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Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change is the leading body for the assessment of climate change, established in 1988 by the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) to provide the world with a clear scientific view on the current state of climate change and its potential environmental and socio-economic consequences. The IPCC is an intergovernmental body, and it is open to all member countries of UN and WMO.

IPCC reviews and assesses the most recent scientific, technical and socio-economic information produced worldwide relevant to the understanding of climate change. It does not conduct any research nor does it monitor climate related data or parameters. Its assessments are based on the available scientific literature on topics related to climate change.

The IPCC is currently organized in 3 Working Groups and a Task Force:

-       Working Group I deals with "The Physical Science Basis of Climate Change".

-       Working Group II with "Climate Change Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability".

-       Working Group III with "Mitigation of Climate Change".

-       The main objective of the Task Force on National Greenhouse Gas Inventories is to develop and refine a methodology for the calculation and reporting of national GHG emissions and removals.

The Panel meets in Plenary Sessions approximately once a year. Major decisions are taken by the Panel during the Plenary Session. For example, the structure and mandate of IPCC Working Groups and Task Forces, Scope and outline of IPCC reports, IPCC Principles and Procedures, budget of IPCC, and the election of the IPCC Chair, IPCC Bureau and the Task Force Bureau. The IPCC Bureau meets twice or three times a year to assist the IPCC Chair in planning, coordinating and monitoring the activity progress.

IPCC is managed by a Secretariat, subordinated to WMO in Geneva and supported by UNDP.

IPCC embodies a unique opportunity to provide rigorous and balanced scientific information to decision makers. By endorsing the IPCC reports, governments acknowledge the authority of their scientific content.

IPCC Focal Point is Mr. Moldovanu Nicolae, deputy director of the State Hydrometeorological Service.

For more information click  www.ipcc.ch