Gender Mandates in Climate Policy

Before you start

In the last few years, the UNFCCC – the only one out of three Rio Conventions that lacked mandates on women’s rights and gender equality from the outset – has made major strides in integrating gender across all thematic areas in the negotiations. In 2014, the Lima Work Programme on Gender launched, and in 2015, the Paris Agreement integrated gender equality as a preambular principle for all climate action, as well as in relation to adaptation and capacity building. In 2017, the first Gender Action Plan was adopted, followed in 2019 by the adoption of the enhanced Lima Work Programme on Gender and its Gender Action Plan. Additional decisions have aimed to enhance gender equality via both policy and practice, encouraging gender balance indecision-making as well as responsiveness to gender issues in the development, implementation and monitoring of climate change policies and actions.

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Decision 36/CP.7

Improving the participation of women in the representation of Parties in bodies established under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change or the Kyoto Protocol

Theme
Gender
Tags 
GB
Event 
COP7
Year 
2001
Gender references Elaborated language Download PDF

Gender reference

1. Invites Parties to give active consideration to the nomination of women for elective posts in any body established under the Convention or the Kyoto Protocol;

2. Requests the secretariat to bring this decision to the attention of Parties whenever a vacancy arises for any elective post in any body established under the Convention or the Kyoto Protocol;

3. Further requests the secretariat to maintain information on the gender composition of each body with elective posts established under the Convention or the Kyoto Protocol, and to bring this information to the attention of the Parties whenever such a vacancy occurs.

Elaborated language

The Conference of the Parties,

Recalling the Beijing Declaration of the 1995 Fourth World Conference on Women which recognizes that women’s empowerment and their full participation on the basis of equality in all spheres of society, including participation in decision-making processes and access to power, are fundamental for the achievement of equality, development and peace,

Recalling further that the Beijing Declaration called on governments, the United Nations system and regional and international institutions to contribute to the implementation of the Beijing Platform of Action,

Noting that improvement in the gender balance of officers elected to the bodies established under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Kyoto Protocol would be one such contribution to the implementation of the Beijing Platform of Action,

Having considered the need for Parties to take into account the need for more equitable representation of female and male officers elected to the bodies established under the Convention or the Kyoto Protocol,

Urging Parties to take the measures necessary to enable women to participate fully in all levels of decision making relevant to climate change,

1. Invites Parties to give active consideration to the nomination of women for elective posts in any body established under the Convention or the Kyoto Protocol;

2. Requests the secretariat to bring this decision to the attention of Parties whenever a vacancy arises for any elective post in any body established under the Convention or the Kyoto Protocol;

3. Further requests the secretariat to maintain information on the gender composition of each body with elective posts established under the Convention or the Kyoto Protocol, and to bring this information to the attention of the Parties whenever such a vacancy occurs.

Decision 28/CP.7

Guidelines for preparation of the national adaptation programmes of action

Theme
Adaptation
Tags 
GE
GM
Event 
COP7
Year 
2001
Gender references Elaborated language Download PDF

Gender reference

This decision states that the preparation of NAPAs must be guided by gender equality.

Elaborated language

The Conference of the Parties,

Recognizing the specific needs and special situations of the least developed countries referred to in Article 4, paragraph 9, of the Convention,

Recognizing further that many of the least developed country Parties do not have the capacity to prepare and submit national communications in the foreseeable future, or to convey their urgent and immediate needs in respect of their vulnerability and adaptation to the adverse effects of climate change,

Recognizing also that information contained in national adaptation programmes of action may constitute the first step in the preparation of initial national communications, and would help to build capacity for addressing urgent and immediate adaptation needs, as well as for the preparation of national communications;

1. Decides to adopt the guidelines for the preparation of national adaptation programmes of action included in the annex to the present decision;

2. Invites Parties to make submissions with a view to improving the guidelines, by 15 July 2002, for consideration by the Subsidiary Body for Implementation at its seventeenth session;

3. Decides to review, and if necessary revise, the guidelines at its eighth session, taking into account the views submitted by Parties and the least developed countries expert group established under decision 29/CP.7;

4. Invites least developed country Parties to use the above-mentioned guidelines, in accordance with their national circumstances, in preparing their national adaptation programmes of action.

 

ANNEX

Guidelines for the preparation of national adaptation programmes of action

A. Introduction

1. National adaptation programmes of action (NAPAs) will communicate priority activities addressing the urgent and immediate needs and concerns of the least developed countries (LDCs), relating to adaptation to the adverse effects of climate change.

2. The rationale for developing NAPAs rests on the low adaptive capacity of LDCs, which renders them in need of immediate and urgent support to start adapting to current and projected adverse effects of climate change. Activities proposed through NAPAs would be those whose further delay could increase vulnerability, or lead to increased costs at a later stage.

3. The NAPA will be presented in the form of a document specifying a list of priority activities, with a concise justification based on a tight set of criteria.

4. The NAPA document will not be an end in itself, but rather a means for the dissemination, by an LDC Party, of its proposed programme of action to address its urgent needs for adaptation. The priority activities identified through the NAPA process will be made available to the entity that will operate the LDC fund referred to in decision 7/CP.7, paragraph 6, and other sources of funding, for the provision of financial resources to implement these activities.

B. Objective of NAPAs

5. National adaptation programmes of action will serve as simplified and direct channels of communication for information relating to the urgent and immediate adaptation needs of the LDCs.

C. Characteristics of NAPAs

6. National adaptation programmes of action should:

(a) Be easy to understand;

(b) Be action-oriented and country-driven;

(c) Set clear priorities for urgent and immediate adaptation activities as identified by the countries.

D. Guiding elements

7. The preparation of NAPAs will be guided by the following:

(a) A participatory process involving stakeholders, particularly local communities;

(b) A multidisciplinary approach;

(c) A complementary approach, building upon existing plans and programmes, including national action plans under the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, national biodiversity strategies and action plans under the Convention on Biological Diversity, and national sectoral policies;

(d) Sustainable development;

(e) Gender equality;

(f) A country-driven approach;

(g) Sound environmental management;

(h) Cost-effectiveness;

(i) Simplicity;

(j) Flexibility of procedures based on individual country circumstances.

E. Process

8. The preparation of the NAPA may proceed as follows:

(a) The setting up of a national NAPA team: the national climate change focal point will set up a NAPA team composed of a lead agency and representatives of stakeholders including government agencies and civil society. This group would be constituted using an open and flexible process that will be inclusive and transparent. The NAPA team will be responsible for preparing the NAPA and coordinating the implementation of NAPA activities;

(b) The NAPA team will assemble a multidisciplinary team:

  • (i) To synthesize available information on adverse effects of climate change and coping strategies, which would be collated and reviewed, including the national strategies for sustainable development, the Programme of Action for the Least Developed Countries, the United Nations development assistance frameworks, and poverty reduction strategy papers, if available in the countries;
  • (ii) To conduct a participatory assessment of vulnerablity to current climate variability and extreme weather events, and to assess where climate change is causing increases in associated risks;
  • (iii) To identify key climate-change adaptation measures, based, to the extent possible, on vulnerability and adaptation assessment; such measures would also be responsive to needs identified under other relevant processes, such as the preparation of national action plans under the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification and national biodiversity strategies and action plans under the Convention on Biological Diversity;
  • (iv) To identify and prioritize country-driven criteria for selecting priority activities to address needs arising from the adverse effects of climate change, drawing on the criteria referred to in section F.4 below.

