President Zuma today, 17 November, participated in a video-conference on the Copenhagen climate change talks, convened by the Prime Minister of Denmark, Mr Lars Lokke Rasmussen together with the United Nations Secretary General Mr Ban Ki Moon and other leaders, including Prime Minister Meles Zenawi of Ethiopia.
The discussions sought the views of the leaders regarding the achievement of a strong outcome to the talks. President Zuma expressed his view that a strong financing package for both mitigation and adaptation, which is primarily based on public sector contributions, is a key element that is necessary for a strong outcome.
He also expressed South Africa's view that the negotiations on the Kyoto Protocol should continue and should be an integral element of the Copenhagen outcome. Finally, the President stressed the need for an outcome in which developed countries take on deep emission reductions in line with what is required by science.
In stating his views, the President supports the essential elements of the African position in the negotiations, namely the centrality of deep emission cuts by developed countries, the need for adaptation to have the same priority as mitigation and the need for a substantial financing package to support developing country mitigation and adaptation action. In this, the need for developing countries to both address climate change and address their challenges of poverty eradication needs for economic development is key.
President Zuma welcomed, the opportunity for engagements such as these that can assist in building a common understanding and that will thus assist in ensuring an outcome in Copenhagen that will be able to meaningfully address the challenges posed by climate change.
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Mr Vincent Magwenya
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Issued by: The Presidency
17 November 2009
