South Africa is impressed with progress being made at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Bonn, Germany that is aimed at preparing work for the 17th Conference of the Parties (COP 17) to be held in Durban from 28 November to 9 December 2011.
The Bonn talks are centred on how best to build on the progress made thus far as well as on pending issues that have not yet been agreed. In this respect, the Subsidiary Body for Implementation (SBI) and Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice (SBSTA) have commenced with work on more mature aspects of the future climate change regime that have been referred to them.
At the same time the Ad hoc Working Groups under the Convention and its’ Kyoto Protocol continue with the further elaboration of the architecture of the post 2012 international climate change regime.
In the lead-up to the Durban climate change conferences in December this year, South Africa welcomes the progress being made here in Bonn and encourages the international community to further intensify efforts to finalise decisions on the large number of elements that will make up a comprehensive and balanced post 2012 international climate change regime.
South Africa’s participation is guided by our desire to reach an ambitious and comprehensive outcome of the Durban negotiations. The success of Durban talks will require that a balance be struck along three areas of work in the negotiation:
- A balance between operationalising decisions made thus far in the negotiation and pending issues.
- A balance between the outcomes under both the Convention and the Kyoto Protocol.
- A comprehensive and balanced advancement of all elements that will make up the future climate change regime.
In Bonn, as we are progressing on the various elements, many countries have noted the need for additional negotiating time to fully develop ambitious recommendations for consideration in Durban and have therefore called for a further negotiation session in September/October.
The Bonn meeting has attracted more than 3 000 participants from 183 countries, including government delegates, representatives from Business and industry, environmental organisations and research institutions.
Notes: About the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)
With 195 Parties, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) has near universal membership and is the parent treaty of the 1997 Kyoto Protocol. The Kyoto Protocol has been ratified by 192 of the UNFCCC Parties. Under the Protocol, 37 States, consisting of highly industrialised countries and countries undergoing the process of transition to a market economy, have legally binding emission limitation and reduction commitments. The ultimate objective of both treaties is to stabilise greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that will prevent dangerous human interference with the climate system.
About the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice (SBSTA)
The SBSTA provides advice to the COP on scientific, technological and methodological matters. It serves as a link between expert sources (such as the IPCC), other relevant international organisations and the COP, which focuses on setting policy.
About Subsidiary Body for Implementation (SBI)
The SBI makes recommendations on policy and implementation issues to the Conference of the Parties (COP), supreme body of the Convention that currently meets once a year to review the Convention's progress. If requested, the SBI also makes recommendations to other bodies.
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