Mr. President:

        It is my honour and privilege to speak on behalf of the Group of 77 and China at the Joint High Level Segment of the Thirteenth Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Third Session of the Meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol.

2.      Let me avail of this opportunity to thank the Government and brotherly people of Indonesia for their generous hospitality and the warmth that they have extended to us all in this beautiful island of Bali.

3. Let me also extend our sincere felicitations to the authors of the Fourth IPCC Assessment Report on receiving the Nobel Peace Prize, which is indeed a well-deserved recognition of their good work done.

4.   The Group of 77 and China would like to welcome the ratification of the Kyoto Protocol by Australia.  We would also avail of this opportunity to renew our call upon all member states that have yet not done so to ratify and implement the UNFCCC and the Kyoto Protocol.

Mr. President:

5.       Climate Change poses serious risks and challenges particularly to developing countries and therefore demands urgent global action and response. The Group is concerned about the fact that the adverse effects of climate change and the associated phenomena threaten the sustainable development, livelihoods and the very existence of many developing countries and in particular Africa, the LDCs, the LLDCs, SIDS and disaster prone developing countries.

6.        The Group of 77 and China, therefore, view these discussions as an integral part of the wider sustainable development debate.

Mr. President:

7.      At Bali, it is essential to redress the gap in implementation and to generate corrective actions to address the enormity of climate challenge. We must do so on the basis of equity, common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities. The major responsibility rests on the developed countries. No significant progress can be made without major and significant reductions in emissions of GHG by all Annex-1 countries. Therefore, the G77 and China attaches particular significance to the new commitments, which Annex 1 countries are to make in the second commitment period after 2012. This will be the single most vital determinant of success or failure in meeting the Climate Change challenge.

8. Secondly, as the Framework Convention recognized, the first and foremost priority for the developing countries is economic and social development. Measures and steps to address climate change should assist, not impede, the goal of sustainable development. Their development momentum must be maintained and accelerated, especially in the poorest countries.

9. Thirdly, we must enhance the full, effective and sustained implementation of the Convention. In this context, urgent action is needed to arrest and reverse the vulnerabilities of the developing countries. Consequently, the process should accord equal priority to all the four building blocks while recognizing that the existing building blocks are not exhaustive.    

10. The G-77 and China considers that the provision of financial resources to the developing countries by the developed countries is a commitment under the Convention. Financing is one of the key components and one of the main building blocks also for enhancing the implementation of the Convention. There is a huge gap between the funding currently available through the financial mechanisms of the Convention and the funding needs of the developing countries. While market based solutions are important, nonetheless, given the scale and magnitude of the resources required, the close engagement of governments and public sector funding and intervention will remain critical.

11. The Group of 77 and China is relieved to see the finalization of the recommendation on the Adaptation Fund. This is undoubtedly an important step, which would help finance concrete adaptation projects and programmes that are country driven and are based on the needs, views and priorities of eligible Parties. We look forward to the early operationalization of the Fund with immediate, adequate and predictable resource inflows and call upon all developed countries to contribute to the Trust Fund for operating the Adaptation Fund. Moreover, transparent utilization of the Adaptation Fund, in a cost effective manner, will be the key to making it successful.

Mr. President:

12. The development and transfer of technology to developing countries through an effective mechanism supported by adequate and predictable financial resource base is vital to enabling the developing countries to face the challenges posed by climate change.

13. We would like to express our disappointment over the manner in which we had to struggle for long hours to restore this important item on the SBI agenda. It is our hope that this subject will be given the priority that it deserves.   

14. We are also extremely disappointed not to have reached agreement on having a decision at this COP that will allow the implementation of the technologies identified by developing countries. Ironically, developed country Parties do state that technology development and transfer is one of the building blocks for the design of future climate change regime.

Mr. President:

15. Capacity Building under the Convention and the Protocol remains an area of high priority for the G77. Unfortunately, this too has not received the attention it deserves. We also express our disappointment over the difficulties and hurdles that we continue to face from developed country Parties on this issue. The most recent deadlock at this Session is a clear manifestation of that lack of understanding and flexibility on the part of our partners.

16. The Group of 77 and China has actually participated in the ongoing consultations on the Bali Roadmap including the possible establishment of an Ad Hoc Working Group on Enhancing the Implementation of the Convention.

17. The Group of 77 and China is concerned that the recommendations relating to the Ad Hoc Working Group have not progressed as much as we would have liked. We will work with others to bring our deliberations to a successful conclusion. To do so, flexibility will be required from all sides. We must use this possibility to convert the climate challenge into a climate opportunity. However, this endeavour should not result in the erosion of the Convention or the Kyoto Protocol, or the replacement of these by a less equitable instrument. We would like to reiterate that the UNFCCC, and its Kyoto Protocol, remain the central multilateral framework for cooperative actions to address climate change.

Mr. President:

18.     Let me say a few words about my own country. Although Pakistan is a large country, with the fifth largest population, it is a low Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emitter. Our total annual emissions are only 0.43% of world's total i.e. 135th among all countries. However, the low emission status of the country provides no safety from the adverse effects of changing climate.

19.     Climate change is causing irrevocable damage to Pakistan, with tremendous social, environment and economic impacts including on forest resources and natural ecosystems of the country. Even the glaciers in Himalayas are receding faster than any other part of the world. There are fears that many may disappear by 2050.

20.     I take this opportunity to state that Pakistan is deeply committed to the global efforts to mitigate climate change impacts and has taken a number of steps for the improvement and protection of the environment.

21.     These measures however need additional financial resources to be obtained through international and regional cooperation. The worst hit countries, like Pakistan, should be allocated a major share of the Adaptation Fund, the GEF and other resources to meet these challenges.

22.     Let me also take this opportunity to highlight the increasing energy needs of Pakistan in the backdrop of our sound economic performance and high growth rates. We will have to rely on both traditional and non-traditional sources of energy including renewables to sustain the existing high growth rates and to take them to the next higher level. Use of hydel and nuclear energy would therefore be a natural option for Pakistan. We urge the international community including the private sector to support Pakistan's endeavours in this regard.    

I thank you Mr. President.