Climate Change Resilience
The key issues Pacific Islands are preparing for this year's Conference of Parties are the Second Commitment Period of the Kyoto Protocol and raising the current levels of ambition in reduction of green house gas emission.
The United Nations Climate Change Negotiations held in mid May in Bonn, Germany, provided the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS) an opportunity for a three day workshop to prepare policy positions ahead of the meeting, exchanging views and information.
Pictured: Cook Islands delegates at the Conference of Parties
This was the first formal session since the Durban 17th Conference of Parties (COP 17) held in December last year.
AOSIS is a group of 45 low lying and island member states organized primarily through the Permanent Mission of Nauru to the United Nations; Nauru who is currently the chair has put together a team of professionals including staff from other Pacific Island Countries and Territories.
Among the discussions were the review of the operations and functioning of the Adaptation Fund, the establishment of an international mechanism to address loss and damage to the adverse impacts of climate change, and the National Adaptation Plans for developing countries.
AOSIS priorities in this regard were (1) an immediate start on work under the new work plan to Enhance Mitigation Ambition in the pre-2020 context; and (2) the organization of other work under the ADP, including setting milestones and deadlines that ensure smooth and steady progress towards the adoption of a new protocol, applicable to all, by no later than 2015.
The Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme was present to provide technical and policy support to Pacific Island delegates.
For more information contact Mr Espen Ronneberg at [email protected]