(c) Development of proposals for priority activities to address needs arising from the adverse effects of climate change: the national team will:

  • (i) Organize a national and/or subnational consultative process to solicit inputs and proposal ideas in order to help develop a short list of potential NAPA activities. The national team would facilitate this consultative process, and would help in translating ideas into activities. This process will allow adequate dialogue between the national team and the public, with time allowed for public comment and revisions;
  • (ii) Identify potential activities, which may include capacity building and policy reform, and which may be integrated into sectoral and other policies;
  • (iii) Select and identify priority activities, based on the agreed criteria;
  • (iv) Propose profiles of priority activities using the following format: • Title • Rationale/justification in relation to climate change, including sectors concerned • Description - Objectives and activities - Inputs - Short-term outputs - Potential long-term outcomes • Implementation - Institutional arrangement - Risks and barriers - Evaluation and monitoring - Financial resources

(d) The development of the NAPA document: the document will be prepared following the structure set out in section F below;

(e) Public review and revision: the NAPA document will undergo public review and be revised accordingly;

(f) The final review process: the NAPA document, including the profiles, will be reviewed by a team of government and civil society representatives, including the private sector, who may take into consideration any advice solicited from the Least Developed Countries Expert Group;

(g) National government endorsement of the NAPA: after the NAPA has been prepared, it will be submitted to the national government for endorsement. (h) Public dissemination: the endorsed NAPA document will be made available to the public and to the UNFCCC secretariat.

F. Structure of NAPA document

1. Introduction and setting

9. This introductory section will include background information about the country that is relevant to the NAPA process. It will cover current characteristics, key environmental stresses, and how climate change and climate variability adversely affect biophysical processes and key sectors.

2. Framework for adaptation programme

10. This section will also provide an overview of climate variability and observed and projected climate change and associated actual and potential adverse effects of climate change. This overview will be based on existing and ongoing studies and research, and/or empirical and historical information as well as traditional knowledge.

11. This section will describe the NAPA framework and its relationship to the country’s development goals, as described in subparagraph 8(b)(i) above, to make the framework consistent with socio-economic and development needs. In addition, it would also describe the goals, objectives and strategies of the NAPA, taking into account other plans and multilateral environmental agreements.

12. Where possible, a description of the potential barriers to implementation should also be included.

3. Identification of key adaptation needs

13. Based on this overview and framework, past and current practices for adaptation to climate change and climate variability will be identified as related to existing information regarding the country’s vulnerability to the adverse effects of climate change, climate variability and extreme weather events, as well as long-term climate change. This section will explain how and to what extent activities may address specific vulnerabilities.

14. Given the actual and potential adverse effects of climate change described in section F.2 above, this section will identify relevant adaptation options including capacity building, policy reform, integration into sectoral policies and project-level activities.

4. Criteria for selecting priority activities

15. A set of locally-driven criteria will be used to select priority adaptation activities. These criteria should include, inter alia: (a) Level or degree of adverse effects of climate change; (b) Poverty reduction to enhance adaptive capacity;

(c) Synergy with other multilateral environmental agreements;

(d) Cost-effectiveness.

16. These criteria for prioritization will be applied to, inter alia:

(a) Loss of life and livelihood;

(b) Human health;

(c) Food security and agriculture;

(d) Water availability, quality and accessibility;

(e) Essential infrastructure;

(f) Cultural heritage;

(g) Biological diversity;

(h) Land-use management and forestry;

(i) Other environmental amenities;

(j) Coastal zones, and associated loss of land.

5. List of priority activities

17. This section will list priority climate-change adaptation activities that have been selected based on the criteria listed in section F.4 above.

18. For each of the selected priority activities a set of profiles will be developed for inclusion in the NAPA document. This could follow the format set out in subparagraph 8(c)(iv) above.

6. NAPA preparation process

19. This section will describe the NAPA development process, including the process of consultation, the methods for evaluation and monitoring, the institutional arrangements, and the mechanism of endorsement by the national government.

Decision 2/CMP.5

Further Guidance relating to the clean development mechanism

Theme
Mitigation
Tags 
GB
RR
Event 
CMP5
Year 
2009
Gender references Elaborated language Download PDF

Gender reference

Encourages Parties to give active consideration to the nomination of women as members and alternate members of the Executive Board of the CDM in accordance with decision 36/CP.7, paragraph 6.

Elaborated language

The Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol,

Recalling the provisions of Articles 3 and 12 of the Kyoto Protocol,

Cognizant of decisions 7/CMP.1, 1/CMP.2, 2/CMP.3 and 2/CMP.4,

I. General

1. Takes note of the annual report for 2008–2009 of the Executive Board of the clean development mechanism; 

2. Designates as operational entities those entities that have been accredited, and provisionally designated, as operational entities by the Executive Board to carry out sector-specific validation functions and/or sector-specific verification functions as listed in the annex to this decision;

3. Urges the Executive Board to take effective action to ensure compliance with established timelines for each of its procedures as well as with decisions of the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol and, where possible, to reduce the established timelines;

4. Welcomes the measures adopted by the Executive Board to improve the efficiency of the operation of the clean development mechanism, as outlined in annex IV to its annual report;

5. Requests the Executive Board to continue its efforts to improve the efficiency and impartiality of the operation of the clean development mechanism and strengthen its executive and supervisory role by, inter alia, ensuring effective use of its support structure, including its panels, other outside expertise and the secretariat, taking into consideration the increasing caseload, and to make recommendations on further improving and reforming the system and its efficiency and impartiality to the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol for consideration at its sixth and subsequent sessions;

II. Governance

6. Encourages Parties to give active consideration to the nomination of women as members and alternate members of the Executive Board, in accordance with decision 36/CP.7;

7. Requests the Executive Board, as its highest priority, to continue to significantly improve transparency, consistency and impartiality in its work by, inter alia:

(a) Continuing its efforts to improve consistency in its decision-making;

(b) Publishing detailed explanations of and the rationale for decisions taken, including sources of information used, without compromising the confidentiality of the opinion of any individual Executive Board member or alternate member;

(c) Taking into account input from relevant international organizations and Parties involved in addition to project participants and the designated operational entities in its decision-making process; 

8. Requests the Executive Board to enhance its communications with project participants and stakeholders, including through the establishment of modalities and procedures for direct communication between the Executive Board and project participants in relation to individual projects, and to report on actions taken to the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol at its sixth session;

