South Africa will host the Brazil, South Africa, India and China (BASIC) ministerial climate change meeting on 28 and 29 May 2011 in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal. The Basic group of countries comprises of Environment Ministers from South Africa, India, China and Brazil.
This will be the second BASIC Ministerial meeting to take place since COP 16 in Cancun, Mexico. The first meeting was convened in New Delhi, India in February this year.
The BASIC meeting will take place at a time when South Africa is preparing to host and participate in the 17th Conference of the Parties (COP17) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Durban from 29 November to 9 December 2011.
This BASIC meeting seeks to build on the discussions of the February meeting and inform the BASIC's strategy for the forthcoming UNFCCC meetings, and other strategic meetings such as Major Economies Forum (MEF).
The BASIC ministerial coordination meeting will be preceded by the BASIC experts and negotiators meeting from 26 to 27 May.
The Ministers in attendance at the meeting will be: Minister of Water and Environmental Affairs, Edna Molewa (South Africa), Minister XIE Zhenhua, the Vice Chairman, National Development & Reform Commission (China), Minister of Environment and Forests (India), Jairam Ramesh and the Executive Secretary of the Environment Ministry (Brazil), Francisco Gaetani.
A press briefing will be convened on the completion of the BASIC meeting on Sunday, 29 May 2011.
For accreditation purposes identity documents/passports and press cards are compulsory. Members of the media who wish to attend must submit their identity document numbers by Friday, 27 May.
Press conference details:
Date: Sunday, 29 May 2011
Time: 14h30
Venue: Zimbali Lodge & Country Club, Zimbali Estate, (on the M4, 1 km from Ballito), Durban.
For media RSVP’s contact:
Lucky Sindane
Cell: 072 188 9216
E-mail: LSindane@environment.gov.za
Ernest Mulibana
Tel: 012 310 3990
E-mail: EMulibana@environment.gov.za
Enquiries:
Albi Modise
Cell: 083 490 2871
Roopa Singh
Cell: 082 225 3076
South Africa to host basic ministerial climate change meeting on 28 and 29 may 2011 in Durban
