African Group

Highlights for Monday, 16 July 2018 A Jamaican flag outside the venue On Monday, 16 July, the Council of the International Seabed Authority (ISA) opened for the second part of the 24th Session in Kingston, Jamaica. Following administrative matters, the Council addressed in an informal format the financial model under the draft exploitation regulations, focusing on: options for a financial payment system for polymetallic nodules; implementing the common heritage principle in the context of the payment system; and the inclusion of environmental costs in the payment system. For extensive details on the day’s negotiations and to hear what delegates said in the corridors, see our daily Earth Negotiations Bulletin. IISD Reporting Services, through its ENB+ Meeting Coverage, provided daily digital web coverage and daily reports in English and French from ISA-24. In addition, IISD Reporting Services, will publish a summary and analysis report from ISA-24 on Sunday, 29 July 2018. Photos by IISD/ENB | Diego Noguera L-R: Richard Roth, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT); Alfonso Ascencio-Herrera, ISA Legal Counsel and Deputy to the Secretary-General; Michael Lodge, ISA Secretary-General; Olav Myklebust, Council President for the 24th Session; Michelle Walker, Chair of the Legal and Technical Commission (LTC); and Gwénaëlle Le Gurun, ISA Secretariat Olav Myklebust, Council President for the 24th Session Michael Lodge, ISA Secretary-General Carlos Alberto Michaelsen den Hartog, Brazil Eduardo Bonilla, Chile David Yardley, Australia Alfonso Ascencio-Herrera, ISA Legal Counsel and Deputy to the Secretary-General Mehdi Remaoun, Algeria, on behalf of the African Group Richard Roth, MIT A slide from Richard Roth’s presentation Michelle Walker, Chair of the LTC Tommo Monthe, Cameroon Mahe ‘Uli’uli Sandhurst Tupouniua, Tonga Sergio Hernàndez Núñez, Chile Delegates during the Council meeting Lisa Levin, Deep Ocean Stewardship Initiative (DOSI) Matthew Gianni, Deep Sea Conservation Coalition Kristina Gjerde, International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Rena Lee, Singapore Delegates from Nigeria share a laugh before the start of the meeting Elisa Morgera, ENB, and Matthew Gianni, Deep Sea Conservation Coalition Representatives from Spain consult informally Around the Venue Police officers at ISA-24

The thirteenth session of the UN Forum on Forests (UNFF13) convened for its final day on Friday, 11 May 2018. Delegates considered the Chair's draft summary, which will be conveyed to the UN High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) and encompasses UNFF13's input on Sustainable Development Goal 15 (life on land) and other forest-related SDGs. Delegates also reviewed a draft omnibus resolution on: • Implementation of the UN Strategic Plan on Forests 2017-2030 (UNSPF); • Monitoring, assessment and reporting (MAR); • Means of implementation (MOI); • UN system-wide contribution to the implementation of the UNSPF; • Contribution of the Forum to the HLPF review in 2018; • Preparations of for the HLPF review in 2019; and • Information on UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA) reform pertaining to UNFF. Annexed to the resolution was the revised communications and outreach strategy, and the revised guidelines for operation of the Global Forest Financing Facilitation Network (GFFFN) of the UNFF. Informal consultations were held through the lunch break, after which a revised draft resolution was presented and approved with a minor amendment. Delegates then addressed the remaining agenda items, including on emerging issues and challenges and the dates and venue for UNFF14. Following the adoption of the report of the session, and closing remarks, UNFF13 was closed at 4:53 pm. Immediately following UNFF13, UNFF14 was opened with the sole purpose of electing the new UNFF Bureau. UNFF14 was suspended at 4:59 pm. IISD Reporting Services, through its Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB) meeting coverage, provided daily digital coverage, daily reports, and a summary and analysis report from UNFF13. Photos by IISD/ENB | Ángeles Estrada Vigil For photo reprint permissions, please follow instructions at our Attribution Regulations for Meeting Photo Usage Page. Morning Session   Jorge Mario Rodríguez-Zúñiga, Costa