1.1      Background

Decisions adopted in Katowice by COP 24 and CMA 1 addressed a number of practical aspects that operationalize the decision by COP 21, such as final submission BURs: COP 24 decided that the dates for submission of the final BURs shall be those that are submitted to the secretariat no later than 31 December 2024. The enhanced transparency framework (ETF) under the Paris Agreement builds on and enhances the existing measurement, reporting and verification (MRV) arrangements under the Convention. With the adoption of the modalities, procedures and guidelines (MPGs) for the ETF by COP 24 and the corresponding common reporting tables, common tabular formats and outlines by COP 26, developing country Parties are already taking steps to implement the ETF. 

While reporting under the Convention through national communications (NCs) will continue, biennial update reports (BURs) and international consultation and analysis (ICA) process under the Convention. 

Institutional arrangements are of critical importance for fully functioning national transparency systems and data collection in particular. Institutional transparency arrangements include elements from clearly defined roles and responsibilities for all actors in the transparency system, such as line ministries, data-sharing agreements and legal arrangements. Institutions at all levels need to build on what already exists and learn from experience while at the same time working towards more streamlined data flows to be able to comply with the requirements of the Enhanced Transparency Framework. Appropriate arrangements must consider all relevant levels of government and the private sector in an approach that manages competing priorities and demand for resources. Institutional arrangements promote strong coordination and collaboration among multiple decision-making levels, involving stakeholders and sectors in order to create buy-in into the transparency system and ensure effective data flow.

Uganda submitted its First Biennial Update Report (FBUR) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) under paragraph 41 (a) of decision 2/CP.17 in 2019. Uganda’s Second BUR will use a four-phase approach to guide the process of executing this assignment from inception to final SBUR finalization. This approach will measure the means of verification of achievement/success for which the consultant shall be evaluated. 

In recognition of the fact that it has been over four years since Uganda submitted its first BUR, Uganda would like to meet its obligation to submit its second and last BUR that will cover relevant information on climate change actions. Most importantly, the country will engage national stakeholders and make institutional arrangements to prepare subsequent reports under the UNFCCC.

The Ministry of Water and Environment launched the inception workshop on January 24th, 2024, to implement Uganda’s Second Biennial Update Report (SBUR) in partnership with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) as the implementing agency of the Global Environment Facility (GEF). 

1.3      Objective

The main objective of the hands-on training workshop is to enhance the technical capacities of national experts from Uganda who are involved in the preparation of national reports under the UNFCCC and the Paris Agreement, including NCs, NDCs and BURs/BTRs. Specifically, the event aims to achieve the following learning objectives: 

• Familiarize participants with the MRV arrangements under the Convention and the ETF under the Paris Agreement, with a view to ensure a smooth transition to the implementation of the ETF.
• Promoting the understanding of provisions related to modalities, procedures and guidelines (MPGs) for the enhanced transparency framework.
• Provide an overview of the key elements and characteristics of robust institutional arrangements supporting the ETF implementation.

1.4      Target Audience

The hands-on training workshop will gather relevant national transparency stakeholders, including National Communications and Biennial Update Reports coordinators, senior experts from the Ministries and national agencies dealing with climate reporting. Team of experts that support in-country implementation of National Enhanced Transparency Frameworks and personnel dealing with data collection on greenhouse gas inventory, adaptation and impacts, climate finance and NDC tracking.