COP /CMP 7: Organisational structure of the Conference

Dr S Mgquba

Structure of the presentation

• History• The UNFCCC• The KP• Convention Bodies• Principles of the Convention• Groupings of the Convention

History of the COPs• Rio 1992, WSSD 1: Three conventions are adopted• The CCD (Desertification)• The UNFCCC (Climate Change)• The CBD (Biological Diversity)

• Objective of the UNFCCC “stabilisation of greenhouse gas concentration in the atmosphere at a

level that would prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system. Such a level should be achieved within a time frame that allows ecosystems to adapt naturally to climate change, to ensure that food production is not threatened and to enable economic development to proceed in a sustainable manner”.

THE UNFCCCCOPS Where Major decisions

COP1, 1995 Berlin, Germany The Berlin Mandate COP2, 1996 Geneva, Switzerland The Geneva Ministerial

Declaration COP3, 1997 Kyoto, Japan The Kyoto Protocol COP4, 1998 Buenos Aires, Argentina The Buenos Aires Plan of Action COP5, 1999 Bonn, Germany The Bonn Agreements

(incomplete)COP6, 2000 The Hague, Netherlands The Bonn Agreements

(completed). COP7, 2001 Marrakesh, Morocco The Marrakesh Accords

(incomplete)COP8, 2002 New Delhi, India The Delhi Declaration (SD) COP9, 2003 Milan, Italy ???????????????????

COP10, 2004 Buenos Aires, Argentina Marrakesh Accords

UNFCCC........ contCOP WHERE Outcomes

CMP1, 2005 Montreal, Canada The MOP sits for the first time...CMP decisions

CMP2, 2006 Nairobi, Kenya Review of the Financial Mechanisms

CMP3, 2007 Bali, Indonesia Bali Road Map (AWG–LCA is mandated )

CMP4, 2008 Poznan, Poland Advancing the Bali Road Map

CMP5, 2009 Copenhagen, Denmark The Copenhagen Accord

CMP6, 2010 Cancun, Mexico The Cancun Agreements

CMP7, 2011 Durban, South Africa ???????????????????

The Kyoto Protocol• COP 1 decided that the commitments in terms of the

UNFCCC were inadequate and • Mandated the initiation of a process to negotiate a protocol

or other legal instrument containing commitments for Annex 1 countries

• This process culminated in the adoption of the Kyoto Protocol at COP 3 (1997) of the UNFCCC in Japan

• The Protocol is therefore primarily concerned with addressing the commitments of Annex 1 Parties,

• Through the imposition of targets and mechanisms and/ or obligations for achieving these targets (such as policies and measures and flexible mechanisms).

Bodies of the conv.• The Conference of the Parties (COP): the “supreme body” of the Convention, that

is, its highest decision-making authority.• The meeting of the Parties (CMP): the Conference of the Parties serves as the

meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol (CMP). The CMP meets during the same period as the COP.

• Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice (SBSTA) and the SBSTA’s task is to provide the COP with advice on scientific, technological and methodological matters.

• The Subsidiary Body for Implementation (SBI). These bodies give advice to the COP and each has a specific mandate. The SBI gives advice to the COP on all matters concerning the implementation of the Convention.

• Ad-hoc Working Group on further commitments for Annex I Parties under the Kyoto Protocol (AWG-KP): Parties to the Kyoto Protocol initiated a process to consider further commitments by Annex I Parties for the period beyond 2012.

• Ad-hoc Working Group on Long-term Cooperative Action under the Convention (AWG-LCA): Road Map which consists of a number of forward-looking decisions that represent the various tracks that are essential to strengthening international action on climate change.

Bodies of the conv. CMP 7

• COP 17• MOP 7• SBI 35• SBSTA 35• AWG-KP 16-4• AWG-LCA 14-4

Highest bodies, Once a year

Twice a year

4 times a year

How do these bodies function• Obligations of the Parties and Principles of the Convention• The primary means of addressing these principles is the division of countries into

two broad groups under the Kyoto Protocol:• those listed in Annex I (“Annex I Parties”) which are mainly developed countries

and major polluters and • those not listed in Annex I (referred to as “non-Annex I Parties”) which are

primarily developing countries.

• Article 4 of the Conv: contains the commitments which apply to all Parties. The list of commitments is qualified by the chapeau that states that Parties must take into account

• “their common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities and their specific national and regional developmental priorities, objectives and circumstances.”

• In terms of Article 4 all countries that have ratified the UNFCCC are required to:

• develop, update and publish national inventories of anthropogenic emissions by sources and removals by sinks of greenhouse gases (except those listed in the Montreal Protocol);

• formulate, implement and update national and regional programmes containing measures to mitigate climate change;

• promote and co-operate in the development and transfer of technology that controls, reduces or prevents anthropogenic emissions of greenhouse gases;

• promote sustainable management, conservation and enhancement of sinks and reservoirs of greenhouse gases;

• co-operate in preparing for the adaptation to the impacts of climate change;• take climate change considerations into account where feasible, in relevant social,

economic and environmental policies and actions with a view to minimizing adverse effects on the economy, public health and the quality of the environment;

• promote and co-operate in research;• promote and co-operate in the timeous and transparent exchange of information, including

scientific technological and socio economic and legal information;• promote and co-operate in education, training and public awareness and to• encourage the widest participation in this process; and• report to the Conference of the Parties (COP).

Country divisions• There are 198 countries under the Convention and 194 under the Protocol• These countries are further grouped into A1 and NA1, which are further grouped

into categories either by location, economic standing.• The biggest current issue that is a “bone of contention” in climate negotiations is

the “developing economies”

Annex 1 Countries Other Groupings that influence UNFCCC discussions

Non- Annex 1 (G77&China) currently 138 countries

Annex 2 AFRICA (Regional groups, e.g. SADC)

UMBRELLA G20 OPECG8 OECD LDCs (Asia, Afr, Latin America)

EU G8 + 5 SIDS / OASISJUSCANZ G4 (IBSA, BASIC, )

South Africa’s positioning with the climate multilateral regime

• Africa Group………might be some “tensions”, RSA not trusted .

• G4……….strong economy interests, specially the closing the gap with the Chinese

• LDC group……RSA not allowed • G8, EU, JUSCANZ – only bilateral cooperation.• OPEC……Not very good ‘friends’ especially Nigeria• OECD……… allowed at observer level.