Durban Diaries 1

Filed From Durban By
Mr. Charles Agboklu
Coordinator
Religious Bodies Network On Climate Change. [RELBONET]
Ghana.


29TH NOV. 2011


COP 17 - DURBAN SNAPSHOTS
COP 17 kicked off in grand style on Monday, the 28th November, in Durban. The first day was used to sort out agendas and procedural matters for the start of real business among the Parties. Civil Society Action was also fully on display, calling attention of delegates and negotiators to the crucial issues that they need to pay attention to for the achievement of positive outcomes.
All the UNFCCC BODIES that are charged with the responsibilities to negotiate and deliver a fair, ambitious and equitable outcome in Durban were subsequently cranked into action.
The Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice [SBSTA] that is responsible for the Science of Climate Change and the Subsidiary Body for Implementation [SBI] responsible for the implementation of COP decisions went into session immediately.

SBI PLENARY
The Plenary Session of the SBI was chaired by her Excellency, Nkoana- Mashabane of South Africa who is the President of COP 17. The Plenary session was mainly devoted to seeking the opinion of the various political blocks represented in the SBI on the core issues of climate change that relates to them for consideration.
The President called out the PARTIES in turns to make very brief comments and submissions from their various countries and blocks on the issues.

• ARGENTINA representing the Group of 77 + China expressed concern about the increase in GHG [Green House Gases] by the industrialized countries [Annex 1] even as the debate on Climate Change rages on. She indicated that the shifting of goalposts by Annex 1 countries on to developing nations on mitigation actions and reduction of emissions is unacceptable.
• Argentina supports the maintenance of reports on technical reviews on the emission targets and also called on the Annex 1 countries to provide the necessary financial resources needed by developing countries to tackle their problems and also prepare their National Communications as demanded of them.
• THE GAMBIA representing the Least Developed Countries [LDC] supports the early completion of National Adaptation Plans and called on the Global Environment Fund [GEF] to expedite action on the funding of the plans, devoid of any discrimination.
• GRENADA speaking for the Alliance of Small Island States [AOSIS] supported the statements from Argentina and the Gambia and said time was running out for the AOSIS since they were already experiencing very extreme weather effects that needed immediate action.

PRESS BRIEFING BY THE CLIMATE ACTION NETWORK [C.A.N.]
C.A.N. organized a press briefing to highlight concerns about the delay in signing up to the 2nd commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol [KP]. The panel was made up of members representing the Green Peace, Oxfam, Christian Aid and C.A.N.

• The Representative from Green Peace said that the African soil should not become the graveyard for the Kyoto Protocol. He emphasized that the KP remains the only global model and roadmap which should be followed to its logical conclusion. The panel further called on the EU to show commitment and defend the KP, listen to the AOSIS states and re-launch onto the KP talks.
• Oxfam opined that it was crucial for COP 17 to see finality to the establishment of the Green Climate Fund as demanded by the Cancun Agreement.
• Christian Aid indicated that DURBAN should be the birthplace of a second commitment period of the KP

30TH NOV 2011
SIDE EVENT – GENDER AND REDD+ ROADMAPS
The International Union for Conservation of Nature [I.U.C.N.] and the Women’s Environment & Development Organization [WEDO] organized a side event to share the results of a study on Gender and REDD+ conducted in Ghana, Uganda and Cameroon.
The study indicated that Gender considerations are essential to the successful outcome of any REDD+ Initiatives. They indicated that as all countries move towards a Green Economy, it was crucial for all to move away from the previous attitudes of non-inclusiveness of women in decision making processes and create space for Gender Equality in programming and also balance the equation between men and women.

• There was the need to scale up women business enterprises from the micro to the macro level since studies reveal that when women create businesses and lead them they result into greater productivity.
• The study emphasized the need to engage women in the REDD+ preparedness initiatives from the very beginning and not later.
• The study recommended the involvement of women in policy issues from the local, national to international levels, build their capacity to become competitive, have access to finance, work together to achieve bottom – up approaches, participate in project design and implementation.

The study concluded that Gender Equality and Empowerment is critical to sustainable and economic development; therefore involving women in REDD+ Initiatives will increase productivity and close the Gender Gap.

AD - HOC WORKING GROUP ON LONG-TERM COOPERATIVE ACTION [AWG-LCA] ON ENHANCED ACTION ON ADAPTATION
The AWG – LCA which is one of the negotiation tracks according to the Bali Plan of Action held a meeting of the parties and observers.
The purpose of the meeting was to move the process for an Enhanced Action on Adaptation forward since their last consultations in Panama.
The facilitator opened the meeting by recalling the process they adopted in Panama  and recommended that if all parties agree, they could then adopt that methodology.
He called on the negotiators to consider harmonizing compatible texts in order to reduce the volume of texts without losing their original meanings.
Countries were then called one after the other for their comments on the way forward that would enable the committee come up with a draft text for the consideration of the PARTIES IN COP 17.
Mexico and Ghana, on behalf of the Group of 77 + China indicated that they were interested in moving the process forward, while negotiators should maintain an open mind to be able to recognize any new issues that might likely arise between Panama and Durban.
The negotiator from Georgia, reminded the Chairman about a previous submission that  there were some Nine ( 9) states in Eastern Europe that neither belong to the Group of 77 + China nor the [LDC’S] and that due recognition be taken of this fact that should not be forgotten during the consideration and consolidation of the text stages.
The representative from the Philippines advised that all the consultations should continue in the spirit they all exhibited in Panama to allow for an early accomplishment of their assignment.
The Parties are to meet again on Saturday to move the negotiations forward.