Closing of the Twentieth Session of the Conference of Parties of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP 20)

Statement by Nepal on behalf of the Least Developed Countries Group 

Lima, Peru

Mr. President, I have the honour to speak on behalf of the Group of Least Developed Countries.

Mr. President, allow me to congratulate you for bringing this COP to an end.

The LDC Group welcomes the COP decision on the approval of initial two-year workplan of the Executive Committee (ExCom) of the Warsaw International Mechanism (WIM) for loss and damage associated with climate change impacts. We believe that the two-year workplan will initiate the process for the implementation of the functions of the mechanism.

The LDC Group also welcomes the decision for finalizing the permanent structure and composition of the Executive Committee for the WIM. We urge Parties to expedite the nomination of the membership so that the ExCom can start its work by the first quarter of next year to implement the functions of this mechanism. The LDC Group looks forward to the prioritization of the means of implementation and issues related to rehabilitation, risk transfer and climate migration in the days to come.

Mr. President, the LDC Group welcomes the progress made in Lima on issues related to National Adaptation Plans (NAPs). We look forward to further enhancing the ways to communicate and report adaptation needs to the Convention process.

We call for adequate support for the formulation and implementation of the NAPs. We have not been able to completely implement our NAPAs, because of inadequate funding in the LDC Fund. We urge developed country Parties and other Parties in the position to do so, to contribute to the LDCF in order to support the full implementation of the LDC work programme.

On the ADP, we welcome progress made here in Lima. We also thank all the Parties for their understanding and maintaining a cooperative spirit. The LDC Group commends the hard work the President has taken upon himself including in consulting with the various groups and advancing the work of this important body. We look forward to intensifying this work next year.

In adopting this decision it is the view of the group that the reference to the Warsaw Mechanism on Loss and Damage in preambular paragraph 5 and the reference to “inter alia” in operative paragraph 2 is a clear intention that the protocol, another legal instrument or an agreed outcome with legal force to be adopted in Paris will properly, effectively and progressively address loss and damage in these respective legal options.

Mr. President, on CMP 10, our group would like to request three key tasks at this closing session.

First, all Parties to the Kyoto Protocol must speed up their ratification processes in order for the Doha Amendment to enter into force as soon as possible; there has been far too much delay!

Second, all developed country Parties to the Kyoto Protocol must fulfill their promises made in Doha to review their quantified emission limitation reduction objectives and adjust their commitments to be in line with what is required by science.

Third, all Annex I Parties not participating in the second commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol must raise their level of mitigation ambition through comparable targets. As the mitigation pledges for 2020 by Annex I Parties amount to less than the voluntary mitigation pledges by non-Annex I Parties, we urge Annex I Parties to demonstrate leadership and raise their level of ambition to the scale required by science and equity.

Mr. President, we note the decisions on the clean development and joint implementation mechanisms showing a desire to be maintained irrespective of price fluctuations. The LDCs would like to see improvements to the modalities and procedures of the CDM.

We also thank all the Parties who pledged funds to the Adaptation Fund. We urge other parties to come forward with further funding to enable the implementation of adaptation projects prepared by developing countries. Providing immediate funding of the LDCF is our top priority.

Mr. President, I would like to take this opportunity to thank you, your team and the Secretariat for all their hard work.

I thank you, Mr. President.