Mr. Co-chairs, I have the honor to deliver this statement on behalf of the 48 least developed countries.

Mr. Co-chairs, dear delegates, the last two and a half months since the ADP 2-9 have been very intense for all countries. Many countries have worked hard to prepare their INDCs. We have also had to prepare our responses to your tool, which you Co-chairs have submitted to us and for which we thank you.

This great amount of activity is an indication of the high importance of the upcoming Paris conference. As the most vulnerable countries to the current and projected impacts of climate change, we have a primary concern about the outcome of the Paris conference. We are looking for effective solutions that are able to guarantee the very survival of our people, countries and economies.

We would like to thank you Co-chairs for the tool you have made available to us and for providing it in sufficient time to allow for our preparatory work.

We understand from you that you were careful in your approach to deliver the mandate given to you. Now it is time for Parties to engage and arrive at a text that will be comprehensive and acceptable to all Parties, and more importantly, to reach an agreement that is capable of dealing with the enormous climate change challenge ahead of us.

The LDCs are concerned that there is not enough balance in Part One of the tool, which outlines a possible draft of the Paris Agreement. There are critical omissions in Part One and we must revisit and draw on elements from Part Two and Three of your tool to make the necessary and critical improvements to the draft Paris Agreement.

Co-Chairs, let me highlight some critical issues for LDCs:

• The objective of the Paris Agreement in Part One should be enhanced. It needs to give a clear objective that supports Article 2 of the Convention and outline a set of principles for key thematic issues under the agreement. In additions, principles such as those relating to gender equality and human rights need to be considered;
• The mitigation architecture needs to be more structured, binding and based on an effective differentiation of Parties. NDCs should be reflected as legally binding commitments and in the Agreement itself;
• The Agreement should have concrete medium and long term emission reduction goals to give us the assurance that we are moving in the right direction;
• Any trading mechanisms must be conditional on sound environmental integrity principles. This also applies to the land sector;
• We are extremely dismayed that Loss and Damage has not been included in Section I. It is absolutely essential that Loss and Damage is included in the Paris Agreement. Just to be frank, without Loss and Damage, the LDCs don’t see how we can reach an agreement in Paris;
• We need architecture within the agreement that gives us a guarantee that finance and other means of implementation will be regularly and substantially enhanced and will build on the pre-2020 commitment floor of $100 billion. Just to be frank one again, without clear provisions in the Paris Agreement that address pre- and post-2020 finance and means of implementation, the LDCs don’t see how we can reach an agreement in Paris;
• We need to have references to establish, anchor and/or further define specific existing and new institutions in the new agreement. Some of the institutions that are serving LDCs, particularly on adaptation are critical for our Group.
• We need stronger compliance provisions in the Paris Agreement that spell out enforcement and facilitative measures.

Mr. Co-chairs, we are becoming gravely concerned that an increasing number of countries, particularly from the developed world, are submitting INDCs that represent their minimum contribution. This apparent lack of will to tackle climate change with sufficient ambition will obviously leave us with a legacy of a bleak future for vulnerable countries and for future generations.

On work stream 2, we thank you for providing us with the elements for a draft decision. As previously stated by the Group, we have exhausted time of discussion under this work stream. The time is now for strong and ambitious action up to 2020 and beyond.

Finally Co-chairs, we would like to thank all the contributing Parties that have provided resources for this meeting and appeal for additional resources to be allocated for future meetings, in a way that supports the adequate representation of delegates from the most vulnerable countries. At this meeting we are seriously handicapped by the fact that we are underrepresented

Co-chairs, the LDCs are ready to engage constructively with other Parties to ensure that we have a comprehensive, balanced and forward looking agreement in Paris. Our future depends on it.

We thank you, Co-chairs.