9. Requests the Executive Board to take fully into account, in its work and in the work of its support structure, the laws, regulations, policies, standards and guidelines that apply in the host countries, and in case of need seek inputs from designated national authorities of the host countries;

10. Affirms that it is the prerogative of the host country to decide on the design and implementation of policies to promote or give competitive advantage to low greenhouse gas emitting fuels or technologies;

11. Requests the Executive Board to ensure that its rules and guidelines related to the introduction or implementation of the policies referred to in paragraph 10 above promote the achievement of the ultimate objective of the Convention and do not create perverse incentives for emission reduction efforts;

12. Requests the Executive Board to consolidate, clarify and revise, as appropriate, its guidance on the treatment of national policies;

13. Acknowledges that the Executive Board has adopted a code of conduct for its members;

14. Requests the Executive Board to recommend terms of reference for membership of the Executive Board that clarify the desired set of skills and expertise as well as the expected time commitment required of members and alternate members, for consideration by the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol at its sixth session;

15. Requests that the curricula vitae of Executive Board members, statements on conflicts of interest and details of any past and current professional affiliations of members be published on the UNFCCC CDM website; 

To read the full description, see here.

Decision 7/CP.16

Progress in, and ways to enhance, the implementation of the amended New Delhi work programme on Article 6 of the Convention

Theme
Capacity Building
Tags 
GB
GM
Event 
COP16
Year 
2010
Gender references Elaborated language Download PDF

Gender reference

Invites Parties to enhance efforts to elaborate national strategies and action plans on Article 6 of the Convention, taking into account, inter alia, the gender perspective. Additionally, invites Parties to foster the participation of women, youth, indigenous peoples, civil society groups and relevant stakeholders in decision-making on climate change at the national level and their attendance at intergovernmental meetings, including sessions of the UNFCCC.

Elaborated language

The Conference of the Parties,

Recalling Article 6 of the Convention,

Also recalling decision 9/CP.13,

Reaffirming the importance of Article 6 of the Convention and the continued relevance of the amended New Delhi work programme on Article 6 of the Convention,

Acknowledging the progress made by Parties in planning, coordinating and implementing education, training and public awareness activities,

Recognizing that ensuring the availability of sufficient financial and technical resources continues to be a challenge for the adequate implementation of Article 6 of the Convention for all Parties, in particular developing countries,

Reaffirming that national, regional and subregional workshops are valuable forums for sharing experiences and lessons learned and for advancing the implementation of Article 6 of the Convention,

Welcoming the contributions of the Governments of Australia, Belgium, New Zealand, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United States of America in support of the regional and subregional workshops organized by the secretariat in 2009 and 2010,

Reaffirming that the information network clearing house CC:iNet is a useful tool for promoting the implementation of Article 6 of the Convention,

Having considered submissions from Parties and relevant intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations and documents prepared by the secretariat to support the intermediate review of the amended New Delhi work programme,

1. Recognizes that:

(a) Parties have continued to progress and gain experience in implementing Article 6 of the Convention, including through the wide range of educational and outreach activities that they have undertaken;

(b) Article 6 related activities have been a component of a significant number of projects developed by intergovernmental, non-governmental and community-based organizations, and private- and public-sector actors;

(c) Notwithstanding the progress made with respect to the implementation of the amended New Delhi work programme on Article 6 of the Convention, many challenges remain;

2. Invites Parties, with a view to enhancing the implementation of the amended New Delhi work programme:

(a) To designate a national focal point on Article 6, if Parties have not already done so, and to inform the secretariat accordingly;

(b) To foster networking, coordination and exchange of information between relevant stakeholders at the national, regional and international levels;

(c) To enhance efforts to elaborate national strategies and action plans on Article 6 of the Convention, including climate change communication strategies, taking into account, inter alia, the gender perspective;

(d) To enhance the involvement of, and create training opportunities for, groups with a key role in climate change communication and education, including journalists, teachers, youth, children and community leaders;

(e) To foster the participation of women, youth, indigenous peoples, civil society groups and relevant stakeholders in decision-making on climate change at the national level and their attendance at intergovernmental meetings, including sessions of the Conference of the Parties, the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol and the subsidiary bodies;

(f) To improve reporting on education, training and public awareness activities through national communications;

(g) To improve public access to information on, and public awareness of, adaptation and mitigation;

(h) To support formal education in schools and institutions at all levels, nonformal and informal education on climate change and the development of educational and public awareness materials according to national circumstances and cultural context;

3. Also invites all Parties and international organizations to enhance support to the national focal points on Article 6 of developing countries, in particular the least developed countries and small island developing States, through the provision of information, materials, training of trainers programmes and regional and national projects on topics relating to education, training and public awareness;

4. Further invites Parties in a position to do so and international organizations and bilateral and multilateral agencies to continue to support the convening of regional, subregional and national workshops focusing on specific elements of Article 6 of the Convention, and the maintenance and further development of the information network clearing house CC:iNet;

5. Urges the Global Environment Facility, as an operating entity of the financial mechanism of the Convention, to increase access to funding for Article 6 related activities;

6. Encourages intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations to enhance their efforts to respond to the amended New Delhi work programme and to share information on their respective activities through the information network clearing house CC:iNet and other information sources;

7. Requests the secretariat:

(a) To initiate and facilitate networking and exchange of information and good practices between national focal points on Article 6, including through the information network clearing house CC:iNet;

(b) To continue collaborating with international organizations, convention secretariats and the private sector with a view to catalysing action on education, information exchange, training and public awareness;

(c) To continue, subject to the availability of financial resources, its work on maintaining, developing and promoting the information network clearing house CC:iNet, by improving its functionality and accessibility and increasing the content in the official languages of the United Nations;

8. Also requests the Subsidiary Body for Implementation to develop, at its thirty-fourth session, terms of reference for a review of the implementation of the amended New Delhi work programme, with a view to launching the review at its thirty-sixth session.

Decision 1/CP.16

The Cancun Agreements: Outcome of the work of the Ad Hoc Working Group on Long-term Cooperative Action under the Convention

Theme
Capacity Building
Tags 
GM
Event 
COP16
Year 
2010
Gender references Elaborated language Download PDF

Gender reference

Decides that capacity-building support to developing country Parties should be enhanced with a view to strengthening endogenous capacities at the subnational, national or regional levels, as appropriate, taking into account gender aspects.

