Media Statement

Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane, President of COP17/CMP7 official Launch of the Ad Hoc Working Group on the Durban Platform for Enhanced Action (ADP) at the UNFCCC Inter-sessional Climate Change Meeting in Bonn, 17 May 2012

On 17 May 2012, Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane, as the President of COP17/CMP7, launched the Ad Hoc Working Group on the Durban Platform for Enhanced Action (ADP) at the UNFCCC Inter-Sessional Meeting in Bonn, Germany. At the COP17/CMP7 Conference, that took place in Durban from 29 November to 10 December 2011, agreement was reached on consensus by the 195 country Parties to the Convention on a package of decisions that became popularly known as the “Durban Outcome”.

In this regard, the ADP anchors the Durban Outcome which included the decision to finalise the outstanding work related to the amendment of Annex B of the Kyoto Protocol to secure the 2nd Commitment Period; finalise the outstanding work of the Ad Hoc Working Group on Long Term Cooperative Action (AWG-LCA) and to close its work; to launch a work plan on enhancing mitigation ambition; and to launch the ADP to complete its work as early as possible, but not later than 2015 in order to adopt a legal instrument to come into effect and to be implemented from 2020.

In essence, the ADP decision 1/CP.17 is in itself a very carefully crafted compromise which will require that partners implement it in the context of the understandings reached at the time. Although the ADP will focus on post 2020, it also has to address the level of ambition before 2020. It was in this regard that Minister Nkoana-Mashabane was very clear that the focus must always remain on implementation.

It is also important that the world acknowledge the fact that the climate change process must be moved forward and that country Parties' must now focus on those practices that worked and delivered the desired results. It was encouraging to note at the launch of the ADP that countries are eager to commence with the substantive work under this new Ad Hoc Working Group of the UNFCCC climate change negotiations.

In conclusion the Minister reminded country Parties that they can be proud of the fact that they are the generation that adopted the Kyoto Protocol and the Bali Roadmap. It is also this generation that breathed renewed life into the UNFCCC process in Cancun and it is this same generation that delivered the Durban Outcomes. She therefore urged the Climate change community to continue to Doha as the generation of achievers.

The Minister, as COP17/CMP7 President also Chaired the Bureau meeting of the UNFCCC.

For more information: Clayson Monyela at 082 884 5974.

Issued by the Department of International Relations and Cooperation
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