Photo by IISD/ENB | Mike Muzurakis

Belém, Brazil

Presidency, Chairs, Co-Chairs, Distinguished Delegates, and Colleagues,

1. The Republic of Malawi is honored to speak on behalf of the 44 Least Developed Countries, a collective voice representing 1.6 billion people on the frontlines of the climate crisis.
2. We would like to express our gratitude to the Presidency, Secretariat including volunteers and the Co-Chairs for providing unwavering support and continued guidance here in Belem.
3. Mr. President, we commend your dedication in navigating this difficult process amidst other complexities such as the unfortunate fire incident.
4. Regarding the Belem Package, we have made heavy compromises on ambition and implementation. We believe Belém has taken a step forward in strengthening multilateralism.
5. For instance, On the Global Stocktake, we worked together to co-create a balanced outcome. We now call for strong implementation and transparent tracking of the first GST outcome, and look ahead to the IPCC AR7 Working Groups as critical inputs for the second GST.
6. Mr. President, On Just Transition, the LDC Group welcomes the establishment of the Just Transition Mechanism, which we believe represents a significant step toward the effective implementation of just, fair, and equitable transitions. We also welcome the decision’s references to universal access to energy and the recognition of the special needs and circumstances of LDCs. Means of implementation and international cooperation are indispensable and must not be overlooked as we work to implement just transitions in our countries, driving transformative economic growth that empowers our local communities, including the informal sector, the engines of our economies. We hope that the implementation of just transitions will effectively address structural inequalities, create jobs, and contribute to poverty eradication, while ensuring adequate support for our smallholder farmers. This will help guarantee that no one is left behind as we collectively advance toward the long-term goals of the Paris Agreement.
7. We further welcome the acknowledgement of the intrinsic link between just transitions and achieving the 1.5°C temperature goal.
8. However, I am at pains to learn that pertinent questions that I raised at the opening session on behalf of the vulnerable youth, women, elderly, people living with disabilities and local communities in the LDCs, that continue to suffer from climate change impacts as we speak, are yet to be answered from this process.
9. Mr. President, we fought so hard to guarantee survival of the most vulnerable nations and communities, but our hopes for true climate justice have not been met.
10. In many areas, our special needs and circumstances have been completely neglected, a position that is against the principles of the Convention and the Paris Agreement.
11. In this regard, We are, deeply concerned with low ambition to triple adaptation finance by 2035, with diluted responsibilities. We must address the call to urgently scale-up finance for adaptation. 2035 can be too late. For us, adaptation finance is not about negotiation. It is about our survival, building resilience and adapting to the intensifying impacts of climate change.
12. ⁠We also remain very concerned with the soft language on scaling up the LDCF. For the second consecutive year GEF had to cancel a pledging event for LDCF during COP. This is the only fund dedicated to LDCs and it must be empowered to deliver at the scale needed to protect and build resilience in our vulnerable communities.
13. On GGA, we expected indicators grounded in science, crafted by experts, to show the world where we stand and what we need. What we have now is not the foundation we hoped for. As a group that has consistently championed the work of technical experts, we are deeply disappointed to see much of that work diminished in the final outcome. Yet we will continue on this journey, working to evolve this framework until it truly serves its purpose and speaks to our lived realities.
14. We also underscore the persistent lack of adequate means of implementation for National Adaptation Plans (NAPs) which is undermining the effort of our countries from moving beyond planning towards concrete, on-the-ground adaptation actions.
15. The Group further express its disappointment with the adoption of the new Gender Action Plan in its present form, as it does not adequately provide the strengthened means of implementation and financing that are essential for effective delivery. For the LDCs, a Gender Action Plan without sufficient support risks remaining aspirational rather than transformative. While this outcome reflects difficult compromises and collective resolve, it leaves a critical pending task: securing the necessary financing and implementation mechanisms to ensure that the Plan can truly serve the communities that need it most. The LDC Group remains committed to working constructively with all Parties so that the Belém Gender Action Plan translates into tangible results, particularly for women and girls across our most vulnerable contexts.
16. The outcome is further short of ambition to strengthen immediate action within this critical decade to 1.5°C and backtracked on the advancement of the means of implementation that enable us to achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement. This is not only unjust; it is unsustainable and again it undermines collective efforts towards building community resilience in the LDCs, SIDS and other developing countries.
17. Our people deserve better. The planet deserves better. And the clock is ticking.
18. I thank you.