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| Developing countries revolt against Danish text attempt |
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| Written by Meena Raman | |||
| Monday, 04 January 2010 17:54 | |||
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Copenhagen, 16 December (Meena Raman) - Developing countries launched a revolt in the opening of the Copenhagen high-level segment against an attempt by the Denmark government to introduce new texts of its own as the basis for negotiating the final outcome in the Climate Change Conference. The Danish Prime Minister, Lars Lokke Rasmussen, was criticised strongly and in blunt terms, for trying to table proposed texts when there are already two texts (one for the Kyoto Protocol and another for the long-term cooperative action under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change) prepared by the negotiators in the past ten days in Copenhagen, building on a few years of work. Developing countries, including the G77 and China, China, Brazil, India, Bolivia, South Africa, and Ecuador, clearly stated their firm opposition to attempts by the Danish Prime Minister, as the President of the Copenhagen climate talks to introduce new texts. The G77 and China was opposed to texts being introduced from "out of the blues" and China said that it could not accept texts "parachuted from the sky". They also called the process "illegitimate, undemocratic and non-transparent." The sentiments of the negotiators from developing countries were backed by President Hugo Chavez of Venezuela who was also at the meeting. President Chavez said that the move by the Danish Presidency to introduce "texts from the sky" was "undemocratic, top-secret and non-transparent". He said that he and other ALBA leaders would reject such texts from the Danish Presidency. (ALBA is the Bolivarian Alternative for the Americas and comprise Antigua and Barbuda, Bolivia, Cuba, Dominica, Ecuador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and Venezuela.) In contrast the Maldives President Mohamed Nasheed was willing to engage with the Danish proposed text. Danish Prime Minister, Rasmussen assumed the position as President of the Copenhagen Conference, following the resignation of Connie Hedegaard, the Danish Climate and Energy Minister, just before the commencement of the joint high-level segment of the meeting of the Conference of Parties (COP) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the COP serving as the Meeting of Parties to the Kyoto Protocol (CMP). Hedegaard, when closing the CMP that preceded the joint-high level segment, said that the Prime Minister will preside as the President and that she was appointed as a "special representative" to negotiate the outcome of Copenhagen and on the package to be adopted. She also said that the Presidency will table proposals for the outcome of the Conference. When the Danish Prime Minister convened the join-high level meeting, developing countries raised serious points of order. Brazil said that the CMP was convened this morning but not the COP, to receive the report of the Chair Ad-hoc Working Group on Long-term Cooperative Action under the Convention (AWG-LCA). Brazil said that references were made to new texts that would be presented under the authority of the COP Presidency. It asked when the COP would be convened, when the Chair of the AWG-LCA would present his report and what the situation of the text was. It asked when the discussions will begin based on the text that was the outcome of the AWG-LCA. The Danish PM asked then asked the Executive Secretary of the UNFCCC, Yvo De Boer to explain. de Boer said that the COP plenary will convene later to hear the report of the Chair of the AWG-LCA and to decide on how to proceed. He said that the he was sure that the COP Presidency would consult Parties on how to take the documents forward, both from the AWG-LCA and the Ad-hoc Working Group on Kyoto Protocol (AWG-KP). To facilitate the process, de Boer said that the COP Presidency will convene meetings of Parties on how to proceed on the text of the Danish Presidency if that was found to be desirable. Brazil once again raised a point of order. It said that Parties had negotiated texts under the AWG-LCA into the early morning of Wednesday and it was the understanding of all Parties that it is the text from that process that would guide Parties forward. The idea of a new text clearly indicates that the Parties' text would not be the reference of the work forward and that this was a concern for Brazil. China, in raising a point of order said that the issue was one of substance and not just procedure. It was about showing respect for the 192 Parties to the Convention and that since this was a party-driven process, there cannot be text introduced "from the sky". It said that the only legitimate negotiations are the outcomes of the respective Working-Groups (the AWG-KP and the AWG-LCA). China said that it was not obstructing the process but for the Copenhagen conference to be a success, a just process was needed. It said that the move by the Presidency to move on