Elaborated language

IV. Finance, technology and capacity-building

C. Capacity-building

Reaffirming that capacity-building is essential to enable developing country Parties to participate fully in addressing the challenges of climate change, and to implement effectively their commitments under the Convention,

Recalling the provisions related to capacity-building for developing country Parties contained in relevant decisions adopted by the Conference of the Parties, especially decision 2/CP.7,

Taking into account that the scope of capacity-building and related needs as contained in the annex to decision 2/CP.7 and the key factors identified in decision 2/CP.10 remain valid,

Acknowledging that capacity-building is cross-cutting in nature and an integral part of enhanced action on mitigation, adaptation, technology development and transfer, and access to financial resources,

Also acknowledging that, in addition, there may be specific capacity-building activities that require support to enable developing countries to undertake the enhanced implementation of the Convention,

Reaffirming that capacity-building should be a continuous, progressive and iterative process that is participatory, country-driven and consistent with national priorities and circumstances,

130. Decides that capacity-building support to developing country Parties should be enhanced with a view to strengthening endogenous capacities at the subnational, national or regional levels, as appropriate, taking into account gender aspects, to contribute to the achievement of the full, effective and sustained implementation of the Convention, by, inter alia:

  • (a) Strengthening relevant institutions at various levels, including focal points and national coordinating bodies and organizations;
  • (b) Strengthening networks for the generation, sharing and management of information and knowledge, including through North–South, South–South and triangular cooperation;
  • (c) Strengthening climate change communication, education, training and public awareness at all levels;
  • (d) Strengthening integrated approaches and the participation of various stakeholders in relevant social, economic and environmental policies and actions;
  • (e) Supporting existing and emerging capacity-building needs identified in the areas of mitigation, adaptation, technology development and transfer, and access to financial resources;

131. Also decides that financial resources for enhanced action on capacity-building in developing country Parties should be provided by Parties included in Annex II to the Convention and other Parties in a position to do so through the current and any future operating entities of the financial mechanism, as well as through various bilateral, regional and other multilateral channels, as appropriate;

132. Encourages developed country Parties to continue to report through their national communications, in accordance with the “Guidelines for the preparation of national communications by Parties included in Annex I to the Convention, Part II: UNFCCC reporting guidelines on national communications”, on the support they have provided for capacity-building in developing country Parties;

133. Invites developed country Parties in a position to do so to provide information, through annual submissions to the secretariat and other appropriate channels, on the support they have provided for capacity-building in developing country Parties;

134. Encourages developing country Parties to continue to report through their national communications, in accordance with the “Guidelines for the preparation of national communications from Parties not included in Annex I to the Convention”, on progress made in enhancing their capacity to address climate change, including on the use of the support received;

135. Invites developing country Parties in a position to do so to provide information, through annual submissions to the secretariat and other appropriate channels, on progress made in enhancing their capacity to address climate change, including on the use of the support received;

136. Requests the Ad Hoc Working Group on Long-term Cooperative Action under the Convention to consider ways to further enhance the monitoring and review of the effectiveness of capacity-building, for consideration by the Conference of the Parties at its seventeenth session;

137. Also requests the Ad Hoc Working Group on Long-term Cooperative Action under the Convention to further elaborate the modalities regarding institutional arrangements for capacity-building, for consideration by the Conference of the Parties at its seventeenth session; 

If you wish to read the full decision, including annexes, see the URL here.

 

 

Decision 1/CP.16

The Cancun Agreements: Outcome of the work of the Ad Hoc Working Group on Long-term Cooperative Action under the Convention, Appendix IV

Theme
Technology Transfer
Tags 
GB
RR
Event 
COP16
Year 
2010
Gender references Elaborated language Download PDF

Gender reference

In the composition and mandate of the Technology Executive Committee, Parties are encouraged to take into account the need to achieve gender balance in accordance with decision 36/CP.7.

Elaborated language

 

Appendix IV

Composition and mandate of the Technology Executive Committee

1. The Technology Executive Committee shall comprise 20 expert members, elected by the Conference of the Parties (COP), serving in their personal capacity and nominated by Parties with the aim of achieving a fair and balanced representation, as follows:

(a) Nine members from Parties included in Annex I to the Convention (Annex I Parties);

(b) Three members from each of the three regions of the Parties not included in Annex I to the Convention (non-Annex I Parties), namely Africa, Asia and the Pacific, and Latin America and the Caribbean, one member from a small island developing State and one member from a least developed country Party.

2. Decisions will be taken according to the rule of consensus.

3. Parties are encouraged to nominate senior experts to the Technology Executive Committee, with a view to achieving, within the membership, an appropriate balance of technical, legal, policy, social development and financial expertise relevant to the development and transfer of technology for adaptation and mitigation, taking into account the need to achieve gender balance in accordance with decision 36/CP.7.

4. Members shall serve for a term of two years and shall be eligible to serve a maximum of two consecutive terms of office. The following rules shall apply:

(a) Half of the members shall be elected initially for a term of three years and half of the members shall be elected for a term of two years;

(b) Thereafter, the COP shall elect every year a member for a term of two years;

(c) The members shall remain in office until their successors are elected.

5. The Technology Executive Committee shall elect annually a chair and a vice-chair from among its members for a term of one year each, with one being a member from an Annex I Party and the other being a member from a non-Annex I Party. The positions of chair and vice-chair shall alternate annually between a member from an Annex I Party and a member from a non-Annex I Party.

6. If the chair is temporarily unable to fulfil the obligations of the office, the vice-chair shall serve as chair. In the absence of the chair and vice-chair at a particular meeting, any other member designated by the Technology Executive Committee shall temporarily serve as the chair of that meeting.

7. If the chair or vice-chair is unable to complete the term of office, the Technology Executive Committee shall elect a replacement to complete the term of office, taking into account paragraph 5 above.

8. If a member of the Technology Executive Committee resigns or is otherwise unable to complete the assigned term of office or to perform the functions of that office, the Technology Executive Committee may decide, bearing in mind the proximity of the next session of the COP, to appoint another member from the same constituency to replace said member for the remainder of that member’s mandate, in which case the appointment shall count as one term.

9. The Technology Executive Committee, in performing its functions, should draw upon outside expertise, including the UNFCCC roster of experts and the Climate Technology Centre and Network, to provide advice, including as expert advisers at its meetings.

10. The Technology Executive Committee should seek input from intergovernmental and international organizations and the private sector and may seek input from civil society in undertaking its work. It may invite advisers drawn from relevant intergovernmental and international organizations as well as the private sector and civil society to participate in its meetings as expert advisers on specific issues as they arise.

11. The meetings of the Technology Executive Committee shall be open to attendance by accredited observer organizations, except where otherwise decided by the Technology Executive Committee.

12. The secretariat shall support and facilitate the work of the Technology Executive Committee.

If you wish to read the full decision, including annexes, see the URL here.

Decision 6/CP.16

Extension of the mandate of the Least Developed Countries Expert Group

Theme
Adaptation
Tags 
GM
Event 
COP16
Year 
2010
Gender references Elaborated language Download PDF

Gender reference

As part of the LEG’s two-year rolling programme of work 2013-2014, decides that the LEG is mandated to provide technical guidance and advice on strengthening gender-related considerations and considerations regarding vulnerable communities within least developed country Parties.