Rica Luca Arnold, EU Michael Osakuade, Nigeria, for Africa Group Victoire Ongmanong, Cameroon Noyal Thomas, India Dorji Rabten, Bhutan Mohamed Ali Elhadi Ali, Sudan Areg Gharabegian, Armenia     Hossein Moeini-Meybodi, UNFF Secretariat; Muhammad Shahrul Ikram Yaakob, UNFF13 Chair; and Moncef Khane, UNFF Secretary Delegates during Informal Consultations           Clossing Session L-R: Hossein Moeini-Meybodi, UNFF Secretariat; Manoel Sobral Filho, UNFF Director; Muhammad Shahrul Ikram Yaakob, UNFF13 Chair; and Moncef Khane, UNFF Secretary Muhammad Shahrul Ikram Yaakob, UNFF13 Chair Manoel Sobral Filho, UNFF Director   Moncef Khane, UNFF Secretary Sibylle Vermont, Switzerland Javad Momeni, Iran Ian Naumkin, Russian Federation UNFF13 Vice-Chair Luciana Melchert Saguas Presas Catherine Karr-Colque, US Mehdi Remaoun, Algeria Khalid Cherki, Morocco   Around the Venue              

The Bonn Climate Change Conference ended on Thursday as each of the three bodies adopted conclusions for most of the issues on their agendas and agreed to future work, including at the next meeting in Bangkok, Thailand. There were mixed views on progress made on the issues related to finalizing the Paris Agreement Work Programme (PAWP), the set of decisions that will help countries implement the Agreement. Some of the items discussed most in the closing statements were: Transparency framework: There are different views on how the framework should help provide information on countries’ actions and support to developing countries, but many highlighted this issue as one needing further work. Information on finance, especially provided by developed countries in advance of its provision: Many developing countries noted this issue is important to them in the overall PAWP package. Local Communities and Indigenous Peoples Platform (LCIP): Many countries and non-party stakeholders said they were disappointed with progress on this issue. Action on Climate Empowerment (ACE): Parties agreed to a decision, the first issue completed in the PAWP, that will continue parties' and stakeholders' efforts on issues such as public participation, education, and access to information. The PAWP is slated for conclusion in December 2018. At this meeting, parties agreed to several steps to move the work forward: The Co-Chairs of all of the bodies will prepare a note that will consider all of the items and propose ways forward. The Co-Chairs of the Ad Hoc Working Group on the Paris Agreement (APA) will prepare a “tool” that will help parties develop an “agreed basis for negotiations.” There will be an additional meeting in Bangkok devoted to the issues under the PAWP. Parties adopted several decisions on issues related to the ongoing implementation of the UN Climate Change Convention and the Kyoto Protocol, including the Koronivia joint work programme on agriculture, which includes a roadmap outlining the issues, workshops, and inputs of the work programme. IISD Reporting Services, through its Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB) Meeting Coverage, provided daily digital coverage, daily reports, daily videos, and a summary and analysis report from the Bonn Climate Change Conference - April/May 2018. The summary and analysis report is now available in HTML and PDF. Photos by IISD/ENB | Kiara Worth For photo reprint permissions, please follow instructions at our Attribution Regulations for Meeting Photo Usage Page SBI Closing Plenary View of the dais during the SBI closing plenary SBI Chair Emmanuel Dlamini, Swaziland Vladimir Uskov, Russian Federation Wang Tian, China Ravi Prasad, India Reinaldo Salgado, Brazil Ziaul Haque, Bangladesh Abdullah Tawlah, Saudi Arabia Delegates from Switzerland SBSTA Closing Plenary View of the dais during the SBSTA closing plenary SBSTA Chair Paul Watkinson, France Henrik Eriksen, Norway Walter Schuldt Espinel, Ecuador Franz Perrez, Switzerland, speaking on behalf of the Environmental Integrity Group (EIG) MJ Mace, Saint Lucia, speaking on behalf of the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS) Iwaki Kohei, Japan Catherine Stewart, Canada Julio Cordano, Chile APA Closing Plenary View of the dais during the APA closing plenary Ovais Sarmad, UNFCCC Deputy Executive Secretary APA Co-Chairs Sarah Baashan, Saudi Arabia, and Jo Tyndall, New Zealand Joint