Alliance of Small Island Developing States

Highlights for Monday, 25 March 2019 IGC-2 participants observing a moment of silence in honor of the victims of the recent tragedies in Ethiopia and Indonesia and the passing of Amb. Virachai Plasai, Permanent Representative of Thailand to the UN The second session of the Intergovernmental Conference (IGC) on an international legally binding instrument (ILBI) under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biodiversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction (BBNJ) opened on Monday, March 25, 2019. Delegates first engaged in a general exchange of views, broadly related to the key features of an ILBI, including their priorities based on issues to be discussed as contained in the President’s Aid to Negotiations. They then began their deliberations on the President’s Aid, focusing their attention on benefit-sharing in relation to marine genetic resources. During the lunch break, two side-events were held: “Towards an Effective High Seas Treaty: Building on and Strengthening Regional Ocean Governance” presented by Germany and the STRONG High Seas Project; and "No fish left behind: fisheries under BBNJ” presented by the Nippon Foundation. In the corridors, many participants agreed that the President’s Aid to Negotiations is inclusive and helpful in driving the negotiations forward. Some expressed concern about gaps in the options laid out in the document, stressing that these will need to be covered during the following two weeks, if future treaty text is to be comprehensive.For extensive details on the day’s negotiations and to hear what delegates said in the corridors, see our daily Earth Negotiations Bulletin. IISD Reporting Services, through its Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB) Meeting Coverage, has provided daily web coverage, daily reports, and a summary and analysis report from BBNJ IGC 2. The summary and analysis report is now available in HTML and PDF. Photos by IISD/ENB | Francis Dejon For photo reprint permissions, please follow instructions at our Attribution Regulations for Meeting Photo Usage Page. View of the opening plenary IGC President Rena Lee, Singapore Miguel de Serpa Soares, Secretary-General of the IGC, Under-Secretary-General for Legal Affairs and UN Legal Counsel Gabriele Goettsche-Wanli, Director, UN Division of Ocean Affairs and Law of the Sea (UNDOALOS) Fuad Bateh, Palestine, on behalf of the G-77/China Janine Coye-Felson, Belize, on behalf of the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS) Mehdi Remaoun, Algeria, on behalf of the African Group Delegates from the EU consulting Juliette Babb-Riley, Barbados, on behalf of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Margo Deiye, Nauru, on behalf of the Pacific Island Forum (PIF) Sira Swangsilpa, Thailand Andreas Papaconstantinou, EU Arnavaz Ghobadi Langroudi, Iran, on screen Mohamed Atlassi, Morocco María Juliana Tenorio, Colombia Franck Kokou Kpayedo, Togo Gou Haibo, China Shanti Utami Retnaningsih, Indonesia Generoso Calonge, the Philippines Duncan Currie, High Seas Alliance Alfonso Ascencio-Herrera, International Seabed Authority Hiroko Muraki Gottlieb, International Council of Environmental Law Ariel Hernán Troisi, Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC-UNESCO) Lydia Slobodian, International Union for Conservation of Nature Takehiro Nakamura, UN Environment Programme Informal Working Group on Marine Genetic Resources L-R: Janine Coye-Felson, Belize, Facilitator of the informal working group on marine genetic resources; Gabriele Goettsche-Wanli, Director, UNDOALOS; and Charlotte Salpin, UNDOALOS Barbara Boechat, Brazil Sibylle Vermont, Switzerland Evan Bloom, US Salaseini Tagicakibau, Fiji

As the 'Katowice Climate Package' is adopted, Michał Kurtyka, COP 24 President, takes a giant leap for climate action The Katowice Climate Change conference continued on Saturday, a day after its scheduled close. Delegates engaged in consultations throughout the day to finalize the decisions for the Paris Agreement Work Programme (PAWP).The plenary convened at 9:30 pm to consider the decisions. CMA 1-3 was gavelled to a close on Sunday morning at 12:33 am. IISD Reporting Services, through its ENB Meeting Coverage, provided daily reports, daily web coverage, and a summary and analysis from the Katowice Climate Change Conference – December 2018.   