Strange outcome of Cancun climate conference

Cancun, 14 December (Martin Khor*) --The United Nations' Cancun climate conference, which adopted a text early on 11 December had a strange outcome.

It was acclaimed by many for reviving the spirit of multilateralism in the climate change system, because another collapse after the disastrous failure of the Copenhagen talks a year ago would have knocked another hole into the reputation of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Convention (UNFCCC).

Cancun texts adopted, overriding Bolivia's objections

Cancun, Dec 13 (Meena Raman) – Two decisions under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Kyoto Protocol, which the Mexican host government dubbed as “the Cancun Agreements”, were adopted in the early hours of the morning of Saturday, December 11, despite a lack of consensus following objections by Bolivia to their adoption.

Copenhagen Accord fails to deliver, say some SIDS and LDC leaders

Cancun, 10 December (Hilary Chiew) – Political leaders from some least developed countries and small island states that have associated themselves with the Copenhagen Accord expressed their disappointment with the promised fast start finance that remains elusive and they are also concerned that the pledges are insufficient to keep temperature rise below a safe limit for them.

Wide ranging views at High level segment  and “Mexico Dialogue”

Cancun, 9 December (Hilary Chiew) – Tuvalu’s deputy prime minister Enele Sosene Sopoaga reiterated his country’s rejection of the Copenhagen Accord as “it is a hollow document designed to serve short term political needs”.

At the joint high-level segment of the 16th meeting of the Conference of Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and the 6th COP acting as the Meeting of Parties to the Kyoto Protocol yesterday (8 December), Sopoaga said in Copenhagen (last year), the small island state rejected the Copenhagen Accord and it continues to do so.

Bolivia strongly calls for return to Party-driven negotiations



Cancun, 9 Dec (Chee Yoke Ling) – Amidst confusion, the cancellation of two scheduled negotiating groups’ meetings and the convening of small-room consultations involving ministers, Bolivia made an urgent and emphatic call for a return to Party-driven negotiations in the final days of the climate talks in Cancun, Mexico.

Cancun Conference moves into small group “consultations”



Cancun, 9 December (Meena Raman) – A small group of about 50 delegations was convened in the afternoon of Wednesday 8 December by the Presidency of the UNFCCC talks being held here in Cancun in a process termed “informal consultations under the Presidency.”

Political leaders disappointed in climate finance and slow progress

Cancun, 8 December (Hilary Chiew) – President Meles Zenawi of Ethiopia lamented that the promise of Copenhagen has been lost and called for the US$30 billion fast start finance to be made available immediately.

The Peoples Movement on Climate Change was present at the different civil society spaces in Cancun. PMCC coordinator Tetet Nera-Lauron was a resource person at the Plenary Session on Agriculture and Climate Change at the Dialogo Climatico on Dec. 5, at a seminar on Climate Migrants organized by
Equity Bd, at the workshop on Just Transition Now! Towards a Peoples Protocol on Climate Change at the Klima Forum 10.

Transparency and inclusiveness take centre stage in stocktaking

Cancun, 6 Dec (Chee Yoke Ling and Lim Li Lin) – The informal stocktaking of the first week of the ongoing climate talks under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and its Kyoto Protocol focused on issues of transparency and inclusiveness as well as the integrity of a Party-driven process.

Cancun, 7 Dec (Chee Yoke Ling) – In announcing that newly arrived ministers will help to move the climate negotiations forward, Mexican Minister Patricia Espinosa, President of the Conference of Parties, also reassured Parties that the process will be transparent and inclusive.