The Conference of the Parties,
Recalling the relevant provisions of the Convention,
Also recalling decisions 1/CP.16, 7/CP.17 and 3/CP.18,
Acknowledging the contribution of adaptation and risk management strategies towards addressing loss and damage associated with climate change impacts,
Also acknowledging that loss and damage associated with the adverse effects of climate change includes, and in some cases involves more than, that which can be reduced by adaptation,
Recalling its decision to establish, at its nineteenth session, institutional arrangements, such as an international mechanism, including functions and modalities, to address loss and damage associated with the impacts of climate change in developing countries that are particularly vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate change,
1. Establishes the Warsaw international mechanism for loss and damage, under the Cancun Adaptation Framework, subject to review at the twenty-second session of the Conference of the Parties (November–December 2016) pursuant to paragraph 15 below, to address loss and damage associated with impacts of climate change, including extreme events and slow onset events, in developing countries that are particularly vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate change (hereinafter referred to as the Warsaw international mechanism), and in line with the provisions contained in paragraphs 2−15 below;
2. Also establishes an executive committee of the Warsaw international mechanism, which shall function under the guidance of, and be accountable to, the Conference of the Parties, to guide the implementation of functions referred to under paragraph 5 below;
3. Requests the executive committee to report annually to the Conference of the Parties through the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice and the Subsidiary Body for Implementation and make recommendations, as appropriate;
4. Decides that, as an interim measure, the executive committee shall consist of two representatives from each of the following bodies under the Convention, ensuring that there is a balanced representation between developed and developing country Parties: the Adaptation Committee, the Least Developed Countries Expert Group, the Standing Committee on Finance, the Technology Executive Committee and the Consultative Group of Experts on National Communications from Parties not included in Annex I to the Convention;
5. Also decides that the Warsaw international mechanism shall fulfil the role under the Convention of promoting the implementation of approaches to address loss and damage associated with the adverse effects of climate change, pursuant to decision 3/CP.18, in a comprehensive, integrated and coherent manner by undertaking, inter alia, the following functions:
(a) Enhancing knowledge and understanding of comprehensive risk management approaches to address loss and damage associated with the adverse effects of climate change, including slow onset impacts, by facilitating and promoting:
- (i) Action to address gaps in the understanding of and expertise in approaches to address loss and damage associated with the adverse effects of climate change, including, inter alia, the areas outlined in decision 3/CP.18, paragraph 7(a);
- (ii) Collection, sharing, management and use of relevant data and information, including gender-disaggregated data;
- (iii) Provision of overviews of best practices, challenges, experiences and lessons learned in undertaking approaches to address loss and damage;
(b) Strengthening dialogue, coordination, coherence and synergies among relevant stakeholders by:
- (i) Providing leadership and coordination and, as and where appropriate, oversight under the Convention, on the assessment and implementation of approaches to address loss and damage associated with the impacts of climate change from extreme events and slow onset events associated with the adverse effects of climate change;
- (ii) Fostering dialogue, coordination, coherence and synergies among all relevant stakeholders, institutions, bodies, processes and initiatives outside the Convention, with a view to promoting cooperation and collaboration across relevant work and activities at all levels;
(c) Enhancing action and support, including finance, technology and capacitybuilding, to address loss and damage associated with the adverse effects of climate change, so as to enable countries to undertake actions pursuant to decision 3/CP.18, paragraph 6, including by:
- (i) Providing technical support and guidance on approaches to address loss and damage associated with climate change impacts, including extreme events and slow onset events;
- (ii) Providing information and recommendations for consideration by the Conference of the Parties when providing guidance relevant to reducing the risks of loss and damage and, where necessary, addressing loss and damage, including to the operating entities of the financial mechanism of the Convention, as appropriate;
- (iii) Facilitating the mobilization and securing of expertise, and enhancement of support, including finance, technology and capacity-building, to strengthen existing approaches and, where necessary, facilitate the development and implementation of additional approaches to address loss and damage associated with climate change impacts, including extreme weather events and slow onset events;
6. Further decides that the Warsaw international mechanism should complement, draw upon the work of and involve, as appropriate, existing bodies and expert groups under the Convention, as well as on that of relevant organizations and expert bodies outside the Convention, at all levels;
7. Decides that, in exercising the functions outlined in paragraph 5 above, the Warsaw international mechanism will, inter alia:
(a) Facilitate support of actions to address loss and damage;
(b) Improve coordination of the relevant work of existing bodies under the Convention;
(c) Convene meetings of relevant experts and stakeholders;
(d) Promote the development of, and compile, analyse, synthesize and review information;
(e) Provide technical guidance and support;
(f) Make recommendations, as appropriate, on how to enhance engagement, actions and coherence under and outside the Convention, including on how to mobilize resources and expertise at different levels;
8. Invites the Executive Secretary, in consultation with the President of the Conference of the Parties, to convene the initial meeting of the executive committee by March 2014, the meetings of which will be open to observers, and invite representatives of relevant international and regional organizations having the necessary skills in approaches to addressing loss and damage associated with the adverse effects of climate change, including extreme weather events and slow onset events;
9. Requests the executive committee to develop its initial two-year workplan for the implementation of the functions outlined in paragraph 5 above, including the scheduling of meetings, taking into account the issues outlined in decision 3/CP.18, paragraphs 6 and 7, for consideration at the forty-first sessions of the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice and the Subsidiary Body for Implementation (December 2014);
10. Also requests the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice and the Subsidiary Body for Implementation to consider the composition of, and procedures for, the executive committee, and to make recommendations thereon for adoption by the Conference of the Parties at its twentieth session (December 2014), with a view to finalizing the organization and governance of the executive committee;
11. Invites relevant international and regional organizations, institutions and processes to integrate, where appropriate, measures to address the impacts of climate change and to explore and strengthen synergies in the context of addressing loss and damage associated with the adverse impacts of climate change, especially in particularly vulnerable developing countries;
12. Also invites Parties to work through the United Nations and other relevant institutions, specialized agencies and processes, as appropriate, to promote coherence at all levels in approaches relevant to addressing loss and damage associated with the adverse effects of climate change, including extreme events and slow onset events;
13. Further invites Parties to strengthen and, where appropriate, develop institutions and networks at the regional and national levels, especially in particularly vulnerable developing countries, to enhance the implementation of relevant approaches to addressing loss and damage in a manner that is country-driven, encourages cooperation and coordination between relevant stakeholders and improves the flow of information;
14. Requests developed country Parties to provide developing country Parties with finance, technology and capacity-building, in accordance with decision 1/CP.16 and other relevant decisions of the Conference of the Parties;
15. Decides to review the Warsaw international mechanism, including its structure, mandate and effectiveness, at the twenty-second session of the Conference of the Parties, with a view to adopting an appropriate decision on the outcome of this review;
16. Takes note of the budgetary implications of the activities to be undertaken by the secretariat pursuant to the provisions contained in this decision;
17. Requests that the actions of the secretariat called for in this decision be undertaken subject to the availability of financial resources.