text before the COP hears the report of the AWG-LCA would tantamount to obstructing the process and endangers the success of Copenhagen. It said that discussions were needed before proceeding further. China also expressed grave concern over the trust between Parties and the host country. It said that the process was not transparent and not driven by Parties. The outcomes of the Conference should be based on the work of the two Working-Groups it said. India also raised a point of order. It said that the COP President had assured Parties that the process would be transparent, inclusive and party-driven, as this is the essence of multilateralism. It said that there cannot be "top-down" texts. Sudan, speaking for the G77 and China supported the interventions of the Brazil, India and China. It said that the process, as agreed was a party-driven, bottom-up and a double track process. It said that the COP President should not be disrespectful of Parties and that the Group was not ready to engage in text or texts which are produced "out of the blues". Ecuador echoed similar sentiments and said that the process lacked transparency and that each country must be consulted. In response to the remarks by developing countries, the Danish Prime Minister said that the world was waiting for an agreement to be reached and that Parties should not be discussing procedure. He said that there was need to move on the text. He said that on the one hand, there was need to assure Parties that the process was transparent and inclusive but on the other hand, Parties must move forward. He said that his intention was not to produce any text "from the sky". He said that he was talking about two texts, reflecting the two-track process. He said that there was need to get things moving as people were expecting something from the leaders. Brazil once again raised a point of order. It said that it wanted an assurance that the basis of negotiations of the AWG-LCA issues is the negotiated text from the AWG-LCA. It was not true to say that the negotiators had no texts. It asked for assurance that whenever the issues of the AWG-LCA were raised, it will be the text of the AWG-LCA which should be the basis. The Minister of Environment of South Africa emphasized the need for a party-driven process and had concerns over texts which were introduced outside of the process. South Africa said that this was a substantive matter. India too took the floor again on a point of order and said that discussions had been held with the COP President (Connie Hedegaard), and that India had stressed the sanctity of the negotiating texts from the process. It said that the issue now was about was "about our text" and about "how to protect it". The Danish Prime Minister responded that the Danish Presidency was built on transparency and that it respected "this process". He said that he had "a responsibility to get things moving" as leaders had started to arrive. From his "private consultations they (the leaders) expect us to make progress." Hence, he had to get started with the meeting and that he was paving the way for a successful outcome. China once again took the floor. It said that it was not about obstructing progress but that there were illegitimate moves by some Parties by putting forward texts from the COP Presidency, without consulting Parties. "That is the real issue which will obstruct progress", said China. It said that progress had been made in the Working-Groups and that it had hoped that that is the sole legitimate basis for the process. China said that the COP Presidency had "parachuted text from the sky." For China, it was a matter of justice of the process. "How can you put forward texts without receiving reports from both the Working Groups" asked China. It said that some Parties have intentions to kill the Kyoto Protocol and this would endanger the whole process. It said that it took the Convention and the Kyoto Protocol seriously and came to Copenhagen not just for Copenhagen but for a clear purpose to fulfill the mandates of the Bali Roadmap and not to work on "hidden agendas". It said that it was important to clarify that the outcomes of the AWG-LCA and the AWG-KP would form the basis of legi! timate negotiations, leading to final outcomes. Bolivia said that the issue was not just one of process but of substance. The content of the Danish text is a problem as it was not based on an outcome that is democratic and participatory. The foundation for a good process was from the bottom-up, it said. The Danish Prime Minister said that he had not presented any text from the Presidency. He said that the Presidency will consult with Parties. He said that the consultations could be productive based on the work of the two Working-Groups, to move through a Danish proposal. It asked Parties to allow the statements by the Heads of States and governments. The meeting then continued with statements from heads of States and groupings. TWN Update No. 18 Copenhagen News Update 16 December 2009 Published by the Third World Network www.twnside.org.sg Like it? Share it!
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