Manila, Philippines, December 10, 2012

The recently concluded climate negotiations in Doha, Qatar, are being spun as having opened “a gateway to greater ambition and action on climate change”. In reality they merely kept the Kyoto Protocol alive, just enough to be able to claim a multilateral framework for dealing with the climate crisis still exists. But this is a much-weakened multilateral framework that is full of loopholes and clearly inadequate to the task of preventing irreversible climate change. Crucially, it has failed to provide the immediate action needed to address climate change now. Instead, all the tough decisions that needed to be made to “raise ambition and action on climate change” have essentially been postponed to 2015 or beyond - for implementation in 2020 onwards. In other words, the world has been locked into another decade of official inaction in the face of a planetary emergency.

More than 41,000 people have been displaced in the past two days from the impact of super typhoon Pablo (international code name: Bopha, Category 5) in the southern Philippines – meanwhile developed countries at COP18 continue to stall negotiations on reducing emissions that worsen extreme weather events and funding for developing countries to adapt to climate change.

The human impact of the strongest typhoon to hit the Philippines this year has been devastating. Wind gusts of up to 195 kph (121 mph) have destroyed homes, power and communication lines, and led to mass evacuations in Mindanao. More than 155,000 people remained in temporary shelters late on Tuesday.

IBON International calls on the world’s leaders to show genuine solidarity not just to the Philippines, but also to poor people from other developing countries who are on the frontlines of the impacts of climate change by committing to deep and drastic emissions cuts, and substantial climate finance commitments.

Article 3.1 of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC): “The developed country Parties should take the lead in combating climate change and the adverse effects thereof.”

Doha, Qatar, December 3, 2012

Climate negotiations in Doha are stalling – along with the hope of averting a temperature rise that will have catastrophic impacts on the world’s poorest.

As ministers from across the world arrive in Doha, developed countries are backing away from committing to ambitious reductions in carbon emissions as well as meaningful and immediate transfers of funds and technology to developing countries.

The US, EU, and negotiating blocs including the “Umbrella Group” (Australia, New Zealand, Russia, the Ukraine, Kazahkstan, Norway, and Japan), and the “Environmental Integrity Group” (Switzerland, Korea, Mexico), are blocking developing country demands that the Kyoto Protocol – the expiring cornerstone treaty of emissions reductions – is extended with ambitious and legally binding commitments. Likewise, while they make vague acknowledgements of the need to help developing countries, wealthy countries are avoiding concrete commitments to climate finance and technology transfer.

Both the EU and Australia are sticking to low emissions targets they will not increase without greater international action. The US claimed its “enormous” efforts on climate change should be recognized, but has pulled out of an extended Protocol and achieved a meager 3% reduction in emissions to date. The US said its positions are notbased on “what is needed”, rather what can be “sold at home”. Indeed, developed countries stand united against new, legally binding commitments on emissions reductions in line with science.

31 August, 2012

In response to the invitation of the co-chairs at the first meeting of the Board of the Green Climate Fund in Geneva, the following constitutes recommendations on the interrelated issues of observer participation and rules of procedure from a multi-constituency group of CSOs registered as observers for the first GCF Board meeting, as well as other CSOs informed and consulted after the meeting.

August 17, 2011
Bangkok, Thailand

We, 52 women and men from 18 countries Bangladesh, Burma, Cambodia, China and Hongkong SAR,India, Indonesia, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Mexico, Pakistan, Philippines, Sri Lanka, South Korea, Spain,Thailand, Timor Leste, USA, and Vietnam  and representing peasants, agricultural workers, fisherfolk,indigenous peoples, workers, women, youth and students, refugees and stateless persons, academia,environmental and support NGOs and networks met for the ‘Promoting a Transformative Agenda forSustainable Development: A Strategy Workshop on Rio+20’ on August 15?17, 2011 in Bangkok, Thailand.

JULY 7, 2011
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

QUEZON CITY, Philippines — It is oft said that a revolution is a “festival of the oppressed.” Although no guns were fired at this time, it was certainly a festival of the oppressed as some 3,000 participants from different countries concluded the five-day International Festival for People’s Rights and Struggles (IFPRIS) with a powerful message to all peoples of the world: “We may be different in colour, but our hearts and blood are the same. We are one in the struggle for a better world.”

Seminar on US War on Terror and Counterinsurgency and IFPRIS Solidarity Night

It is “fireworks” time for the United States of America as they celebrate the 4th of July. But for social activists and peoples’ organisations, it is timely to discuss and tackle US militarism and imperialism. Students, teachers and scholars join the basic sectors from across the globe as they sit, listen and interact inside UP Bahay ng Alumni, Tuesday afternoon.

