The United Nations Climate Change Conference (UNFCCC), which kicked off in
Bali yesterday, 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.
