Minister of Environmental Affairs and Tourism, on behalf of the Group of 77
(G77) and China at the high level segment of Conference of Parties (COP) 12 and
Meeting of the Parties (MOP) 2, Nairobi
15 November 2006
Mr President, on behalf of the G77 and China I would like to express our
full confidence in your leadership in bringing this meeting to a successful and
forward looking conclusion.
Adaptation is a top priority for developing countries. The G77 and China
group is therefore encouraged by the agreement on activities under the
five-year programme of work on impacts, vulnerability and adaptation to climate
change as well as the completion of the principles and governance foundations
that will make it possible to operationalise the Adaptation Fund during 2007
which in reality is largely funded by developing countries for developing
countries.
Acknowledging the decisive action taken on adaptation in Nairobi, it is also
clear that a future, strengthened climate regime would need to more fully
balance our international efforts on mitigation and adaptation. Whilst
continuing to build our knowledge base on adaptation needs we must increasingly
shift our focus to implementation. In order to access the required new and
additional funding we must also widen the circle of implementation beyond the
narrow emphasis on mainstreaming of adaptation into the development process.
Adequate and sustainable resources for adaptation are not only critically
needed; it is a legally binding commitment to be implemented by developed
countries.
Likewise, we must ensure that the adverse impacts of response measures as it
relates to the unintended consequences of mitigation are addressed as a
distinct priority in a focused and consolidated work programme.
Mr President, one issue that will require significant political will is the
issue of unlocking and accelerating the development and transfer of adaptation
and mitigation technologies in particular addressing the intellectual property
rights barriers. This will require new thinking on the institutional
arrangements, co-operation and funding mechanisms aimed at facilitating access
to current technologies, stimulating the development of new technologies and
expanding south-south co-operation.
In responding to the COP President's call for a more equitable distribution
of Clean Defence Mechanism (CDM) projects, we must facilitate the development
of concrete projects on the ground thereby ensuring that our capacity building
interventions follow a bottom up approach in partnership with local
institutions.
Mr President, you have challenged us to take advantage of the high level
segment to expand the creative space and give practical content and focus to
the future. Broadly speaking there are two streams of thinking on future
action.
The one approach favoured by some annex one parties, says to developing
countries "cap now." The other approach says to developed countries, "cap
first" and to developing countries "empower first." This second approach
enables non-annex one parties to integrate climate considerations in their
development paths without compromising sustainable development, thereby
ensuring meaningful contribution within their respective capabilities.
The message from developing countries is clear; it will be unfair and
misguided to ignore the fact that annex one parties achieved economic progress
through more than a century of cumulative emissions thereby building greater
institutional, technological and financial capabilities and greater adaptive
capacity. This historical responsibility is the moral and legal basis of annex
one parties' obligation to take the lead in "capping first" under the Kyoto
Protocol and in creating an "empower first" environment for enhanced action by
all countries under the convention.
Mr President, this understanding underlies the expected outcomes of the
Montreal two track process:
* firstly, deeper absolute emission reductions by developed countries under
the Kyoto Protocol to be agreed in the Ad Hoc Working Group (AWG) by 2008
* secondly, building on the dialogue on long term co-operative action to
address climate change by enhancing implementation of the convention.
Mr President, at its core this is a process of exercising collective
political will and decision making.
We must make the link in the minds of people around the world between
climate change, their development, health and wellbeing and their actions and
those of their elected representatives. The people who rely on us for new hope
and a strengthened climate deal do not want to see a few countries holding our
common future to ransom or retreating from commitments to address climate
change.
To succeed we will have to build a new spirit of trust and solidarity and
acknowledge the legitimate fears and concerns of parties. Political will and
being bold in our thinking about the future will carry us through. I think we
will be surprised by the amount of goodwill, common resolve and political
vision that can be unlocked on all sides of the debate when we put our heads
together. Mr President, the G77 and China stand ready to work with you in
tackling our common challenges.
Thank you!
Issued by: Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism
15 November 2006
