In order to ensure that the Interim Sava Commission functioned smoothly, the secretariat performed following activities: assisting the Interim Sava Commission and SECI in planning, coordinating and facilitating meetings of the commission and subsidiary bodies, including protocol working groups, ensuring distribution of documents, etc.; providing logistic and organisational support to commission by REC country offices in the Sava countries; providing a clearinghouse of information on the Sava initiative and responding to inquiries about the commission and the Sava process; coordinating the execution of the interim action plan and acting as a clearinghouse for relevant technical support, including assisting the commission in coordinating and monitoring activities in the plan and updating and expanding the plan as required; Developing and maintaining a Sava Basin Initiative website to serve as a central means of communicating progress; Assisting the interim commission in developing an organisation plan for the permanent commission, including staffing, budgets, organisational charts/mission statements, etc. For more information please download The Final Report of the Interim Sava River Commission (2.7-MB MS DOC file in ZIP archive) as adopted by the commission. It has not been edited by the REC. Achievements and Progress Preparation of sessions and meetings The Interim Commission held seven official sessions, as well as one ad hoc session. All sessions were prepared by the secretariat, including preparation of the agenda, distribution of invitation letters, contacts with partners to the commission and coordination with commission members. The secretariat was also responsible for all of the meetings of the commission bodies, the Strategic Group for the Sustainable Management of the Water Resources, the Strategic Group for Navigation and the Group of Legal Experts. The secretariat provided and distributed reports for every session and meeting, including all conclusions, recommendations and other relevant documents. Active work at the meetings The secretariat contributed to the sessions and meetings by formulating conclusions, participating actively as a non-voting member, and providing direct and indirect communication with national and international partners concerning specific issues of importance to facilitate the work of the commission. Work related to other aspects of the support The secretariat worked together with all working groups established within the commission. Following its deep involvement during the negotiation process, the secretariat continued to provide active support, especially to the Legal Expert Group in preparing drafts of legal documents. During this phase the secretariat worked closely with a team of international legal experts from the REC’s Environmental Law Programme, who had prepared first drafts of documents. In accordance with the REC’s overall mission to involve all concerned stakeholders, the secretariat actively carried out the stakeholder involvement component in close cooperation with the REC’s Public Participation Programme. Apart from the REC’s activities, the secretariat participated in events organised by OSCE/UNITAR in the scope of the project Public Participation in the Sava River Basin on Local Level. The secretariat provided presentations on the Sava Process and stakeholder involvement at workshops in Bosnia and Herzegovina (Brcko, November 17, 2004) and Croatia (Sisak, May 9, 2005). The secretariat participated to the conference Interreg III – Sava River as European Corridor, held in Brcko on June 02-03, 2005 under special sponsorship of the President of the Council of Ministers of BiH. At the last session of the Interim Sava Commission, held in Brcko on May 11-12, 2005, the Interim Commission adopted a conclusion expressing its appreciation to the secretariat for substantial support provided. It also authorised the secretariat to present the Final Report to the Sava Commission on the First Session of the Sava Commission, which will be held on June 27-29, 2005.

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