Minister Nkoana-Mashabane arrives in Panama City for UN climate change meeting

International Relations and Cooperation Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane arrived in Panama City, Republic of Panama, this morning, 03 October 2011, to resume consultations with a variety of groupings and stakeholders taking part in a crucial meeting of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).  

The meeting is officially known as the third part of the 16th Session of the Ad Hoc Working Group on Further Commitments for Annex I Parties under the Kyoto Protocol (AWG-KP 16) and the third part of the 14th Session of the Ad Hoc Working Group on Long-term Cooperative Action under the Convention (AWG-LCA 14).  

Minister Nkoana-Mashabane is participating in the meeting in her capacity as incoming President of the 17th Conference of Parties (COP17) to the UNFCCC and the seventh Conference of the Parties serving as the Meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol (CMP7), which is to take place in Durban from 28 November to 09 December 2011.

The Minster will meet the UNFCCC Secretariat as well as a variety of groupings and stakeholders, including the Africa Group, the G77 and China, representatives of the European Union, the Umbrella Group as well as the Environmental Integrity Group.  

The consultations are part of the mandate given to the incoming President of COP17/CMP7 to consult widely towards a balanced and credible outcome at the COP17/CMP7 conference in Durban.

Later today, 03 October 2011, Minister Nkoana-Mashabane will sign the Host Country Agreement on behalf of the Government of the Republic of South Africa with the UNFCCC Secretariat for South Africa’s hosting of the COP17/CMP7 in Durban.

For further information, please contact Mr. Clayson Monyela, spokesperson for DIRCO, on 082 884 5974

ISSUED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS AND COOPERATION

OR Tambo Building
460 Soutpansberg Road
Pretoria

03 October 2011