The United Nations Climate Change Conference (UNFCCC), which
kicked off in Bali on Monday, is poised for a breakthrough in
international climate change negotiations, said a press release of
the UNFCCC.
The two-week conference from Dec. 3 to 14, the 13th Conference
of the 192 Parties to the UNFCCC and the third meeting of the 176
Parties to the Kyoto Protocol, is expected the result in
negotiations on a climate change deal for the period post-2012, the
year the first phase of the Kyoto Protocol expires.
"Countries now have to agree on the agenda for the negotiations.
This will cover the key areas for the new climate change deal and
what the organizational and procedural arrangements are to get to
this result," said Indonesian Environment Minister and President of
the conference, Rachmat Witoelar.
Witoelar pointed out that the Bali conference will not deliver a
fully negotiated climate change deal.
"However, whilst the launch of negotiations and a clear deadline
of 2009 to end the negotiations would constitute a breakthrough,
anything short of that would constitute a failure," he said.
In addition to the future climate change process, other
important ongoing issues will be under negotiation at Bali. These
include adaptation to climate change, the management and operation
of a fund for adaptation, technology transfer, reducing emissions
from deforestation and issues relating to the international carbon
market spawned by the Kyoto Protocol.
"It is essential that vulnerable developing countries are in a
position to draw up plans to prepare for climate change impacts,"
said UNFCCC Executive Secretary Yvo de Boer, adding "it is also
essential that agreement is reached on how the Kyoto Protocol's
Adaptation Fund is managed so that the Fund can begin financing
real adaptation projects."
A decision to reduce emissions from deforestation in developing
countries is anticipated to include an agreement on methodological
work on measuring avoided emissions, pilot projects in developing
countries and resources for developing countries to do this.
According to Yvo de Boer, items relating to the ongoing work
under the Convention and Protocol need to be speedily concluded at
Bali in order to free up the negotiation capacity needed for the
post-2012 process.
More than 10,000 delegates from over 180 countries attended the
meeting.
(Xinhua News Agency December 4, 2007)