Photos by IISD/ENB | Kiara Worth For photo reprint permissions, please follow instructions at our Attribution Regulations for Meeting Photo Usage Page Closing Plenary UNFCCC Executive Secretary Patricia Espinosa arrives in plenary Michał Kurtyka, COP 24 President, arrives in plenary Delegates stand at the beginning of plenary and hold a minute of silence in honour of Bernarditas Muller, Philippines Michał Kurtyka, COP 24 President UNFCCC Executive Secretary Patricia Espinosa As the 'Katowice Climate Package' is adopted, Michał Kurtyka, COP 24 President, invites heads of delegation to the podium Michał Kurtyka, COP 24 President, thanks delegates for their help in achieving the 'Katowice Climate Package' Miguel Arias Cañete, Commissioner for Climate Action and Energy, European Commission Franz Perrez, Switzerland, speaking on behalf of the Environmental Integrity Group (EIG) Amjad Abdulla, Maldives, speaking on behalf of the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS) Patrick Suckling, Australia, speaking on behalf of the Umbrella Group Wael Aboulmagd, Egypt, speaking on behalf of the G-77/China Mohamed Nasr, Gabon, speaking on behalf of the African Group Ravi Prasad, India, speaking on behalf of Brazil, South Africa, India, and China (BASIC) Albara Tawfiq, Saudi Arabia, speaking on behalf of the Arab Group Gebru Jember Endalew, Ethiopia, speaking on behalf of the Least Developed Countries (LDCs) Gurdial Singh, Malaysia, speaking on behalf of the Like-minded Developing Countries (LMDCs) Zakir Hossain, Farmers Shaila Shahid, Women and Gender Joint statement on behalf of Youth NGOs (YOUNGOs) Delegates Consult Informally Delegates from the EU, US, Australia, and Switzerland Delegates from Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and the COP 24 Presidency Delegates from Switzerland and Norway Jo Tyndall, New Zealand, speaks with Tomasz Chruszczow, Poland Ministers from Luxembourg and Spain speak with delegates from the EU and Norway Delegates huddle during the final stages of negotiations UNFCCC Executive Secretary Patricia Espinosa Martin Frick, UNFCCC Secretariat Kimmo Tiilikainen, Minister for Housing, Energy, and the Environment, Finland Pieter Terpstra, the Netherlands, and Philip Weech, Bahamas Katarzyna Snyder, COP 24 Presidency Mehmet Emin Birpınar, Turkey Family Photos UNFCCC Executive Secretary Patricia Espinosa poses for a photo with the delegation from Mexico The COP 24 Presidency Family photo of the UNFCCC Secretariat Family photo of negotiators working on ex-ante finance transparency (Article 9.5) Family photo of negotiators working on the transparency framework Family photo of negotiators for the transparency framework from the G-77/China Tribute to Bernarditas Muller After learning of her passing, delegates pay tribute to Bernarditas Muller, Philippines, who was recognised for her commitment and dedication to the UNFCCC, a 'legend within the process' Around the Venue SBSTA Chair Paul Watkinson, France Seyni Nafo, Mali, and Zaheer Fakir, South Africa Delegates read the latest draft of text Jo Tyndall, New Zealand Issa Bado, International Organisation of the Francophonie (OIF) Matt McGrath, BBC Ovais Sarmad, UNFCCC Deputy Executive Secretary Staff around the venue  

Highlights for Saturday, 8 December 2018 Delegates huddle during the SBSTA closing plenary Posted by IISD Reporting Services on Sunday, 9 December 2018 The Katowice Climate Change Conference concluded its first week on Saturday. Each of the subsidiary bodies held their closing plenaries and forwarded work related to the Paris Agreement Work Programme (PAWP) to the COP for further work during the second week of the conference.Decisions for several other issues were finalized and sent for adoption by the COP, CMP, and CMA, including a decision on the Local Communities and Indigenous Peoples’ Platform, which establishes a Facilitative Working Group, with equal representation of parties and indigenous peoples.On the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5°C, delegates were unable to agree whether they “welcomed” or “noted” the report. Many countries called attention to how the Special Report outlined the impacts of climate change, and supported the work of the IPCC, urging welcoming the report.As the subsidiary bodies finished their work, Sarah Baashan, Co-Chair of the Ad Hoc Working Group for the Paris Agreement (APA) said: "We have seen how a small group of people can achieve a great