At the briefing organised for the AOSIS delegations held lunchtime on Wednesday 20th
October 2004, Ms Joke Waller-Hunter, Executive Secretary of the UNFCCC updated the
AOSIS delegations on:
• the progress of work in the Climate Change process;
• UNFCCC Secretariat’s preparations for the upcoming Tenth Session of the
Conference of the Parties (COP10: 6th – 17th December 2004); and
• the Mauritius International Meeting on the BPOA+10 (10 – 14 January 2005).
Progress of Work under Climate Change
• Ms Waller-Hunter expressed strong hope that the Russian Duma would approve
the proposal by Prdsident Putin’s Government for Russia to ratify the Kyoto
Protocol, and that Russia’s ratification and the entry into force of the Protocol
would certainly re-energize the focus on the issue of Climate Change1;
• Given the necessary paper work, however, it was unlikely the Protocol will enter
into force by the COP10 in December;
• A significant issue for AOSIS/SIDS with an enforced Protocol was the possibility
to operate the Adaptation Fund under the protocol for adaptation projects, which
was in addition to the Special Climate Change Fund (operational in June 2005)
and the LDC Fund (already operational);
• A special pledging conference for all donors was being organized in November to
fund raise for the different funds established so far under climate change.
COP10 Preparations
• COP10, which will be held in Buenos Aires, Argentina, from 6th to 17th
December, would also mark the tenth anniversary of the UNFCCC;
• In view of the anniversary, the main focus of the Conference would be to stocktake the work over the past ten years and to assess directions for future actions
against climate change, including the entry into force of the Protocol, and next
(second) commitment period after the first commitment period (2008-20012);
• Four ministerial High Level panel discussions will be organized:
i. Tenth Anniversary of the Convention on Climate Change;
ii. Adaptation to the Adverse Effects of Climate Change;
iii. Mitigation;
iv. Technology Transfer
• Given our close interests in adaptation, AOSIS have been invited to nominate a
Minister from AOSIS delegations to chair and moderate the panel discussion on
Adaptation at COP102
– it would be most appreciated if delegations could
indicate to the office of the AOSIS Chairman (Mauritius) the possibility of their
Minister chairing this High Level panel discussion;
• COP10 will also focus on the unresolved issue of Adaptation particularly actions
under the proposed 5.CP/7;
• An item on the COP10 agenda is on the Mauritius International Meeting on the
tenth year review of the implementation of the Programme of Action for the
Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States – for this item
AOSIS experts have been requested to prepare a working paper for COP10;
• UNFCCC Secretariat would be in a position to provide funding assistance to one
delegate from each of the AOSIS delegations to COP10, nomination of which
would need to be received by the Secretariat as early as possible.
Mauritius International Meeting on the BPOA
• The UNFCCC Executive Secretary confirmed her own attendance in the
Mauritius IM, and that the UNFCCC had sought for the holding of a side event on
climate change at the Meeting;
• She also informed the AOSIS that the WMO and GEF were also arranging side
events on climate change at the IM, and suggested UNFCCC might seek joint side
event with these bodies;
Other Matters – AOSIS Vice-President to the Bureau of COP10
Following the briefing with the UNFCCC Executive Secretary, the Pacific AOSIS
delegations remained and discussed the question of nomination for the AOSIS VicePresident to the COP10 Bureau.
Tuvalu, the current AOSIS Vice-President to the UNFCCC/COP Bureau, informed the meeting that as Tuvalu had served in the Bureau for two terms and based on AOSIS traditions the Pacific AOSIS were required to make a
fresh nomination to AOSIS on the next Vice-President to the Bureau. This nomination
should be submitted to AOSIS for consideration before submission to the UNFCCC
Bureau for formal appointment at COP10 in Argentina.
• In discussions these points were stressed:
– for effective AOSIS coordination it would be preferable that the AOSIS VicePresident to the Bureau of the UNFCCC was nominated from amongst the New York based Ambassadors to the UN;
– the effective representation of AOSIS in the Bureau should be the guiding criteria
for the nomination and selection of the AOSIS Vice-President;
– the idea of rotating the vice-presidency should not take precedence over the
effective representation of AOSIS in the Bureau
• After discussions it was agreed that a circular letter should be issued to Pacific
AOSIS delegations in New York and also to focal points of contact on climate
change in the Pacific to seek nominations to the seat;
• The nomination would then be submitted to AOSIS at COP10 for considerations
before submitting to the Bureau.