Mr. Frank Maughan:

Each year, in advance of the COP meeting, we take expressions of interest from members of civil society to participate in our national delegation within a structure known as party overflow, whereby individual civil society members travel to each COP meeting as part of the delegation and have access to negotiating spaces other than where a negotiation is specifically indicated as being for parties only. We have taken this approach in recognition of the fact that COP meetings have tended to offer limited capacity for those in civil society to participate in their own right or as members of the public. The available spaces for such participation are generally exhausted in an online registration process quite early in the year but we can register them as members of the national delegation in a party overflow capacity right up to the start of the COP, which is a much more flexible approach.

Part of the delay relates to the change of venue. It is unfortunate that the notice given by the Chilean Government to withdraw as host of the COP has caused logistical headaches for governments. Spain has helpfully stepped up to host it but there are issues that need to be ironed out in terms of re-registration of delegations who had already registered to go to Chile. We are waiting for confirmation from the UN secretariat based in Bonn of the capacity of delegations to have members of civil society as participants. It is an unfortunate consequence of the notice given by the Chilean Government and there was no intentional delay in communicating with members of civil society who have indicated their interest in participating.