A Blast of Crowd Caving In UP Film Institute

Workers, peasants, women, migrants, indigenous people, artists and cultural workers, scientists, teachers, health professionals and youth from all over the world, join together in a common opening of an event first of its kind – the International Festival for Peoples’ Rights and Struggles (IFPRIS). About a thousand people from diverse origins gathered at Magsaysay Avenue, this morning at around 8:30AM, to witness rituals performed by different sectors to symbolise the opening of the festivities.

By Prof. Jose Maria Sison
Chairperson
International League of Peoples' Struggle
July 5, 2011

On behalf of the International League of Peoples' Struggle (ILPS), I wish to convey warmest greetings of solidarity to all the workers, peasants, women, youth, indigenous peoples, migrants, artists and cultural workers and all the people from other sectors and communities from all over the world who are now gathered in Manila for the first International Festival for Peoples’ Rights and Struggles.

New direction in Kyoto Protocol talks

Kuala Lumpur, 11 April (Lim Li Lin) -- The Ad hoc Working Group on Further Commitments for Annex I Parties under the Kyoto Protocol (AWG-KP) closed its Bangkok session on Friday, 8 April after four days of candid discussions on the future of the Kyoto Protocol. Japan and Russia declared that they would not accept a second phase of emission reduction commitments under the Kyoto Protocol, and instead are in favour of a new agreement that would also include other major emitters.

Penang, 11 April (Meena Raman) –After an intense two and half days of negotiations, the agenda for the Ad Hoc Working Group on Long-term Cooperative Action (AWG-LCA) under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) was adopted in Bangkok late evening on the final day of the meeting on 8 April.

Talks to chart way forward for climate talks

Bangkok, 7 April (Meena Raman) – On the eve of the conclusion of the climate talks in Bangkok under the working groups of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and its Kyoto Protocol (KP), discussions were ongoing on how to set the direction for further work from here to the next session in Bonn to be held in June this year.

BANGKOK, Apr 6 (IPS) - The World Bank is facing mounting opposition from

a broad network of green and grassroots activists over its role in a new

global Green Climate Fund (GCF) aimed at helping developing countries

combat the ravages of climate change.

Developing countries demand political commitment to the Kyoto Protocol

Bangkok, 7 April (Lim Li Lin) – Developing countries reiterated their strong united challenge to developed countries to confirm the latter’s legal commitment to the Kyoto Protocol and to agree, as a matter of priority, to a second commitment period to reduce greenhouse gases emission reduction beyond 2012.

Uncertainty over direction of Bangkok climate talks

Bangkok, 7 April (Meena Raman) – Uncertainty reigned over the direction of the Bangkok climate talks in the two working groups of the Ad-Hoc Working Group on Long-term Cooperative Action (AWG-LCA) under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Ad-hoc Working Group on Further Commitments of Annex 1 Parties under the Kyoto Protocol (AWG-KP).

Developing countries taking mitigation actions despite lack of support

Bangkok, 6 April (Lim Li Lin) – Many developing countries are taking voluntary national mitigation efforts to tackle climate change in the face of difficulties and lack of international financial and technology support by developed countries.

Tumultuous start to Bangkok climate talks

Bangkok, 6 April (Meena Raman) – It was a tumultuous start to the Bangkok climate talks which officially opened on the afternoon of 5 April with a stark challenge by developing countries to developed countries to show their political commitment on whether or not there would be a second commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol (KP) for greenhouse gases emission reductions.

Developing countries question pledges of Annex 1 Parties

Bangkok, 5 April (Meena Raman) – In a very lively exchange of views between developed and developing countries at the pre-sessional workshop held on 3 April in Bangkok under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (on the emission reduction targets by developed country Parties), developing countries questioned the “wait and see” approach of the developed countries in expressing their pledges.

US says no to “top down” rules for targets and compliance

Bangkok, 4 April (Meena Raman)-- At a pre-sessional workshop on the emission reduction targets by developed country Parties held in Bangkok on 3 April under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the United States said that it could not support an international regime or structure of top down rules for setting emission reduction targets and consequences for non-compliance.

Indigenous Environmental Network and Grassroots Global Justice Alliance march with thousands in Cancun to Demand Respect for Indigenous Rights and a Rejection of REDD


Cancún, Q. Roo, Mexico, December 7, 2010 – As thousands of people marched today on the COP-16 climate summit to condemn the false solutions and backroom deals being pushed in the negotiations, solidarity actions unfolded in over 100 cities around the world. The march was organized by La Via Campesina, the world's largest federation of peasant and smallholder farmers, and was the anchor action of the 1000 Cancúns Global Day of Action for Climate Justice.