Executive Secretary of the UNFCCC: Ms Christiana Figueres 
The Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Minister Richard Baloyi 
KZN Premier, Dr Zweli Mkhize
Chairperson of SALGA
Councillor Thabo Manyoni
Mayor of eThekwini Municipality, Councillor James Nxumalo 
The President of Local Governments for Sustainability and Deputy Mayor of Vancouver Canada, Councillor David Cadman 
Governors, Mayors and Councillors
Distinguished guests

Good morning to you all!

Thank you for inviting us to this Local Government and Cities Convention.

This is an important gathering as it focuses primarily on the agenda of the Local Governments from the Global South, who have a lot to contribute to the UN climate change response process.
 
Local Government is the sphere of government that is the closest to the people. It is directly responsible for the implementation of climate change response programmes.

We are therefore pleased that this convention is taking place, as this dialogue among municipalities is very important.

Ladies and gentlemen,

As you are aware we are meeting in the middle of the United Nations climate change talks, known popularly as COP17.

Negotiators are discussing how to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to secure a relatively safe future for all of humanity. 

In the African context, they must help us strike a balance between ensuring that climate change does not reach dangerous levels on the one hand, and the need to grow our economies to eradicate poverty on the other hand.

The convention is proceeding well. The discussions are continuing as planned in an environment that is conducive to constructive engagement.

Parties still have divergent views on the shape of the final outcome.

However, there is a general understanding that parties should positively and decisively resolve the question of the second commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol, which commits developed countries to cut their emissions of greenhouse gases.

The first Kyoto commitment period expires at the end of 2012.

Parties must also reach agreement on the legal nature of a future climate change system.

Generally, Parties agree that Durban should operationalise the Cancun agreements. This includes the establishment of the Adaptation Committee, the Technology Mechanism, the transparency rules on mitigation and support.

For Durban to be regarded as a resounding success, especially for developing countries, the Green Climate Fund that was agreed to in Cancun must be operationalised.

This must be done by adopting the report of the Transitional Committee and through an early launch of the fund.

The Co-chair of the Transitional Committee, South African Minister in the Presidency, Mr Trevor Manuel, presented the report of the Committee to the Parties on Wednesday, 30 November.

It is worth noting that regardless of the good work done by the Transitional Committee, the sources of long-term finance are not yet clearly defined.

For the initial capitalisation of the fund to be realised in Durban, the high level segment that is due to start next week will have to provide the political will, which should translate into financial pledges.

Many developing countries are hopeful that the early launch of the fund will allow for both their adaptation and mitigation needs to be met.

I must point out that the mood of the negotiations thus far indicates that we should remain optimistic of achieving a successful outcome.

There is a general consensus that the effects of climate change are affecting all of us, although differently, and that action on mitigating these effects can no longer be delayed. 

We trust that this realisation will help us reach the compromises we need to take this process forward and help us live up to the responsibility we have towards our people.

Ladies and gentlemen,

As an African country, South Africa wants the Durban outcome to be pro-poor, pragmatic and in line with the African development agenda.

We feel strongly the climate change regime must not jeopardise the economic growth and poverty eradication priorities of developing countries.

We are keen to challenge the notion that there is a trade-off to be made between faster economic growth and the preservation of our environment.

We must prove that faster economic growth can be achieved alongside the sustainable management of our natural resources.

That is the route we are following in South Africa, through investing in green economy interventions that will help us save the future while creating decent work.

Ladies and gentlemen,

We look to local government to contribute to shaping the outcome of Durban as the sphere that has to respond immediately to the impact of climate change.

Given the pivotal role of local government, it is of concern that some local authorities in Africa and the developing South believe that the dominant features of the current climate change response debate are not relevant to their context.

This means that the climate change regime must be visibly in touch with the general conditions of poverty that most local authorities in the developing world operate under, for it to be relevant to the people of the South.

The high levels of poverty increases the vulnerability of most municipalities, and makes it impossible for them to respond adequately to the impact of climate change.

Due to limited resources they often have to choose between adaptation - responding to the impacts of climate change and mitigation, reducing the emission of greenhouse gases that cause climate change.

In this regard, we urge the developed world to take the constraints of Africa and other developing countries seriously when considering Climate Change response measures, and in particular adaptation measures.

We reiterate the position that efforts by developing countries to contribute to the mitigation of green house gas emissions should be supported by richer nations through the provision of technology, financing and capacity building.

Ladies and gentlemen,

Given that local government is the first port of call for people in distress during periods of disasters, disaster management mechanisms must be drastically enhanced in all municipalities as a matter of urgency.

In our country we have had our fair share of extreme weather which has caused destruction and mayhem. Science tells us that we are bound to experience more of these severe occurrences.

We experienced unprecedented heavy rains and flooding during December 2010 and January 2011. 

Thirty four municipalities that are located in eight of the nine country's provinces were the worst affected.  We also suffered massive damage to 27 461 settlements.

The impact on education, transport, agriculture, and health infrastructure was estimated at almost R4 billion. 

This led to the affected areas being declared national disaster areas.

As a result, currently all the 278 municipalities in the country are mainstreaming climate change responses in all their local planning processes and Integrated Development Plans.

This local government convention will hopefully enable municipalities to compare best practices with these response mechanisms.

Municipalities in the developing world must not wait for surprise flooding, extreme drought or fires.

We need to start investing today in a safer tomorrow, by prioritizing the establishment of disaster management structures across all spheres of government.

In our country, 30 municipalities already have disaster management centres and work is ongoing to create others given the challenge we face.

This Cities and Local Government Convention should indeed help in fostering such cooperation and the sharing of expertise.

Ladies and gentlemen,

Let me reiterate how humbled we are by the confidence shown in our country by the United Nations through entrusting us with the responsibility of hosting the COP 17/CMP7 conference.

Africa, the G77 plus China and the BASIC countries - Brazil, South Africa, India and China - will continue working with other regions to ensure a successful outcome.

We must strive for a balanced, fair and credible outcome that can pass any test of environmental integrity.

We must work towards an inclusive, fair and effective climate change deal which is favourable to both the developed and developing countries.

So far, success is in sight.

We trust that you will have fruitful deliberations as you work to make local government more responsive and resilient to climate change.