureaux of Working Groups I, II and III and the IPCC Bureau that will select Co-ordinating Lead Authors, Lead Authors and Review Editors. The selection of Contributing Authors will be left to the Co-ordinating Lead Authors and Lead Authors.

Copies of this letter are being sent to the Ministries for Foreign Affairs (in case they are not the designated IPCC Focal Point), IPCC Contact Point(s), the Permanent Representative with WMO and the UNEP Focal Point(s) of your country for information.

I thank you in advance for your consideration of this matter.

Yours sincerely,

(R. Christ)
Acting Secretary of the IPCC