IPPC Financial Committee makes progress in financial management budgetary transparency and accountability

8 October 2018, Rome - The IPPC Financial Committee (FC) meeting was held on 8 October 2018 at FAO Headquarters in Rome, Italy. The meeting was chaired by Mr. Greg Wolff (Canada - FC Chair), opened by Mr. Jingyuan Xia, IPPC Secretary, and attended by Mr Francisco Javier Trujillo Arriaga (Mexico - CPM Chair), Ms Lois Ransom (Australia - FC and CPM Bureau member), Ms Kyu-Ock Yim (Republic of Korea - FC member), Mr Lucien Kouame Konan (Côte d Ivoire - FC and CPM Bureau member), Mr Francisco Tristante Oliva (European Commission Observer), Mr Craig Fedchock (IPPC Adviser and World Bank Observer) and Mr Marko Benovic (Budget and Planning Officer of the IPPC Secretariat).

The main objectives and activities of the FC meeting were to:

• report on progress made since the last meeting, as well as review the implementation of the 2018 work plan and the status of resource mobilization;

• review the revision of the work plan and budget of the IPPC Secretariat for 2019, as well as the work plan and budget of the IPPC Secretariat for 2020 to be approved at CPM Bureau meeting in October; and

• discuss Standard Operational Procedures (SOP) governing programme planning and budgeting, the five-year investment plan of the IPPC Secretariat linked to the IPPC Strategic framework 2020-2030, the template for CPM documents for proposals that require additional resources, and the actions following FAO-COAG support to the IPPC Secretariat regarding sustainable funding.

Significant outcomes from the meeting included that the FC:

• recognized the actions that the IPPC Secretariat has taken since the June meeting, progress made in implementing the 2018 Work plan and Budget and in mobilizing resources;

• agreed upon and supported the Revision of the IPPC Secretariat Work plan and budget for 2019 and the IPPC Secretariat Work plan and budget for 2020 - both will be submitted for for approval by the CPM Bureau in their October meeting; and

• supported the Standard Operational Procedures (SOP) for governing programme planning and budgeting, the five-year investment plan, the template for CPM documents for proposals that require additional resources, and follow-up actions from the FAO-COAG meeting.