MEDIA ADVISORY

Africa @ COP19/CMP9:
INVITATION TO REPRESENTATIVES OF THE MEDIA

WHAT: The 19th Conference of the Parties (COP19) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the 9th Session of the Conference of Parties serving as the Meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol (KP), COP19/CMP9.
WHEN: 11-22 November 2013
WHERE: National Stadium, Warsaw, Poland

WHO: African Union Commission (AUC); United Nations Economic Commission
for Africa (UNECA); and African Development Bank (AfDB); in collaboration
with UNFCCC and the Government of Poland.

Objective: The main objective is to support the African preparatory process towards COP19/CMP9 global negotiations to enhance Africa to speak with a strong voice on the African Common position on climate change.

Expected Outcomes of COP19/CMP9

The following outcomes are expected during the negotiation at COP19/CMP9 among others;

• To expedite action for the ratification of the Doha amendments to the Kyoto Protocol;
• Operationalization of the Green Climate Fund (GCF) to benefit developing countries, especially Africa on adaptation and mitigation of the impacts of climate change;
• Delivery of sound decisions that would put the 20th session of the COP (COP 20) in Lima, Peru, on a solid foundation for the global negotiations towards the 2015 agreement expected at COP21 in Paris, France.

Africa side events at COP19/CMP9
- Africa Day on 19 November 2013, at the UNFCC side events Meeting room, @11:30 -13:00;
- Contribution of African meteorological institutions to climate-related risk reduction: Meteorology and use of Earth Observation (EO)- 13 Nov 2013,
- Great Green Wall for Sahara and Sahel Initiative (GGWSSI) – 20 Nov 2013 @ EU Pavilion, 13:00 – 14:30.

- The African Ministerial Conference on Environment (AMCEN) and Committee of African Heads of State and Government on Climate Change (CAHOSCC), would also be meeting to enhance Africas perspective in the global negotiations.

Participants:

• Heads of State and Government
• High level personalities - Ministers
• Regional Economic Communities (RECs);
• Development Partners;
• Academia and Researches;
• Diplomatic Corps;
• International Government Organizations;
• Climate Change Experts;
• Non - Governmental Organizations (NGOs);
• Parliamentarians;
• Media institutions;
• Civil Society Organizations (CSO);

Background:

In 1992 the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) set an overall framework for intergovernmental efforts to address the issue of climate change. It was called a framework convention because it was seen as a starting point of addressing the problem of climate change. The convention entered in to force on March 21, 1994.

The ultimate objective of the convention is to stabilise greenhouse gas concentrations at a level that will prevent dangerous human interference with the climate system.

By 1995, countries realized that emission reductions provisions in the Convention were inadequate. They launched negotiations to strengthen the global response to climate change, and, two years later, adopted the Kyoto Protocol. The Kyoto Protocol legally binds developed countries to emission reduction targets. The Protocol’s first commitment period started in 2008 and ended in 2012. The second commitment period began on 1 January 2013 and will end in 2020.

There are now 195 Parties to the Convention and 192 Parties to the Kyoto Protocol. The UNFCCC secretariat supports all institutions involved in the international climate change negotiations, particularly the Conference of the Parties (COP), the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties (CMP), the Subsidiary Bodies (which advise the COP/CMP), and the COP/CMP Bureau (which deals mainly with procedural and organizational issues arising from the COP/CMP and also has technical functions).

In Durban, South Africa, at COP 17, Parties launched a new platform of negotiations under the Convention called the Durban Platform to deliver a new and universal greenhouse gas reduction protocol, legal instrument or other outcome with legal force by 2015 for the period beyond 2020. This new negotiation critically includes finding ways to further raise the existing level of national and international action and stated ambition to bring greenhouse gas emissions down.
At the 2012, the UN Climate Change Conference in Doha, Qatar (COP18/ CMP8), governments consolidated the gains of the last three years of international climate change negotiations and opened a gateway to necessary greater ambition and action on all levels. Among the many decisions taken, governments strenthened: their resolve and set out a timetable to adopt a universal climate agreement by 2015, which will come into effect in 2020.

Further information;

Ms. Olushola Olayide
Senior Policy Officer,
Environment and Water Resources and AUC focal person to the UNFCCC
African Union Commission
E-mail: OlusholaO@africa-union.org
Tel: +251-11-551-7700

Media Contact:
Mr. Molalet Tsedeke,
Directorate of Information and Communication,
African Union Commission
E-mail: molalett@africa-union.org; Molalet24t@yahoo.com;
Tel: +251-911-630-631
www.au.int/en