Elaborated language

The Conference of the Parties,

Recalling decisions 5/CP.7, 29/CP.7, 7/CP.9, 4/CP.10, 4/CP.11 and 8/CP.13,

Recognizing the specific needs and special situation of the least developed countries under Article 4, paragraph 9, of the Convention,

Having considered the reports on the seventeenth and eighteenth meetings of the Least Developed Countries Expert Group, the report on possible elements for a future mandate for the group and the report on the training workshops on the implementation of national adaptation programmes of action,

Expressing its appreciation to the Least Developed Countries Expert Group for its good work in implementing its work programme for 2008–2010, supporting the preparation and implementation of national adaptation programmes of action and conducting regional training workshops on the implementation of national adaptation programmes of action,

Noting that the least developed country Parties continue to require technical support for the preparation, update and implementation of their national adaptation programmes of action,

1. Decides to extend the mandate of the Least Developed Countries Expert Group under its current terms of reference; 

2. Also decides that the Least Developed Countries Expert Group should be mandated to provide technical guidance and advice on:

(a) The revision and update of national adaptation programmes of action, to further improve their quality, to facilitate the integration of adaptation actions of least developed country Parties into development planning and to reflect increased adaptation knowledge and changed priorities in the countries, upon request by least developed country Parties;

(b) The identification of medium- and long-term adaptation needs, their integration into development planning and the implementation of identified adaptation activities;

(c) Strengthening gender-related considerations and considerations regarding vulnerable communities within least developed country Parties;

(d) The implementation of the elements of the least developed countries work programme other than the preparation and implementation of national adaptation programmes of action that are relevant to the expertise of the Least Developed Countries Expert Group;

3. Requests the Least Developed Countries Expert Group to develop a two-year rolling programme of work for consideration by the Subsidiary Body for Implementation at its first sessional meeting of each year, and to report on its work to the Subsidiary Body for Implementation at each of its sessions; 

4. Decides that the membership of the Least Developed Countries Expert Group should be expanded from 12 to 13 members in order to include one additional member from a least developed country Party;

5. Requests the Least Developed Countries Expert Group to engage a wide range of organizations to support the implementation of its work programme;

6. Decides that, consistent with decision 7/CP.9, paragraph 2, new experts may be nominated to the Least Developed Countries Expert Group, or existing members of the group may continue in office, as determined by the respective regions or groups;

7. Requests the secretariat to continue to facilitate the work of the Least Developed Countries Expert Group;

8. Decides to review, at its twenty-first session, the progress, need for continuation and terms of reference of the Least Developed Countries Expert Group, and to adopt a decision thereon;

9. Also decides on the following actions and steps necessary for the Subsidiary Body for Implementation to initiate the review at its forty-second session, with a view to complete the review referred to in paragraph 8 above at its twenty-first session:

(a) To request the Least Developed Countries Expert Group to convene a meeting, including Parties, the Global Environment Facility and its agencies, and other relevant organizations, with the assistance of the secretariat, to take stock of its work, before June 2015;

(b) To invite Parties to submit to the secretariat, by 1 February 2015, their views on the work of the Least Developed Countries Expert Group, for compilation by the secretariat into a miscellaneous document for consideration by the Subsidiary Body for Implementation at its forty-second session;

(c) To request the secretariat to prepare a report on the stocktaking meeting for consideration by the Subsidiary Body for Implementation at its forty-second session, as input to the review;

(d) To request the secretariat to prepare a synthesis report on the progress, need for continuation and terms of reference of the Least Developed Countries Expert Group, based on the submissions from Parties, reports of the Least Developed Countries Expert Group, the report on the stocktaking meeting and other relevant information, for consideration by the Subsidiary Body for Implementation at its forty-second session, as input to the review. 

Decision 1/CP.16

The Cancun Agreements: Outcome of the work of the Ad Hoc Working Group on Long-term Cooperative Action under the Convention

Theme
Mitigation
Tags 
GM
WVG
Event 
COP16
Year 
2010
Gender references Elaborated language Download PDF

Gender reference

As part of policy approaches and positive incentives on issues relating to reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation in developing countries; and the role of conservation, sustainable management of forests and enhancement of forest carbon stocks in developing countries, this decision requests developing country Parties, when developing and implementing their national strategies or action plan, to address gender considerations. Additionally, when considering the economic and social consequences of responses to climate change, these should be coordinated with social and economic development, and take fully into account the consequences for vulnerable groups, in particular women and children.

Elaborated language

III. Enhanced action on mitigation

C. Policy approaches and positive incentives on issues relating to reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation in developing countries; and the role of conservation, sustainable management of forests and enhancement of forest carbon stocks in developing countries

Affirming that, in the context of the provision of adequate and predictable support to developing country Parties, Parties should collectively aim to slow, halt and reverse forest cover and carbon loss, in accordance with national circumstances, consistent with the ultimate objective of the Convention, as stated in Article 2,

Also affirming the need to promote broad country participation in all phases described in paragraph 73 below, including through the provision of support that takes into account existing capacities,

68. Encourages all Parties to find effective ways to reduce the human pressure on forests that results in greenhouse gas emissions, including actions to address drivers of deforestation;

69. Affirms that the implementation of the activities referred to in paragraph 70 below should be carried out in accordance with appendix I to this decision, and that the safeguards referred to in paragraph 2 of appendix I to this decision should be promoted and supported;

70. Encourages developing country Parties to contribute to mitigation actions in the forest sector by undertaking the following activities, as deemed appropriate by each Party and in accordance with their respective capabilities and national circumstances:

  • (a) Reducing emissions from deforestation;
  • (b) Reducing emissions from forest degradation;
  • (c) Conservation of forest carbon stocks;
  • (d) Sustainable management of forests;
  • (e) Enhancement of forest carbon stocks;

71. Requests developing country Parties aiming to undertake the activities referred to in paragraph 70 above, in the context of the provision of adequate and predictable support, including financial resources and technical and technological support to developing country Parties, in accordance with national circumstances and respective capabilities, to develop the following elements:

(a) A national strategy or action plan;

(b) A national forest reference emission level and/or forest reference level or, if appropriate, as an interim measure, subnational forest reference emission levels and/or forest reference levels, in accordance with national circumstances, and with provisions contained in decision 4/CP.15, and with any further elaboration of those provisions adopted by the Conference of the Parties;

(c) A robust and transparent national forest monitoring system for the monitoring and reporting of the activities referred to in paragraph 70 above, with, if appropriate, subnational monitoring and reporting as an interim measure, in accordance with national circumstances, and with the provisions contained in decision 4/CP.15, and with any further elaboration of those provisions agreed by the Conference of the Parties;

(d) A system for providing information on how the safeguards referred to in appendix I to this decision are being addressed and respected throughout the implementation of the activities referred to in paragraph 70 above, while respecting sovereignty;

