Statements and Speeches
Statement on Behalf of the G77 and China by Ambassador Nozipho Mxakato-Diseko, Deputy Director-General, Multilateral Branch, Department Of International Relations and Cooperation of the Republic of South Africa, at the Stocktaking Plenary of the 9th Part of the 2nd Session of the Ad Hoc Working Group on the Durban Platform for Enhanced Action (ADP2-9)
Bonn, Germany, 4 June 2015
Co-Chairs,
The Group of 77 and China is encouraged by the positive atmosphere in which Parties have engaged over the last few days in the attempt to streamline the Geneva text, with developing countries playing a particularly constructive role. The G77 and China has also been flexible in agreeing to the mode of work proposed by the Co-Chairs.
The process of streamling is indeed an arduous, but necessary, process. The pace has been slow thus far, but we are encouraged that some progress has been made, notably on Workstream II.
We should approach our negotiations in a step-by-step manner starting from the technical and editorial level that will give Parties the reassurances they need at each stage of the process, towards a shorter and a more manageable text. Streamlining and consolidating should however not prejudge Parties' views on specific issues and the structure and content of the Paris outcome.
Time is, however, of the essence and the pace of work has to be significantly increased if we are to achieve our objective. We should make the most of the time available.
Co-Chairs,
The Group is of the view that, in some instances, more clarity and direction provided by you, the Co-Chairs, can accelerate progress. Our experience has been that the lunch and evening facilitations have reduced our Group's coordination time. The Group needs adequate time to coordinate, especially since the majority of the proposals in the text come from members and sub-groups of the G77. It is in our collective interest to have a balance between coordination time for groups and facilitation time and this will be to the benefit of the streamlining exercise. We call on all Parties to continue showing flexibility in order to make greater progress on streamlining.
Co-Chairs,
At this point, we need to reflect on how to move forward during the second part of the Bonn meeting. We also need to get a clearer sense of what the outcome of the work here in Bonn should be and how progress on the negotiating text can best be captured.
It has been our experience that groundrules for the streamlining process thus far has not been applied consistently in the different facilitation groups. This has created unease for the Parties.
In the spirit of an open, transparent and Party-driven process, the G77 believes that all proposals should remain on the table, albeit in a streamlined form. In this regard, we see the working document as merely a tool to assist us to streamline in a practical manner. We see an updated Geneva text capturing the progress we made in Bonn as the basis of the work that we will continue to do.
Co-Chairs,
It is important to keep in mind that the streamlining process is not advancing at the same pace on the different chapters. If the working document only captures progress on some issues and does not maintain Parties' proposals on others, we run the risk of moving forward in a very unbalanced manner.
There is also a need for greater consistency in approach to streamlining across thematic areas. This can be achieved by a clearer understanding of what streamlining duplications and overlaps entails.
We are also concerned when we see that some Parties are engaging with different approaches to different sections of the text, raising procedural debates in some, which has resulted in differences in the pace at which we progress and different procedural difficulties.
Guidance is also needed on how the many cross-cutting issues, in particular the similar issues emerging from different sections in the text will be addressed. There is a need to discuss, not in a theoretical manner, but based on the textual proposals, cross-cutting issues such as differentiation, structure, legal form, etc.
Furthermore Co-Chairs,
The Group of 77 and China regards Workstream II on pre-2020 ambition as an integral part of the ADP that has direct bearing on the successful adoption of the 2015 agreement. However, the Group is of the view that the elaboration of a decision on Workstream II has not enjoyed sufficient attention here in Bonn.
In the spirit of advancing our work, the Group of 77 and China has been working diligently to develop and elaborate decision text on Workstream II. We look forward to engaging with Parties on both our text and on their proposals at the appropriate time at this ADP session. We expect to leave this Bonn session with text on the table for Workstream II and to do so we will need to be provided with dedicated time and space for textual discussion under this workstream.
Co-Chairs,
The Group of 77 and China is ready to continue and intensify its constructive contribution to this process.
Thank you.