IPCC - Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change

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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 32nd (11-14

 October 2010), 33rd (10-13 May 2011), 34th (18-19 November 2011) and

 35th (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 32nd, 33rd, 34th and 35th

 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 32nd, 33rd, 34th and 35th

 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 33rd 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 33rd 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 33rd 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 32nd and Sessions regarding limits to the term of office of the IPCC Chair, the IPCC Vice-Chairs

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IPCC - Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change

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 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 35th 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 35th 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 33rd and 34th 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 35th Session.

e. Communications

The Panel adopted the Guidance on IPCC Communications Strategy at its 33rd Session and the IPCC Communications Strategy at its

 35th Session.