difference in the fight against global change."Next week, discussions will continue, and many expect the ministers to help make political choices that can unlock persistent disagreements in the PAWP.For more details on the day's events and to hear what delegates said in the corridors, see our daily Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB). IISD Reporting Services, through its ENB Meeting Coverage, provided daily reports, daily web coverage, and a summary and analysis from the Katowice Climate Change Conference – December 2018. Photos by IISD/ENB | Kiara Worth For photo reprint permissions, please follow instructions at our Attribution Regulations for Meeting Photo Usage Page APA Contact Group Delegates during the APA contact group Beth Lavender, Canada, Co-Facilitator for APA agenda item 4 - adaptation communication Andrew Rakestraw, US, Co-Facilitator for APA agenda item 5 - transparency framework Outi Honkatukia, Finland, Co-Facilitator for APA agenda item 6 - global stocktake Sin Liang Cheah, Singapore, Co-Facilitator for APA agenda item 3 - mitigation APA Co-Chairs Sarah Baashan, Saudi Arabia, and Jo Tyndall, New Zealand María del Pilar Bueno, Argentina, Co-Facilitator for APA agenda item 8 - further matters, Adaptation Fund Janine Coye-Felson, Belize, Co-Facilitator for APA agenda item 7 - committee to facilitate implementation and promote compliance The draft APA conclusions are distributed in plenary Delegates read the draft APA conclusions The final APA family photo Informal Consultations throughout the Day Informal consultations on further matters - Adaptation Fund (APA item 8) Contact group on matters relating to the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) (CMP agenda item 4) Family photo of Article 6 of the Paris Agreement SBI Closing Plenary SBI Chair Emmanuel Dlamini, eSwatini, convenes the SBI closing plenary SBI Chair Emmanuel Dlamini, eSwatini Ovais Sarmad, UNFCCC Deputy Executive Secretary SBSTA Closing Plenary SBSTA Chair Paul Watkinson, France, convenes the SBSTA closing plenary SBSTA Chair Paul Watkinson, France Catherine Stewart, Canada Ayman Shasly, Saudi Arabia Delegates huddle during the meeting UNFCCC Executive Secretary Patricia Espinosa and members of the UNFCCC Secretariat Delegates from Saudi Arabia and the Russian Federation Delegates huddle UNFCCC Executive Secretary Patricia Espinosa Francois Paulette, Indigenous Peoples Ian Fry, Tuvalu Representatives of the Indigenous Peoples sing at the conclusion of the SBSTA closing plenary Joint Plenary of SBI, SBSTA, and APA View of the dais during plenary Gebru Jember Endalew, Ethiopia, speaking on behalf of the Least Developed Countries (LDCs) Amjad Abdulla, Maldives, speaking on behalf of the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS) Patrick Suckling, Australia, speaking on behalf of the Umbrella Group Jacob Werksman, EU Wael Aboulmagd, Egypt, speaking on behalf of the G-77/China Martine Badibang Kamunga, Democratic Republic of the Congo, speaking on behalf of the Coalition for Rainforest Nations (CfRN) Laura Juliana Arciniegas Rojas, Colombia, speaking on behalf of the Independent Association of Latin America and the Caribbean (AILAC) APA Co-Chairs Sarah Baashan, Saudi Arabia, and Jo Tyndall, New Zealand, gavel the APA to a close for the last time The 'Fabulous Four' - SBSTA Chair Paul Watkinson, France, SBI Chair Emmanuel Dlamini, eSwatini, and APA Co-Chairs Sarah Baashan, Saudi Arabia, and Jo Tyndall, New Zealand COP Plenary View of the dais during the COP Plenary Civil Society Climate Change Protest in Katowice Security presence outside the COP 24 venue Approximately 3,000 demonstrators take to the streets of Katowice to demand political actions that prevent temperatures rising by more than 1.5°C Around the Venue UNFCCC Executive Secretary Patricia Espinosa and Michał Kurtyka, COP 24 President, walk through the venue Marcela Main Sancha, Secretary to the COP Patrick Suckling, Australia, speaks with delegates Stella Gama, Malawi, speaks with delegates from Saudi Arabia Yungratna Srivastava, Youth NGOs (YOUNGOs), speaks with Trigg Talley, US APA Co-Chair Jo Tyndall, New Zealand Delegates from Fiji Xiang Gao, China Delegates from Europe Seyni Nafo, Mali, during an interview UNFCCC Executive Secretary Patricia Espinosa, Michał Kurtyka, COP 24 President, and Alex Saier, UNFCCC Secretariat, during a press conference Around the Japanese Pavilion