Successful conclusion of preparatory meeting for COP 23
From 6 November onwards, delegates from 197 countries will be travelling to Bonn to the 23rd UN Climate Change Conference under the Presidency of the Republic Fiji to negotiate the implementation of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change. Germany is supporting the island state as technical host. The Prime Minister of the Republic of Fiji, Frank Bainimarama, hosted the so-called Pre-COP, the preparatory meeting to the Climate Change Conference, which was held on 17 to 18 October. Almost 300 representatives from 60 countries, international organisations and civil society travelled to Nadi for the Pre-COP.
Jochen Flasbarth, State Secretary at the Federal Environment Ministry, said: "The world is preparing for an ambitious Climate Change Conference. It is good to see that the commitment of the international community has not diminished even after the US’ withdrawal was announced. Climate policy can only succeed through active cooperation. The Republic of Fiji is going to place particular emphasis on actively involving non-governmental players. The preparatory meeting showed that players worldwide at all levels are promoting the implementation of the Paris Agreement."
The country currently holding the Presidency of the Climate Change Conference, the Republic of Fiji, explained at Pre-COP, among other things, how COP23 be guided by the "Talanoa" principle. Talanoa is a Fijian tradition of decision-making. The term refers to an open exchange and dialogue which is inclusive and transparent, involves all stakeholders and is characterised by mutual respect.
Pre-COP also made it clear that many countries are expecting the Bonn conference to make tangible progress in the formulation of implementation guidelines for the Paris Agreement. This will ensure that the book of rules, with which global greenhouse gas emissions will be measured and documented, can be formally approved at COP 24 in Katowice, Poland, in 2018. This book of rules will define a code of practice for the Paris Agreement. State Secretary Flasbarth: "It is crucial to the success of the Paris Agreement that the progress countries make in achieving their nationally determined contributions is transparent and recorded in line with standardised rules." This task was not completed in Paris and needs to be finalised by 2018 for the Agreement to become effective.