Following news that a draft of the negotiating text had been delivered, the Least Developed Countries (LDC) Group issued the following statement.

Chair of the Least Developed Countries (LDCs) Group, Mr Giza Gaspar-Martins of Angola said: “We welcome the draft of the negotiating text and are pleased to say all countries worked hard to deliver this as close to the deadline as possible.

“The Least Developed Countries look forward to continuing the negotiations in a constructive spirit and in good faith with a view to arriving at a new climate agreement that is true to the principles and spirit of the Convention. In particular article 4.9, which acknowledges the special needs and circumstances of the LDCs.”

The LDC Group was crucial to establishing the negotiating body in charge of developing the new agreement – the Ad Hoc Working Group on the Durban Platform for Enhanced Action ADP – in 2011 at the Durban COP-17.

Giza added: “We now hope to hand over to the COP Presidency the cleanest text possible within the next 24 hours, giving Ministers clear options with which to make political decisions next week.”

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