IPCC - Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change

http://www.ipcc.ch/organization/organization_review.shtml [8/18/2015 10:31:14 AM] 

### Background Documents

Letters by UN Secretary General and IPCC Chair to InterAcademy Council (IAC) Climate change assessments - Review of the processes and procedures of the IPCC Report by the InterAcademy Council
List of recommendations contained in IAC Report


### Final decisions by the IPCC

Procedures
Revised Appendix A to the Principles Governing IPCC Work - Procedures for the Preparation, Review, Acceptance, Adoption, Approval and Publications of IPCC Reports Protocol for Addressing Possible Errors in IPCC Assessment Reports, Synthesis Reports, Special Reports or Methodology Reports (Annex 3 to Appendix A)
Guidance Note for Lead Authors of the IPCC Fifth Assessment Report on the Consistent Treatment of Uncertainties

Governance and Management
Terms of Reference of the IPCC Bureau
IPCC Executive Committee IPCC Secretariat and Technical Support Units
Revised Appendix C to the Principles governing IPCC Work - Procedures for the Election of the IPCC Bureau and any Task Force Bureau

Conflict of Interest Policy Conflict of Interest Policy
Methods of Work of the Conflict of Interest Committee

Communications strategy Guidance on IPCC Communications Strategy IPCC Communications Strategy Languages IPCC web pages

Home Organization

Structure

Nominations

Review of Processes & Procedures History

Future Work of IPCC

Secretariat and TSUs

Procedures Working Groups / Task Force

Activities

Calendar Meeting Documentation

News and Outreach

Publications and Data Presentations and Speeches IPCC Scholarship Programme

Links

Contact 

### REVIEW OF IPCC PROCESSES AND PROCEDURES

On 10 March 2010, the UN Secretary-General, Mr. Ban Ki-moon, and the IPCC Chair, Mr. Rajendra K. Pachauri, asked the InterAcademy Council (IAC) to carry out an independent review of IPCC processes and procedures. The IAC responded positively to that request and issued its report and recommendations on 30 August 2010. The recommendations contained in the IAC Report Climate Change Assessments - Review of the Processes and Procedures of the IPCC are listed here

.

The IPCC considered the recommendations in detail at its 32 nd (11-14 October 2010), 33 rd (10-13 May 2011), 34 th (18-19 November 2011) and 35 th (6-9 June 2012) Sessions. Four Task Groups were established to address issues related to procedures, governance and management, conflict of interest policy, and communications strategy . In the following sections, the final decisions taken by the IPCC in response to the IAC recommendations are summarized. Further details about the consultations and decisions leading to the final decisions referred to below can be found in the Reports of the 32 nd

, 33 rd

, 34 th and 35 th Sessions of the IPCC and on the webpage of the respective Session.



## Evaluation of IPCC's Assessment Processes

The recommendations by the IAC contained in Chapter 2: Evaluation of IPCC's Assessment Processes with respect to participation in scoping meetings, author selection, source of data and literature, handling the full range of views, report review, Summary for Policy Makers and Synthesis Report, were addressed by the IPCC at its 32 nd , 33 rd , 34 th and 35 th
Session and reflected in the revised Appendix A to the Principles

Governing IPCC Work - Procedures for the Preparation, Review, Acceptance, Adoption, Approval and Publication of IPCC Reports.

At its 33 rd Session, the IPCC adopted the Protocol for Addressing Possible Errors in IPCC Assessment Reports, Synthesis Reports, Special Reports or Methodology Reports . The handling of potential errors identified after the approval of IPCC reports was addressed in Chapter 2 of the IAC report, but did not result in an explicit recommendation. The Protocol is mentioned here for its relevance to the review of IPCC processes and procedures.



## IPCC's Evaluation of Evidence and Treatment of Uncertainty

The recommendations of the IAC contained in Chapter 3: IPCC's Evaluation of Evidence and Treatment of Uncertainty informed the Guidance Note for Lead Authors of the IPCC Fifth Assessment Report on the Consistent Treatment of Uncertainties , which was endorsed by the Panel at its 33rd Session.



## Governance and Management

Recommendations made in Chapter 4: Governance and Management were addressed by the IPCC in the following manner:

a. IPCC Management Structure The Panel at its 33 rd Session decided to establish an Executive Committee and agreed on its terms of reference, composition and mode of operation.

b. The IPCC Chair and the IPCC Bureau At its 33 rd Session, the Panel agreed on Terms of Reference of the Bureau and Roles, responsibilities and qualifications of IPCC Bureau Members . Decisions were taken at the 32 nd and Sessions regarding limits to the term of office of the IPCC Chair, the IPCC Vice-Chairs Go to TopIPCC - Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change

http://www.ipcc.ch/organization/organization_review.shtml [8/18/2015 10:31:14 AM] and the Working Groups and Task Force Bureau Co-Chairs to one term in a particular office, applicable to subsequent elections. These decisions are reflected in a revised Appendix C to the Principles Governing IPCC Work - Procedures for the Election of the IPCC Bureau and any Task Force Bureau , adopted by the Panel at its 35 th Session.

c. The Secretariat At its 33rd Session, the Panel decided that the Head of the IPCC Secretariat should, in keeping with UN practice, continue to be an appointed position, and not elected, and that the functions of this position should remain largely as presently defined.

In addition, the Panel at its 35 th Session clarified the functions of the IPCC Secretariat and Technical Support Units and how the IPCC may participate in decisions on contract renewal, employment term limit, staff appraisal, and recruitment for senior staff.

d. Conflict of Interest and Disclosure The Panel at its 33 rd and 34 th Sessions adopted a Conflict of Interest Policy , and the Implementation Annex

. It also adopted the Methods of Work of the Conflict of Interest Committee at the 35 th Session.

e. Communications The Panel adopted the Guidance on IPCC Communications Strategy at its 33 rd Session and the IPCC Communications Strategy at its 35 th Session.