Satisfaction at results achieved

摘要

There was great satisfaction among the majority of delegates that INC-9 had succeeded in handling the tasks it was entrusted with. The announcements of imminent ratification by close to 30 different States gave rise to the expectation that the Rotterdam Convention might enter into force as early as 2003, just as the WSSD Plan of Implementation called for. On the other hand, a number of other delegates were more cautious in their prediction by stating that the Convention will not enter into the force before 2004. For the time being, the "interim PIC procedure" will continue to be implemented on a voluntary basis. From the perspective of the German government, one of the most interesting questions, namely the seat of the future Permanent Secretariat, was not touched upon in this session. As in previous meetings, Germany had offered to host the Secretariat to be located in Bonn. There is a competing offer from the Swiss and Italian Governments to continue to host the Secretariat in the same settingas the interim Secretariat which is currently split between Rome and Geneva. This matter will, of course, not be settled until the Convention enters into force and the first Conference of Parties is convened.