Brussels, 14 November 201/ GCCA/ ACP: On 5 November 2013, the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) Group of states agreed on a common position paper (1) on the International Conference on Climate Change which is taking place in Warsaw, Poland (2), outlining proposals to address critical areas for the ACP countries.
Adaptation to climate change and mobilizing funding from a variety of sources are immediate and urgent priorities for ACP Member States that should be addressed in a comprehensive manner at the global level with the same level of priority as mitigation.
In the ACP position paper, the ACP Group of states reaffirmed that “climate change policies and actions protect the environment and the planet as a whole”, stressing that “climate change resilience contributes to the achievement of sustainable development which is the overarching goal of ACP countries”.
Among the main issues emphasized in the ACP position paper are:
• Parties to promptly ratify the Doha amendment to the Kyoto Protocol establishing the second commitment period;
• Outcomes of the process under the Ad-hoc Working Group on the Durban Platform for Enhanced Action should be a Protocol, another legal instrument or an agreed outcome with legal force under the Convention, applicable to all Parties ;
• The 2015 agreement should be effective, robust, informed by science; based on equity; taking into consideration national circumstances and development needs; enabling broad participation, with contributions from all parties in accordance with their common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities;
• Special support should be given to adaptation efforts of small-scale and medium-size farmers through climate-resilient crops, good practices and technology related to climate-smart agriculture;
• Taking measures to expedite work on strengthening international cooperation to understand, reduce and compensate loss and damage from the adverse effects of climate change;
• Support for REDD+ activities and encourage all Parties at COP 19 to agree on modalities for REDD+ results-based financing;
• Achieving a balance between mitigation and adaptation financing.
The ACP Group expects that the conference “will contribute to the ultimate objective of the Convention and will be a step towards a comprehensive and balanced 2015 agreement”, as several ACP countries are experiencing the critical adverse effects of climate change. Immediate action is therefore required for their survival.
Notes
(1) The UNFCCC Warsaw Conference on Climate Change (COP19) will be held on November 11th to 22nd, 2013.
(2) The ACP position paper on the Warsaw Conference on Climate Change approved by the ACP Committee of Ambassadors on 5 November 2013 is available on the following websites: www.acp.int and www.gcca.eu/intra-acp .
(3) On Friday 25 October 2013, the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) Group of states held their preparatory meeting for COP19 in Brussels at the ACP House. The meeting was chaired by the Ambassador of Liberia, H.E. Mr. Francis TUAN KARPEH and the Ambassador of Guyana, H.E. Mr. Patrick I. GOMES. The meeting was attended by representatives of ACP missions and embassies based in Brussels, international experts and high profile regional climate change negotiators from the respective ACP regions and partners, including African Union Commission (AUC), Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre (CCCCC), South Centre and European Commission Directorate General for Climate Action (DG CLIMA).
(4) The GCCA Intra-ACP Programme is a component of the Global Climate Change Alliance (GCCA) which specifically targets the ACP group of States and offers technical assistance to support countries to fight against climate change.
This support is open to organisations in ACP countries including public and private sector organisations, NGOs, CSOs, and universities. It is an initiative of the ACP group of states funded by the European Commission and implemented by the ACP Secretariat in Brussels, Belgium.
Contact:
• Dr. Pendo MARO, Technical Assistant to the ACP Secretariat
pendomaro@acp.int or +32 495 281 494
• Ms Mariata NDIAYE SY, Communication Officer
mariata@acp.int or +32 470 80 91 38
• Please visit our website: www.gcca.eu/intra-acp