United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change - Twenty Fourth Conference of Parties

The Twenty Fourth Conference of Parties (COP 24) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) convened in Katowice, Poland from November 28th to December 14th, 2018. COP 24 comprised preparatory meetings and meetings of various Constituted Bodies under the UNFCCC, running simultaneously. These were:

• Preparatory meetings of the Alliance of Small Island States and G77 and China;
• Twenty Fourth Conference of Parties (COP24) to the UNFCCC;
• Fourteenth session of the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol (CMP);
• Third part of the first session of the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Paris Agreement (CMA);
• Forty Ninth Session of the Subsidiary Body for Implementation (SBI 49);
• Forty Ninth Session of the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice (SBSTA 49); 
• Seventh Part of the First Session of the Ad Hoc Working Group on the Paris Agreement (APA 1.7).

COP 24 was attended by over 22,000 participants, including nearly 14,000 government officials, over 7,000 representatives from UN bodies and agencies, intergovernmental organisations, and civil society organisations, and 1,500 members of the media. The Republic of Trinidad and Tobago was represented by Her Excellency Ambassador Pennelope Beckles, Permanent Representative to the United Nations, New York, Mr. Kishan Kumarsingh, Head, Multilateral Environmental Agreements Unit, Ministry of Planning and Development, Ms. Sindy Singh, Climate Change Specialist, Multilateral Environmental Agreements Unit, Ministry of Planning and Development.  

COP 24 was primarily focused on finalising the Paris Agreement Work Programme (PAWP), a set of decisions or “rules” meant to operationalise the Paris Agreement. At the end of the Conference, Parties adopted the Katowice Climate Package, which includes decisions on nearly all of the issues mandated as part of the PAWP. These include issues on guidance for Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), common timeframes, the impact of the implementation of response measures; guidance for adaptation communication, matters relating to the transparency of finance,  a new collective quantified goal on finance, issues related to the Technology Mechanism, and the technology framework,  procedures, and guidelines for the transparency framework for action and support, the global stocktake and issues related to compliance.

T&T Representatives - From right, Her Excellency Ambassador Pennelope Beckles, 

Mr. Kishan Kumarsingh and Ms. Sindy Singh

Her Excellency Ambassador Pennelope Beckles (right) and Ms. Sindy Singh (left) 

participate at the Gender Responsive Technology Needs Assessment Workshop

Bonn Climate Change Conference

From the 4-15 June, 2014 the Bonn Climate Change Conference took place at the Maritim Hotel in Bonn, Germany. The Conference included the fortieth (40th) sessions of the  Subsidiary Body for Implementation (SBI-40) and the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological advice (SBSTA-40). Additionally, the fifth (5th) meeting of the second session of the Ad Hoc Working Group on the Durban Platform (ADP 2-5) was also held. 

High-level ministerial events also occurred during this period. The first event involved a round-table aimed at assessing the implementation of the Kyoto Protocol while the second event involved a dialogue on the Durban Platform for Enhanced Action which was intended to provide momentum for negotiations on the 2015 agreement. 

Participants which included observer states and organisations, country parties  to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and the media. Trinidad and Tobago was represented by Ms. Rueanna Haynes, Second Secretary Second Secretary, Permanent Mission of Trinidad and Tobago to the United Nations. 

SBI- 40 made progress on issues concerning the Convention Article 6 on eduction, training and public awareness among other agenda items. Strides were on areas concerning agriculture, research and systemativ observation in SBSTA-40.  ADP 2-5 discussed areas of mitgation, adaptation, finance, technology, capacity building, transparency and intended nationally determined contributions and other issues related to these elements.

Mr. Kishan Kumarsingh (right) and Mr. Artur Runge-Metzger (left) ADP2-5 co-chairs at the bonn cliamate change conference, june 2014.

photo credit : iisd.ca

Mr. Kishan Kumarsingh, Head of the Multilateral Environmental Agreements Unit, Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources served as the co-chair of the ADP along with Mr. Arthur Runge-Metzger of the European Union at the ADP 2-5.

