Statement
Delivered by Xavier Matsutaro
Chairs, Thank you, distinguished Chairs of the SBI and SBSTA for convening this joint opening plenary.
Palau has the honour to make this statement on behalf of the 39 members of the Alliance of Small Island States.
At the outset, allow me to align our statement with the statement delivered by Uruguay on behalf of G77 and China.
Chairs, We do not underestimate the geopolitical challenges we face as we convene here in Bonn. The global environment is becoming increasingly complex, with competing crises and shifting priorities placing growing pressure on multilateral cooperation. Over the past several days, AOSIS members have worked intensively to assess these evolving realities and identify the priorities that require our collective attention during this session.
Yet despite these challenges, our purpose remains clear. For AOSIS, the 1.5 degree temperature limit remains our north star. It is not simply an aspirational target; it is a threshold that defines the future, security, and sustainable development of our countries.
Every item on our agenda, every negotiation stream, and every decision taken under this process must ultimately contribute to keeping 1.5 degrees within reach.
Chairs,
Our collective efforts must move in the same direction and at a pace that reflects the urgency of the science. Climate impacts are accelerating faster than many anticipated.
Across our islands, we are witnessing increasingly severe storms, coastal erosion, sea- level rise, biodiversity loss, and extreme heat. The gap between what science demands and what the world is delivering continues to widen. Bonn must therefore be a moment where we refocus our efforts on implementation, ambition, and meaningful progress.
Chairs, On science, it continues to be AOSIS' priority that all of our negotiation streams are based on the latest and best available science. We welcome that the COP30 Global Mutirao reaffirmed the role of the IPCC as the provider of the best available science. We look forward to this year's Research Dialogue and to substantive discussions with scientific experts, to inform substantive outcomes on Research and Systematic Observations (RSO). We are concerned as to some attempts at backsliding on matters of irrefutable scientific evidence, the 1.5°C limit, and the IPCC as the provider of the best available science, that we witnessed at past sessions. We expect that this sessions' RSO conclusions adequately reflect on the latest scientific evidence that can speak to the urgency of action aligned with 1.5°C.
Chairs, For AOSIS, the GST remains a central tool for implementation and for keeping 1.5°C within reach. In this context, we see the UAE Dialogue as a crucial space to support the implementation of the outcomes of GST1 and to assess progress achieved so far, while also identifying challenges that Parties are facing in translating the first GST outcomes into concrete action. On the Annual GST Dialogue, we value and underscore the importance of this space and would have preferred to see the continuation of this critical Dialogue, particularly given its role in maintaining focus on GST follow-up and implementation through the NDCs. For both dialogues, AOSIS would like to see substantive and meaningful reports that capture and synthesise the discussions in a way that can serve as useful inputs to the next GST. Finally, as we have stated many times, science remains fundamental to the credibility and integrity of the GST. The IPCC AR7 reports must therefore be incorporated into the next GST cycle. We remain concerned that failure to do so could undermine the integrity of the process.
Chairs, The 1.5°C limit remains the legal, political and moral anchor for us, as reaffirmed by the ICJ Advisory Opinion. Yet ambition and implementation continue to fall short of what is needed to keep us on a 1.5°C pathway. As a result, the risk of overshoot is increasing.
We therefore continue to call for urgent and deep emissions reductions in this critical decade, including through a just, orderly and equitable transition away from fossil fuels.
We already have agreed actions that can significantly change our trajectory. Full implementation of the outcomes of the first Global Stocktake, including tripling renewable energy capacity, doubling energy efficiency improvements and reducing methane emissions, could reduce warming by up to 0.9°C. The question before us is not what to do; it is whether we will do it.
The emissions gap to 1.5°C remains wide and this decade will determine whether it can be closed. Outstanding NDCs must be submitted without delay. Developed countries and major emitters must lead with ambition and credibility by putting forward 1.5°C-aligned commitments for 2030 and 2035 that implement the GST outcomes. Where commitments fall short, they must be strengthened. Where commitments exist, they must be delivered in full. As we consider the future of the Mitigation Work Programme, AOSIS is clear: it cannot be business as usual. The MWP must address both the ambition and implementation gaps and move beyond dialogue towards action-oriented approaches that catalyse implementation and deliver tangible outcomes, particularly for SIDS, which continue to bear the brunt of climate impacts despite contributing the least to this crisis.
Chairs, For AOSIS the central task of this session on adaptation is to place the operationalization of the Global Goal on Adaptation on a firm footing. Coming out of Belém, we look to the Belém-Addis Vision on Adaptation to carry this work toward CMA.9, grounded throughout in the safeguards agreed in Belém.
