By Isaiah Esipisu
CAIRO, Egypt (PAMACC News) - Members of
the African Civil Society attending the African Ministerial Conference
Environment in Cairo, Egypt have observed that the outcome of the 21st
Conference of Parties (COP 21) on finance evidently walks away from the
original United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)
developed country parties commitments.
Under
the UNFCCC’s article 4.3, the convection clearly provides that developed county
Parties and other developed Parties included in Annex II shall provide new and
additional financial resources to meet the agreed full costs incurred by
developing country parties in complying with their obligations with regard to
steps taken to implement the convention.
However,
the Paris Agreement, which was formed under UNFCCC, states that ‘Developed Country
Parties shall provide financial resources to assist Developing Country Parties
with respect to both mitigation and adaptation in continuation of their
existing obligations under the convection.’
“The
UNFCCC is clearly provides that the Developed Country Parties will meet the
financial obligations of poor countries to address climate change, and yet, the
Paris Agreement walks away from that fact, and states that rich countries will
only assist poor countries,” said Robert Bakiika, the Conventions Contact Point & Deputy Executive Director
for Environmental Management for Livelihood Improvement Bwaise Facility (EMLI) based in Uganda.
The UNFCCC is a legal
framework (just like a constitution) that addresses climate change issues
globally. It then means that similar agreements such as the Kyoto Protocol or
the recent Paris Agreement must implement the provisions of the convention, and
not to replace it.
The Paris Agreement further
underscores that ‘the provision of the scale-up financial resources should aim
to achieve a balance between adaptation and mitigation, taking into account
country-driven strategies, and the priorities and the need of developing
Country Parties, especially those that are particularly vulnerable to the
adverse effects of climate change and have significant capacity constraints,
such as the least developed countries and small island developing States
considering the need for public and
grant-based resources for adaptation.’
This, as well, does not go
down well with civil society organisations attending the AMCEN conference on
Cairo. “It means that we should now start initiating the
process of identification of needs and priorities of developing country Parties,”
said Bakiika.
They further observed that the Paris Agreement has
further replaced already known terminologies with some that do not have
international definition.
For example, the Paris Agreement no longer refers to
the Annexes of the Convention (Annex I and Annex II) but instead only
refers to “developing country Parties” and “developed country Parties”, for
which there is no internationally agreed definition.
As well, the principle of “Common But Differentiated Responsibilities (CBDR) under the Paris Agreement is
now referenced with ‘respective capabilities.’”
According to Seth Osafo, the Legal Advisor for the African
Group of Negotiators (AGN) the CBDR has actually been weakened with the addition
of “in light of different national circumstances” to accommodate concerns of
USA.
Osafo, as well noted that
the Finance section under the Paris Agreement is disappointing. “Under this
agreement, the developed countries pledge to mobilise resources, and not to
provide,” he said.
It is in the view of the of
the African Civil Society groups that such mishaps will delay implementation of
the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.
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