 

 

United Nations Climate Change Conference: COP19/CMP9

The Warsaw Climate Change Conference took place from 11 - 22 November, 2013 in Warsaw, Poland. It included the 19th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 19) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the 9th session of the COP serving as the Meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol (CMP 9).

In addition, it included meetings of three subsidiary bodies; the 39th sessions of the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice (SBSTA 39) and the Subsidiary Body for Implementation (SBI 39) and the 3rd part of the second session of the Ad Hoc Working Group on the Durham Platform for Enhanced Action (ADP 2).

Trinidad and Tobago was represented by Mr. Kishan Kumarsingh, Head of the Multilateral Environmental Agreements Unit (MEAU), Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources (MEWR). Mr. Kumarsingh also served as the co-chair of the Ad Hoc Working Group on the Durban Platform for Enhanced Action (ADP) along with Artur Runge-Metzger of the European Union.

L-R Mr. Runge-Metzger (EU) and Mr. Kumarsingh (MEWR) co-chairs  of the ADP at the UN Climate Change Conference, Warsaw, Poland November, 2013.

Negotiations in Warsaw centred on the implementation of agreements reached at previous meetings, including the work of the ADP. The meeting adopted decisions that are intended to keep governments on a track towards a universal climate agreements in 2015 and also included significant new decisions that will promote the minimisation of emissions from deforestation and on loss and damage.

CARICOM Climate Change Negoitiators Meeting

The CARICOM Negotiators Meeting was organised by the Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre (CCCCC) and was held in St. Lucia during the period March 15- 16, 2013.  Ms Jewel Batchasingh, Climate Change/Ozone Specialist of the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources represented Trinidad and Tobago at this strategic meeting.

The principal focus of this meeting was to:

•  Analyse the outcomes of Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the eighth session of the Conference of the Parties serving as the Meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol (COP18/CMP 8) that occurred in December, 2012 and,

• Define the region’s objectives for the negotiations under the Ad Hoc Working Group on the Durban  Platform and other subsidiary bodies especially in relation to the new institutions established under the Convention during the past two years.

 The Second Session of the Ad Hoc Working Group on the Durban Platform for Enhanced Action (ADP) was carded to meet during the period April 29 – May 03, 2013 and therefore, the meeting sought to formalise the CARICOM climate change negotiating position prior to this second session of the ADP.

Outcomes from the COP18/CMP 8 were discussed by various thematic coordinators. These presentations engendered discussions which allowed for a better understanding of the various issues. A concept note was prepared by Trinidad and Tobago which proposed a way forward for on-going negotiations under the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS).

UN Climate Change Conference 2013

The United Nations Climate Change Conference took place in Doha, Qatar from November 26 to December 8, 2012

Representing Trinidad and Tobago was Mr. Kishan Kumarsingh; Head of the Multilateral Environmental Agreements Unit (MEAU), Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources along with Ms. Rueanna Hayes from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Mr. Kishan Kumarsingh (second from the right) amongst country delegates at a session of the United Nations Climate Change Conference 2012

The Conference included the eighteenth session of the Conference of the Parties (COP18) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and eighth session of the Conference of the Parties serving as the Meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol (CMP8).

Negotiations in Doha focused on the implementation of agreements reached at previous conferences.  Decisions arising out of these discussions included the establishment of a second commitment period of Kyoto Protocol (2013-2020).

In addition, the work of the Ad Hoc Working Group on Further Commitments for Annex I Parties under the Kyoto Protocol (AWG-KP), Ad Hoc Working Group on Long-term Cooperative Action under the Convention (AWG-LCA) and negotiations under the Bali Action Plan were terminated.

While developing countries and observers expressed disappointed with the lack of ambition in outcomes on Annex I countries' mitigation and finance, most agreed that the conference had paved the way for a new phase.

This phase will focus on the implementation of the outcomes from negotiations that were under the AWG-KP and AWG-LCA, and advancing negotiations under the Ad Hoc Working Group on the Durban Platform for Enhanced Action (ADP).