The Conference of the Parties (COP), in Decision 2/CP.13, requested the secretariat, subject to availability of supplementary funding, to organize a workshop on methodological issues before the twenty-ninth session of the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice (SBSTA) (paragraph 7(b)).  This workshop is part of a programme of work on methodological issues related to a range of policy approaches and positive incentives for reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation in developing countries undertaken by the SBSTA (paragraph 7).

Parties will be submitting, by 21 March 2008, views and information on how to address outstanding methodological issues, including, inter alia, assessments of changes in forest cover and associated carbon stocks and greenhouse gas emissions, incremental changes due to sustainable management of the forest, demonstration of reductions in emissions from deforestation, including reference emissions levels, estimation and demonstration of reduction in emissions from forest degradation, implications of national and subnational approaches including displacement of emissions, options for assessing the effectiveness of actions in relation to paragraphs 1, 2, 3 and 5 of Decision 2/CP.13, and criteria for evaluating actions (paragraph 7(a)).  These submissions are compiled into document FCCC/SBSTA/2008/MISC.4 for consideration at the SBSTA at its twenty-eighth session. 

The workshop is expected to address the above outstanding methodological issues.  The secretariat will prepare a report on the workshop for consideration of the SBSTA at its twenty-ninth session.