Conference of the Parties

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Conference of the Parties
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Climate Change

• Nicole Rossow

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Conference of the Parties

• Supreme body of the Climate Change Convention
• Vast majority of the worlds states are members,
  185 total.
• The COP must promote and review the Conventions
  implementation
• The Parties should protect the climate system for
  the benefit of resent and future generations of
  humankind.

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• The Parties should take precautionary measures to
  anticipate, prevent or minimize the causes of
  climate change and mitigate its adverse effects.
• They should promote sustainable development.
• They should develop, update, and publish COPs.
• They should formulate, implement, publish and
  update programs containing measures to mitigate
  climate change.
• They should promote and develop technologies,
  practices and processe that control, reduce or
  prevent emissions of greenhouse gases.

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• They should take climate change into account in
  their relevan social, economic, and environmental
  policies and actions and employ appropriate
  methods.
• They should promote and cooperate in scientific,
  technological and other research.
• They should promote and cooperate in education,
  training and public awareness related to climate
  change.

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Conference of the Parties

• Each Party to the Convention is represented at
  sessions of the Convention bodies by a national
  delegation.
• Consisting of one or more officials who are
  empowered o represent and negotiate on behalf of
  their government.
• Groupings are used to present the interests of
  Parties, which are important to the climate
  negotiations.

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Conference of the Parties

• Group of 77 and China
• Developing countries comprising over 130 members,
  diverse group with differing interests on climate
  change issues.
• Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS)
• 43 low lying and small island countries
  vulnerable to sear-level rise. The AOSIS
  countries are united by the hreat that climate
  change poses to their survival.
• Least Developed Countries
• 48 countries defined as leas developed countries
  by the UN regularly work together to defend their
  particular interests with regard to vulnerability
  and adaptation to climate change.

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• European Union
• 15 members meet in private o agree on common
  positions for the negotiations.
• Umbrella Group
• Is a loose coalition of non-EU developed
  countries, the Group is usually made up of
  Australia, Canada, Iceland, Japan, New Zealand,
  Norway, the Russican Federation, Ukraine he the
  US.
• Central Asia, Caucasus, Albania and Moldova
  (CACAM)
• A number of countries in Asia and Central Eastern
  Europe.

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The COP is responsible for keeping the entire
process on track.

• Developing rules of procedure and financial
  rules.
• The COP holds sessions
• At COP-3 drafted a legally binding agreemen under
  which industrialized countries are to reduce
  their collective emissions of six greenhouse
  gases by 5.2 by 2008-12, this was called the
  Kyoto Protocol.

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• The convention requires its members to submit
  National Communications to the COP on a regular
  basis.
• National greenhouse gas emissions
• International cooperation
• National activities
• This information is reviewed periodically so
  that the Parties can track the Conventions
  effectiveness and draw lessons for future
  national and global action.

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COPs role in the Kyoto Protocol

• Parties of the Convention that are not Parties to
  the Protocol will be able to participate in
  Protocol-related meetings as observers.
• The new agreement will periodically reviewed by
  the parties.
• They will take appropriate action on the basis of
  the best available scientific, technical, and
  socio-economic information.

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NGOs and IGOs

• Attend sessions of the COP as observers
• Observers may attend meetings of the COP without
  the right to vote, unless at least one-third of
  the Parties object.
• 510 NGOs and 48 IGOs are accredited as observers
• NGOs must be legally constituted entities, not
  for profit, and competent in matters related to
  the Convention.
• Special events and exhibits at the COP sessions