Paris, 8 December 2015/ ACP: The Secretary General of the ACP Group of States H.E Dr Patrick Gomes called for an international agreement on climate change that is ambitious, legally-binding and inclusive, while highlighting the strategy signed recently between the ACP and the European Union for €475 million to be dedicated to climate change, resilience building and the environment under the Intra-ACP envelope of the 11th European Development Fund up to 2020.

On behalf of the 79 Member States of the Group, including 48 developing countries in Africa, 16 in the Caribbean and 15 in the Pacific region (the ACP countries), Dr. Gomes told a joint high-level segment of the Paris Climate Change Conference (COP21) that the adverse impacts of climate change “poses immediate and long term significant risks, to not only poverty and sustainable development, but to the very survival of ACP countries.”

He urged the conference to agree on reducing greenhouse gas emissions to ensure a global temperature of 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, while underlining the need for a review every five years of the implementation of the Paris Agreement, once finalised. He further stressed that a robust transparency and accountability system, in addition to adequate, predictable, and sustainable climate financing, is also essential for ACP countries.

The Secretary General is heading a delegation of experts at the COP21 conference, accompanied by the Chair of the ACP Subcommittee on Sustainable Development, the Ambassador of Gabon to the EU, H.E. Félicité Ongouori-Ngoubili. The ACP Secretariat will host a side event on the 9th December at 10h00 in the African Pavilion, on the topic: Responding to climate change in Small Islands and Coastal States in Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific.

(Photo above: Members of the ACP delegation to COP21 led by the Secretary General Dr. Patrick Gomes (front, left) and AmbassadorFélicité Ongouori Ngoubiliof Gabon (right))

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Read the full text of the Secretary General Dr. Patrick Gomes’ statement below:

(Watch the video)

Mr President, Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,

I address you on behalf of the 79 Member States of the ACP Group, consisting of 48 developing countries in Africa, 16 in the Caribbean and 15 in the Pacific region. The ACP Group addresses poverty eradication, the promotion of sustainable development, and the equitable integration into the global economy for all our peoples.

ACP countries are particularly vulnerable to the devastating and dislocating consequences of climate change. The adverse impacts of climate change poses immediate and long term significant risks, to not only poverty and sustainable development, but to the very survival of ACP countries.

For the ACP Group, the Paris Agreement must be legally binding, inclusive, fair, ambitious, durable and dynamic. It must establish a mechanism for a periodical review every five years, a robust transparency and accountability system, and deliver strong commitments by all countries to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions to ensure a global temperature stay well below 1.5 degrees Celsius at pre-industrial levels.

Adequate, predictable, and sustainable climate financing is particularly important for the ACP Group, and indeed for a successful outcome of Paris. The ACP Group looks forward to collaborating with partners in supporting the implementation of the Paris outcomes. In this regard, the Intra-ACP strategy for the 11th European development Fund between the European Commission and the ACP Secretariat will dedicate €475 million to support climate change, resilience building, and the environment up to 2020.

I thank you very much.

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For more information please contact:

Ms. Josephine Latu-Sanft, ACP Press Officer
+32 2 743 0617 or latu@acp.int