The most consequential outcome we can deliver here in Bonn is the designation of the technical taskforce, and AOSIS calls for its composition, mandate and working methods to be settled at this session. We want a facilitative, Party-driven body, built through Party, constituted-body and experts nomination, with the Adaptation Committee, the LEG and other bodies contributing their expertise, with guaranteed SIDS representation.
On a related note, we look to the first phase of the Baku Adaptation Road Map to open strongly, centred on the implementation of real adaptation on the ground and on securing access to the means of implementation for those who need it most. An architecture serves its purpose through the implementation and the support it enables, and AOSIS would like the BAR to begin as it means to continue, firmly anchored in implementation and in means of implementation.
Chairs,
While loss and damage is not on the agenda at this session, the bodies tasked with implementing mandates for addressing loss and damage have been working hard this year to fulfill the outcomes of the WIM review in Belem, including the preparation of ToRs for a regular report on loss and damage and the preparation of voluntary guidelines for including loss and damage in BTRs. The launch of calls for application to the Fund for responding to Loss and Damage in Belem has been taken up by Parties and we expect initial approval of funding requests under the Barbados Implementation Modalities to take place next month. In Antalya, we look forward to the opportunity to review the work of the ExCom, the Santiago Network and the FRLD, including an assessment of the complementarity and coherence across the spectrum of loss and damage under the UNFCCC and the Paris Agreement.
Chairs, We are beginning these Subsidiary Body discussions on the margins of profound global uncertainty that spans climate finance, along with global ambition and the total abdication of moral responsibility. Climate finance commitments are now at a greater risk of systemic collapse than at any point since the adoption of the Paris Agreement. The geopolitical retreat we are witnessing by our partners is an unlawful default on binding historical and legal obligations under Article 9 of the Paris Agreement, the UN Framework Convention and general obligations under international law.
The compounding impacts of this legal breach are actively dismantling the ability of SIDS to implement our NDCs, NAPs and climate priorities, creating an unprecedented crisis of state compliance. The numbers paint an undeniable picture of systemic betrayal: the GEF-9 replenishment is currently starved by a 27% funding deficit, the Adaptation Fund was forced to operate on a mere one-third of its required resource mobilisation target in 2025, and the GCF is being driven into its third replenishment cycle under a cloud of engineered volatility, crippled by the unilateral slashing of its previously pledged contributions. Simultaneously, Multilateral Development Banks are being politically coerced to freeze and halt funding for core climate targets, compromising the independence of these institutions. This coordinated erosion of the international financial architecture completely shatters our confidence, leaving a dark shadow over the implementation of the NCQG and rendering its implementation dead on arrival if these flagrant breaches of legal duty are not immediately reversed.
Faced with these realities, the provision of climate finance to SIDS and the enhancement in access to climate finance for SIDS become clear priorities for AOSIS. First, under the Climate Finance Work Programme, AOSIS requires immediate operational clarity on the specific provisions of climate finance and the legal obligation of developed countries to
provide climate finance. Second, we must finally resolve the outstanding Adaptation Fund matters that have languished on our agendas for too long. The Adaptation Fund continues to be a key piece of the UNFCCC’s financial architecture and a critical fund that supports adaptation action in SIDS. We call on our partners allow procedural matters of the Adaptation Fund to progress Chairs, On Article 6, AOSIS looks forward to the Article 6.2 Ambition Dialogue and to the in- session workshop on Article 6.8. These events provide important opportunities for Parties to share experiences and learn from each other.
Chairs, For AOSIS, transparency is not merely a reporting exercise, it is fundamental to ensuring that emissions reductions, adaptation efforts, and support needed are accurately captured and equitably assessed. Robust reporting under the ETF strengthens confidence that all Parties are contributing their fair share, while also highlighting the gaps that must urgently be addressed.
At the same time, we stress that the successful implementation of the ETF must not come at the expense of already stretched national capacities. Small Island Developing States (SIDS) continue to face systemic challenges, including limited human and institutional resources. Without predictable, adequate, and sustained financial, technical, and capacity-building support, the promise of an inclusive transparency framework risks falling short.
As we move forward, it is essential that support mechanisms are responsive, accessible, and aligned with national circumstances and priorities. We call for continued strengthening of reporting systems in a manner that is country-driven and capable of evolving over time.
This meeting presents an important opportunity to reinforce that transparency is a shared responsibility, one that requires both robust reporting from all Parties and the consistent provision of support to those who need it most.
Chairs, Co-chairs, 2026 is quite a significant year for Just Transition. Not only do we need to review the Just Transition Work Program (JTWP) but we also need to progress operationalization of the Just Transition Mechanism which was agreed at COP30. This is
a milestone outcome and we need to deliver on the promise made to our people and communities. The Just Transition Mechanism must truly work for the most vulnerable, address the energy transition, and be grounded in the best available science. Ultimately, we must implement just transition pathways that are aligned to the 1.5 degree temperature goal and responsive to SIDS needs and priorities.