72. Also requests developing country Parties, when developing and implementing their national strategies or action plans, to address, inter alia, the drivers of deforestation and forest degradation, land tenure issues, forest governance issues, gender considerations and the safeguards identified in paragraph 2 of appendix I to this decision, ensuring the full and effective participation of relevant stakeholders, inter alia indigenous peoples and local communities;

73. Decides that the activities undertaken by Parties referred to in paragraph 70 above should be implemented in phases, beginning with the development of national strategies or action plans, policies and measures, and capacity-building, followed by the implementation of national policies and measures and national strategies or action plans that could involve further capacity-building, technology development and transfer and results-based demonstration activities, and evolving into results-based actions that should be fully measured, reported and verified;

74. Recognizes that the implementation of the activities referred to in paragraph 70 above, including the choice of a starting phase as referred to in paragraph 73 above, depends on the specific national circumstances, capacities and capabilities of each developing country Party and the level of support received;

75. Requests the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice to develop a work programme on the matters referred to in appendix II to this decision;

76. Urges Parties, in particular developed country Parties, to support, through multilateral and bilateral channels, the development of national strategies or action plans, policies and measures and capacity-building, followed by the implementation of national policies and measures and national strategies or action plans that could involve further capacity-building, technology development and transfer and results-based demonstration activities, including consideration of the safeguards referred to in paragraph 2 of appendix I to this decision, taking into account the relevant provisions on finance including those relating to reporting on support;

77. Requests the Ad Hoc Working Group on Long-term Cooperative Action under the Convention to explore financing options for the full implementation of the results-based actions referred to in paragraph 73 above and to report on progress made, including any recommendations for draft decisions on this matter, to the Conference of the Parties at its seventeenth session;

78. Also requests Parties to ensure coordination of the activities referred to in paragraph 70 above, including of the related support, particularly at the national level;

79. Invites relevant international organizations and stakeholders to contribute to the activities referred to in paragraphs 70 and 78 above; [...]

E. Economic and social consequences of response measures

Reaffirming the importance of the objective of the Convention, and the relevant principles and provisions of the Convention related to economic and social consequences of response measures, in particular its Articles 2, 3 and 4,

Recognizing that the implementation of response measures to mitigate climate change taken by a Party may result in negative economic and social consequences for other Parties, and the need to take into consideration in the implementation of the commitments of the Convention the situation of Parties, particularly developing country Parties, with economies that are vulnerable to the adverse impact of the implementation of measures to respond to climate change, referred to in Article 4, paragraphs 8, 9 and 10, of the Convention,

Affirming that responses to climate change should be coordinated with social and economic development in an integrated manner, with a view to avoiding adverse impacts on the latter, taking fully into account the legitimate priority needs of developing country Parties for the achievement of sustained economic growth and the eradication of poverty, and the consequences for vulnerable groups, in particular women and children,

Recognizing the importance of avoiding or minimizing negative impacts of response measures on social and economic sectors, promoting a just transition of the workforce, the creation of decent work and quality jobs in accordance with nationally defined development priorities and strategies, and contributing to building new capacity for both production and service-related jobs in all sectors, promoting economic growth and sustainable development,

Taking note of relevant provisions of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples,

88. Urges Parties, in the implementation of measures to mitigate climate change, to take into consideration the economic and social impacts of response measures and the needs of Parties, in particular developing country Parties, impacted by response measures, consistent with relevant provisions of the Convention;

89. Also urges developed country Parties to strive to implement policies and measures to respond to climate change in such a way as to avoid negative social and economic consequences for developing country Parties, taking into account Article 3 of the Convention, and to assist these Parties to address such consequences by providing support, including financial resources, transfer of technology and capacity-building, in accordance with Article 4 of the Convention, to build up the resilience of societies and economies negatively affected by response measures;

90. Reaffirms that the Parties should cooperate to promote a supportive and open international economic system that would lead to sustainable economic growth and development in all Parties, particularly developing country Parties, thus enabling them better to address the problems of climate change; measures taken to combat climate change, including unilateral ones, should not constitute a means of arbitrary or unjustifiable discrimination or a disguised restriction on international trade;

91. Agrees that information relating to response measures should be considered in a structured manner in order to enhance the implementation of Article 4, paragraph 1(g) and (h), of the Convention, recognizing the needs of developing country Parties identified in Article 4, paragraphs 8, 9 and 10;

92. Decides that Parties should cooperate fully to enhance understanding of the economic and social consequences of response measures, taking into account the need for information from those affected, and evidence of actual impacts, and of both positive and negative effects; and further decides to consider how existing channels, such as national communications, including the possible submission of supplementary information, as considered by the Subsidiary Body for Implementation, could be improved and built upon;

93. Further decides to provide a forum on the impact of the implementation of response measures, and to that end requests the Chairs of the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice and the Subsidiary Body for Implementation to convene such a forum at the thirty-fourth and thirty-fifth sessions of these bodies, with the objective of developing a work programme under the subsidiary bodies to address these impacts, with a view to adopting, at the seventeenth session of the Conference of the Parties, modalities for the operationalization of the work programme and a possible forum on response measures;

94. Invites Parties and relevant intergovernmental organizations to submit to the secretariat, by 28 March 2011, their views on the issues referred to in paragraph 93 above for consideration by the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice and the Subsidiary Body for Implementation at their thirty-fourth sessions;

If you wish to read the full decision, including annexes, see the URL here. 

Decision 1/CP.16

The Cancun Agreements: Outcome of the work of the Ad Hoc Working Group on Long-term Cooperative Action under the Convention

Theme
Adaptation
Tags 
GM
Event 
COP16
Year 
2010
Gender references Elaborated language Download PDF

Gender reference

Affirms that enhanced action on adaptation should be undertaken in accordance with the Convention, should follow a country-driven, gender-sensitive, participatory and fully transparent approach, taking into consideration vulnerable groups, communities and ecosystems, and should be based on and guided by the best available science and, as appropriate, traditional and indigenous knowledge, with a view to integrating adaptation into relevant social, economic and environmental policies and actions, where appropriate;

Elaborated language

II. Enhanced action on adaptation

11. Agrees that adaptation is a challenge faced by all Parties, and that enhanced action and international cooperation on adaptation is urgently required to enable and support the implementation of adaptation actions aimed at reducing vulnerability and building resilience in developing country Parties, taking into account the urgent and immediate needs of those developing countries that are particularly vulnerable;

12. Affirms that enhanced action on adaptation should be undertaken in accordance with the Convention, should follow a country-driven, gender-sensitive, participatory and fully transparent approach, taking into consideration vulnerable groups, communities and ecosystems, and should be based on and guided by the best available science and, as appropriate, traditional and indigenous knowledge, with a view to integrating adaptation into relevant social, economic and environmental policies and actions, where appropriate;

13. Decides to hereby establish the Cancun Adaptation Framework encompassing the provisions laid out below, with the objective of enhancing action on adaptation, including through international cooperation and coherent consideration of matters relating to adaptation under the Convention;

