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REMARKS BY H.E. AMBASSADOR (DR.) HASSAN ADAMU, THE HONOURABLE MINISTER OF ENVIRONMENT OF THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA, ON BEHALF OF THE GROUP OF 77 AND CHINA, AT THE INFORMAL HIGH-LEVEL CONSULTATIVE MEETING ON CLIMATE CHANGE New York, 28 April 2000 Mr. President, I wish to express, on behalf of the Group of 77 and China, our profound appreciation to you for convening this informal high-level consultative meeting. It came at a crucial time when we are bound to focus on issues that must be addressed and resolved on climate change and sustainable development to achieve substantive progress in COP-6. It is pertinent therefore to recall the objectives of the Convention on Climate Change vis-à-vis the Kyoto Protocol in order to get clear picture of the enormous tasks before us. The Convention was envisaged to build a process that would limit green house gases emission with a view of controlling global warming. The Kyoto Protocol was established to advance the implementation of the Convention as well as address the issue of sustainable development, which is one of the twin components of climate change. Mr. President, The Group notes that, to date, significant progress has been made on the issue of climate change at the expense of sustainable development. In fact, the Group of 77 and China has participated actively to advance progress on the issue of climate change which obviously has been detrimental to the underlying concerns on sustainable development. The time has come therefore to address the issues of concern to the developing countries. These issues, among others, are capacity-building; provision of adequate financial resources; and transfer of technology. What the Group is thereby calling for is simple a matter of fairness, equity, justice and transparency. We have had enough of platitudes and rhetorics. We are asking for concrete commitment within specific timeframe and operational modalities for their implementation. To achieve substantial progress in COP-6, annex I parties have to fulfil their commitments on these issues of serious concern to developing countries. Having gone through COP-5 without still resolving all those key issues to mitigate the devastating impact of climate change on developing countries, most of whom are burdened, inter alia, with crushing poverty, unsustainable debt, distressed economies, and various debilitating environmental problems, it demands that the focus now should be on modalities for implementation of the commitments. Mr. President, It is obvious that the success of the forthcoming COP-6 will depend on the extent to which these issues on mechanisms, policies and measures, compliance and commitment are being handled. It will be futile to encourage the high expectation for success being built towards COP-6 if there is no political will to commit ourselves to implement already agreed commitments and recommendations, particularly as it concerns annex II parties. There is therefore dire need to balance the diverse interests of the parties. We in the Group of 77 and China will facilitate the process, in so far as our interests are taken care of adequately, and in line with the principles and content of the Convention. The Group is favourable to further dialogue and consultations by the Ministers to seek for concrete strategies to address these problems. I thank you. |