To that end, the review of the JTWP and the development of the JTM should both ensure that international frameworks deliver real benefits to SIDS on the ground, through stronger institutions, skills development, and sustained support aligned with national priorities. We look forward to the three aspects of work for SB64 and stand ready to work diligently with all Parties over the next two weeks.
Chairs, On matters related to Capacity-building, we remain fully engaged in the negotiations with a particular focus on finalizing the 5th Comprehensive Review of the Capacity-Building Framework for developing countries under the Convention. This review should go beyond a procedural stocktake and help identify persistent and structural capacity gaps, particularly those faced by SIDS, while reinforcing the importance of long-term, country- driven and needs-based support.
AOSIS will continue to advocate for scaled-up, predictable and accessible support for capacity-building, institutional strengthening and capacity retention, recognizing the challenges many SIDS face in relation to limited human resources, institutional capacity, data systems and access to finance. Throughout SB64, we will highlight the importance of strengthening SIDS participation in capacity-building b, while promoting closer linkages between capacity-building, finance, technology transfer, transparency and implementation support.
Chairs, This Subsidiary Body session features one of the most extensive technology agendas in recent years, reflecting the growing recognition of the critical role that technology plays in addressing climate change. AOSIS considers each agenda item to be of equal importance and remains ready to engage constructively with all Parties to advance meaningful outcomes across the entire technology agenda.
At COP31, Parties agreed to update the functions of the Climate Technology Centre (CTC). As the implementing arm of the Technology Mechanism, the CTC plays a vital role in ensuring that climate technologies are deployed where they are most needed. It is
therefore of utmost importance that this session delivers substantial progress on the hosting arrangements for the CTC. Progress on this matter is essential to ensure the continued delivery of technology support on the ground, particularly in Small Island Developing States where access to appropriate technologies remains critical for both mitigation and adaptation efforts. We therefore stress the need for sufficient time to be allocated to this agenda item to enable Parties to make meaningful progress.
AOSIS also notes that updating functions alone will not be sufficient without the financial resources necessary to support implementation. In this regard, strengthening the linkages between the Technology Mechanism and the Financial Mechanism remains essential.
Technology development and transfer can only achieve their intended impact when supported by adequate, predictable, and accessible finance.
With respect to the Joint Annual Report of the Technology Executive Committee (TEC) and the Climate Technology Centre and Network (CTCN), Parties came close to reaching agreement at COP30. AOSIS hopes that we can swiftly finalize the draft decision during this session, allowing us to devote adequate attention to other time-sensitive agenda items.
Furthermore, AOSIS looks forward to initiating the second Periodic Assessment of the Technology Mechanism at this session. Commencing this work as early as possible will be important to ensure that its findings can effectively inform the second Global Stocktake.
Given the breadth and significance of the technology agenda before us, AOSIS calls on all Parties to work collaboratively and constructively to deliver meaningful outcomes across all agenda items during this session.
Chairs, AOSIS underscores the critical importance of advancing ocean action under the UNFCCC. As climate impacts intensify, our oceans continue to bear the burden of warming temperatures, sea level rise, acidification, and biodiversity loss, with profound consequences for Small Island Developing States. While we welcome the continued ocean dialogue as an important platform for exchange and learning, dialogue alone is not enough. The recommendations and outcomes emerging from these discussions must be reflected in COP decisions and translated into concrete actions and implementation support.
On Gender and Climate Change, AOSIS will promote an ambitious, practical and implementation-oriented approach to gender-responsive climate action, building on the
Belém Gender Action Plan 2026–2034. Our priority is to ensure that the new framework delivers tangible results for SIDS through adequate means of implementation, strengthened institutions, inclusive participation and support for national and local action.
Significant challenges remain in ensuring the effective participation of women, gender negotiators and National Gender and Climate Change Focal Points, and in translating global commitments into action on the ground. AOSIS looks to close these gaps collectively and will continue safeguarding progress on gender equality, women’s rights, human rights and meaningful participation, while engaging constructively on gender and age disaggregated data, climate finance and training for focal points to ensure real benefits for communities.
Chairs, As we look ahead to COP31 in Antalya, we are hopeful that it can mark a turning point in the implementation of the Paris Agreement.
Chairs, AOSIS remains fully committed to working to promote ambition, strengthen implementation, and uphold the multilateral process. We look forward to supporting the SB Chairs and to working with all Parties in a spirit of cooperation and shared purpose.
I thank you.