14. Invites all Parties to enhance action on adaptation under the Cancun Adaptation Framework, taking into account their common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities, and specific national and regional development priorities, objectives and circumstances, by undertaking, inter alia, the following:

  • (a) Planning, prioritizing and implementing adaptation actions, including projects and programmes,and actions identified in national and subnational adaptation plans and strategies, national adaptation programmes of action of the least developed countries, national communications, technology needs assessments and other relevant national planning documents;
  • (b) Impact, vulnerability and adaptation assessments, including assessments of financial needs as well as economic, social and environmental evaluation of adaptation options;
  • (c) Strengthening institutional capacities and enabling environments for adaptation, including for climate-resilient development and vulnerability reduction;
  • (d) Building resilience of socio-economic and ecological systems, including through economic diversification and sustainable management of natural resources;
  • (e) Enhancing climate change related disaster risk reduction strategies, taking into consideration the Hyogo Framework for Action, where appropriate, early warning systems, risk assessment and management, and sharing and transfer mechanisms such as insurance, at the local, national, subregional and regional levels, as appropriate;
  • (f) Measures to enhance understanding, coordination and cooperation with regard to climate change induced displacement, migration and planned relocation, where appropriate, at the national, regional and international levels;
  • (g) Research, development, demonstration, diffusion, deployment and transfer of technologies, practices and processes, and capacity-building for adaptation, with a view to promoting access to technologies, in particular in developing country Parties;
  • (h) Strengthening data, information and knowledge systems, education and public awareness;
  • (i) Improving climate-related research and systematic observation for climate data collection, archiving, analysis and modelling in order to provide decision makers at the national and regional levels with improved climate-related data and information;

15. Decides to hereby establish a process to enable least developed country Parties to formulate and implement national adaptation plans, building upon their experience in preparing and implementing national adaptation programmes of action, as a means of identifying medium- and long-term adaptation needs and developing and implementing strategies and programmes to address those needs;

16. Invites other developing country Parties to employ the modalities formulated to support the above-mentioned national adaptation plans in the elaboration of their planning effort referred to in paragraph 14 (a) above;

17. Requests the Subsidiary Body for Implementation to elaborate modalities and guidelines for the provisions of paragraphs 15 and 16 above, for adoption by the Conference of the Parties at its seventeenth session;

18. Requests developed country Parties to provide developing country Parties, taking into account the needs of those that are particularly vulnerable, with long-term, scaled-up, predictable, new and additional finance, technology and capacity-building, consistent with relevant provisions, to implement urgent, short-, medium- and long-term adaptation actions, plans, programmes and projects at the local, national, subregional and regional levels, in and across different economic and social sectors and ecosystems, as well as to undertake the activities referred to in paragraphs 14–16 above and paragraphs 30, 32 and 33 below;

19. Acknowledges the need to strengthen, enhance and better utilize existing institutional arrangements and expertise under the Convention;

20. Decides to hereby establish an Adaptation Committee to promote the implementation of enhanced action on adaptation in a coherent manner under the Convention, inter alia, through the following functions:

  • (a) Providing technical support and guidance to the Parties, respecting the country-driven approach, with a view to facilitating the implementation of adaptation activities, including those listed in paragraphs 14 and 15 above, where appropriate;
  • (b) Strengthening, consolidating and enhancing the sharing of relevant information, knowledge, experience and good practices, at the local, national, regional and international levels, taking into account, as appropriate, traditional knowledge and practices;
  • (c) Promoting synergy and strengthening engagement with national, regional and international organizations, centres and networks, in order to enhance the implementation of adaptation actions, in particular in developing country Parties;
  • (d) Providing information and recommendations, drawing on adaptation good practices, for consideration by the Conference of the Parties when providing guidance on means to incentivize the implementation of adaptation actions, including finance, technology and capacity-building and other ways to enable climate-resilient development and reduce vulnerability, including to the operating entities of the financial mechanism of the Convention, as appropriate;
  • (e) Considering information communicated by Parties on their monitoring and review of adaptation actions, support provided and received, possible needs and gaps and other relevant information, including information communicated under the Convention, with a view to recommending what further actions may be required, as appropriate;

21. Invites Parties to submit to the secretariat, by 21 February 2011, views on the composition of, and modalities and procedures for, the Adaptation Committee, including on proposed linkages with other relevant institutional arrangements;

22. Requests the secretariat to compile these submissions into a miscellaneous document, to be made available by the fourteenth session of the Ad Hoc Working Group on Long-term Cooperative Action under the Convention, and to prepare a synthesis report based on those submissions by the fourteenth session of the Ad Hoc Working Group on Long-term Cooperative Action under the Convention;

23. Requests the Ad Hoc Working Group on Long-term Cooperative Action under the Convention, taking into account the above-mentioned submissions and synthesis report, to elaborate the composition of, and modalities and procedures for, the Adaptation Committee, for adoption by the Conference of the Parties at its seventeenth session;

24. Also requests the Ad Hoc Working Group on Long-term Cooperative Action under the Convention, in elaborating the above-mentioned modalities and procedures, to define, as appropriate, linkages with other relevant institutional arrangements under and outside the Convention, including at the national and regional levels;

25. Recognizes the need to strengthen international cooperation and expertise in order to understand and reduce loss and damage associated with the adverse effects of climate change, including impacts related to extreme weather events and slow onset events;

26. Decides to hereby establish a work programme in order to consider, including through workshops and expert meetings, as appropriate, approaches to address loss and damage associated with climate change impacts in developing countries that are particularly vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate change;

27. Requests the Subsidiary Body for Implementation to agree on activities to be undertaken under the above-mentioned work programme;

28. Invites Parties and relevant organizations to submit to the secretariat, by 21 February 2011, views and information on what elements should be included in the work programme, including the following:

  • (a) Possible development of a climate risk insurance facility to address impacts associated with severe weather events;
  • (b) Options for risk management and reduction, risk sharing and transfer mechanisms such as insurance, including options for micro-insurance, and resiliencebuilding, including through economic diversification;
  • (c) Approaches for addressing rehabilitation measures associated with slow onset events;
  • (d) Engagement of stakeholders with relevant specialized expertise;

29. Requests the secretariat to compile these submissions into a miscellaneous document and to prepare a synthesis report based on those submissions, to be made available for consideration by the Subsidiary Body for Implementation at its thirty-fourth session, and with a view to making recommendations on loss and damage to the Conference of the Parties for its consideration at its eighteenth session;

30. Invites Parties to strengthen and, where necessary, establish regional centres and networks, in particular in developing countries, with support from developed country Parties and relevant organizations, as appropriate, and to facilitate and enhance national and regional adaptation actions, in a manner that is country-driven, encourages cooperation and coordination between regional stakeholders and improves the flow of information between the Convention process and national and regional activities;

31. Notes that an international centre to enhance adaptation research and coordination could also be established in a developing country;

32. Invites all Parties to strengthen and, where necessary, establish and/or designate national-level institutional arrangements, with a view to enhancing work on the full range of adaptation actions, from planning to implementation;

33. Decides that all Parties should use existing channels to provide information, as appropriate, on support provided and received for adaptation actions in developing countries and on activities undertaken, including, inter alia, progress made, experiences, lessons learned, and challenges and gaps in the delivery of support, with a view to ensuring transparency and accountability and encouraging best practices;

34. Invites relevant multilateral, international, regional and national organizations, the public and private sectors, civil society and other relevant stakeholders to undertake and support enhanced action on adaptation at all levels, including under the Cancun Adaptation Framework, as appropriate, in a coherent and integrated manner, building on synergies among activities and processes, and to make information available on the progress made;

35. Requests the secretariat to support the implementation of the Cancun Adaptation Framework, including related institutional arrangements under the Convention, in accordance with its mandate and subject to the availability of resources;

If you wish to read the full decision, including annexes, see the URL here. 

Decision 1/CP.16

The Cancun Agreements: Outcome of the work of the Ad Hoc Working Group on Long-term Cooperative Action under the Convention

Theme
Shared Vision
Tags 
GB
GE
GM
Event 
COP16
Year 
2010
Gender references Elaborated language Download PDF

Gender reference

The Preamble of Decision 1/CP.16 notes resolution 10/4 of the UN Human Rights Council on human rights and climate change, and notes differential impacts of climate change on segments of the population, owing to intersections such as age and gender. Additionally, in the operative section on ‘Shared Vision’, the decision recognizes that gender equality and the effective participation of women are important for effective climate action on all aspects of climate change.

Elaborated language

The Conference of the Parties,

Recalling its decision 1/CP.13 (the Bali Action Plan) and decision 1/CP.15,

Seeking to secure progress in a balanced manner, with the understanding that, through this decision, not all aspects of the work of the Ad Hoc Working Group on Longterm Cooperative Action under the Convention are concluded, and that nothing in this decision shall prejudge prospects for, or the content of, a legally binding outcome in the future,

Reaffirming the commitment to enable the full, effective and sustained implementation of the Convention through long-term cooperative action, now, up to and beyond 2012, in order to achieve the ultimate objective of the Convention,

Recalling the principles, provisions and commitments set forth in the Convention, in particular its Articles 3 and 4,

Recognizing that climate change represents an urgent and potentially irreversible threat to human societies and the planet, and thus requires to be urgently addressed by all Parties,

Affirming the legitimate needs of developing country Parties for the achievement of sustained economic growth and the eradication of poverty, so as to be able to deal with climate change,

Noting resolution 10/4 of the United Nations Human Rights Council on human rights and climate change, which recognizes that the adverse effects of climate change have a range of direct and indirect implications for the effective enjoyment of human rights and that the effects of climate change will be felt most acutely by those segments of the population that are already vulnerable owing to geography, gender, age, indigenous or minority status, or disability,

I. A shared vision for long-term cooperative action

1. Affirms that climate change is one of the greatest challenges of our time and that all Parties share a vision for long-term cooperative action in order to achieve the objective of the Convention under its Article 2, including through the achievement of a global goal, on the basis of equity and in accordance with common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities; this vision is to guide the policies and actions of all Parties, while taking into full consideration the different circumstances of Parties in accordance with the principles and provisions of the Convention; the vision addresses mitigation, adaptation, finance, technology development and transfer, and capacity-building in a balanced, integrated and comprehensive manner to enhance and achieve the full, effective and sustained implementation of the Convention, now, up to and beyond 2012;

2. Further affirms that:

(a) Scaled-up overall mitigation efforts that allow for the achievement of desired stabilization levels are necessary, with developed country Parties showing leadership by undertaking ambitious emission reductions and providing technology, capacity-building and financial resources to developing country Parties, in accordance with the relevant provisions of the Convention;

(b) Adaptation must be addressed with the same priority as mitigation and requires appropriate institutional arrangements to enhance adaptation action and support;

(c) All Parties should cooperate, consistent with the principles of the Convention, through effective mechanisms, enhanced means and appropriate enabling environments, and enhance technology development and the transfer of technologies to developing country Parties to enable action on mitigation and adaptation;

(d) Mobilization and provision of scaled-up, new, additional, adequate and predictable financial resources is necessary to address the adaptation and mitigation needs of developing countries;

(e) Capacity-building is essential to enable developing country Parties to participate fully in, and to implement effectively, their commitments under the Convention; and that the goal is to enhance the capacity of developing country Parties in all areas;

3. Recognizes that warming of the climate system is unequivocal and that most of the observed increase in global average temperatures since the mid-twentieth century is very likely due to the observed increase in anthropogenic greenhouse gas concentrations, as assessed by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change in its Fourth Assessment Report;

4. Further recognizes that deep cuts in global greenhouse gas emissions are required according to science, and as documented in the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, with a view to reducing global greenhouse gas emissions so as to hold the increase in global average temperature below 2 °C above preindustrial levels, and that Parties should take urgent action to meet this long-term goal, consistent with science and on the basis of equity; also recognizes the need to consider, in the context of the first review, as referred to in paragraph 138 below, strengthening the long-term global goal on the basis of the best available scientific knowledge, including in relation to a global average temperature rise of 1.5 °C;

5. Agrees, in the context of the long-term goal and the ultimate objective of the Convention and the Bali Action Plan, to work towards identifying a global goal for substantially reducing global emissions by 2050, and to consider it at the seventeenth session of the Conference of the Parties;

6. Also agrees that Parties should cooperate in achieving the peaking of global and national greenhouse gas emissions as soon as possible, recognizing that the time frame for peaking will be longer in developing countries, and bearing in mind that social and economic development and poverty eradication are the first and overriding priorities of developing countries and that a low-carbon development strategy is indispensable to sustainable development; in this context, further agrees to work towards identifying a time frame for global peaking of greenhouse gas emissions based on the best available scientific knowledge and equitable access to sustainable development, and to consider it at the seventeenth session of the Conference of the Parties;

7. Recognizes the need to engage a broad range of stakeholders at the global, regional, national and local levels, be they government, including subnational and local government, private business or civil society, including youth and persons with disability, and that gender equality and the effective participation of women and indigenous peoples are important for effective action on all aspects of climate change;

8. Emphasizes that Parties should, in all climate change related actions, fully respect human rights;

9. Confirms that Parties, especially developing country Parties that would have to bear a disproportionate or abnormal burden under the long-term cooperative action under the Convention, should be given full consideration;

10. Realizes that addressing climate change requires a paradigm shift towards building a low-carbon society that offers substantial opportunities and ensures continued high growth and sustainable development, based on innovative technologies and more sustainable production and consumption and lifestyles, while ensuring a just transition of the workforce that creates decent work and quality jobs;

If you wish to read the full decision, including annexes, see the URL here. 

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