Closing Plenary View of the dais during the closing plenary UNFCCC Executive Secretary Patricia Espinosa thanks Halldór Thorgeirsson, Senior Director for Intergovernmental Affairs, UNFCCC, for almost two decades of service Halldór Thorgeirsson, Senior Director for Intergovernmental Affairs, UNFCCC Wael Aboulmagd, Egypt, speaking on behalf of the G-77/China Boriana Kamenova, EU Majid Shafie-Pour, Iran, speaking on behalf of the Like-minded Developing Countries (LMDCs) Mohamed Nasr, Gabon, speaking on behalf of the African Group María del Carmen Herrera Caseiro, Cuba, speaking on behalf of the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America (ALBA) Patrick Suckling, Australia, speaking on behalf of the Umbrella Group Harlino Nandha Prayudha, Youth NGOs (YOUNGOs) Patricia Bohland, Women and Gender Nathalie Rengifo, Climate Justice Now! (CJN!) Around the Venue Delegates from Austria The SBI family The SBSTA family Delegates from Kuwait Delegates from Morocco Delegates from Kenya Delegates from Kyrgyzstan UN Security family photo Ovais Sarmad, UNFCCC Deputy Executive Secretary (center), speaks with members of the UNFCCC Secretariat Delegates from Maldives The International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB) team meeting with UNFCCC Executive Secretary Patricia Espinosa and Incoming COP 24 President Michal Kurtyka, Poland Delegates between sessions Media briefings took place throughout the day The ENB team covering the negotiations (L-R): Rishikesh Ram Bhandary, Nepal; Katie Browne, US; Natalie Jones, New Zealand; Cleo Verkuijl, Zimbabwe/ the Netherlands; Jennifer Allan, Canada; Aaron Cosbey, Canada; Kati Kulovesi, Finland; Annelies van Gaalen, South Africa; Asheline Appleton, Kenya; Felipe Ruiz, Colombia/Spain; and Kiara Worth, South Africa

At the Bonn Climate Change Conference, delegates worked to realize agreements on the second to last day. Negotiators concluded their consideration of several issues, while consideration of other issues, such as research and systemic observation and matters related to Article 6 of the Paris Agreement (cooperative approaches), continues. To bring together the work related to several issues under the Paris Agreement Work Programme (PAWP), the Ad Hoc Working Group on the Paris Agreement (APA) convened a contact group. During this meeting, the APA Co-Chairs proposed a way forward, which parties deliberated, revised, and eventually agreed to. The Technical Expert Meeting on Adaptation (TEM-A) met throughout the day to discuss adaptation planning for vulnerable groups, communities, and ecosystems. The sixth Dialogue on Action for Climate Empowerment (ACE) continued, focusing on public participation, public access to information, and international cooperation. The meeting is scheduled to close on Thursday, with conclusions expected on many issues. For extensive details on the day’s negotiations and to hear what delegates said in the corridors, see our daily Earth Negotiations Bulletin. IISD Reporting Services, through its Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB) Meeting Coverage, provided daily digital coverage, daily reports, daily videos, and a summary and analysis report from the Bonn Climate Change Conference - April/May 2018. The summary and analysis report is now available in HTML and PDF. Photos by IISD/ENB | Kiara Worth For photo reprint permissions, please follow instructions at our Attribution Regulations for Meeting Photo Usage Page Technical Expert Meeting on Adaptation 2018 Participants gather for the TEM-A SBSTA Chair Paul Watkinson, France Musonda Mumba, UN Environment Programme (UNEP) Clifford Mahlung, Jamaica Barney Dickson, UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC) Valerie Kapos, UNEP-WCMC Nicola Tollin, University of Southern Denmark Diann Black-Layne, Antigua and Barbuda Angela Andrade, International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) In-Session Workshop on Gender and Climate Change Participants during the in-session workshop on gender and climate change Mary Robinson, Mary Robinson Foundation - Climate Justice Fleur Newman, UNFCCC Secretariat Colin Hehir, Co-Facilitator Stella Gama, Malawi Verona Collantes-Lebale, UN Women Participants brainstorm during break-out groups Closing of the Talanoa Dialogue View of the dais during the closing of the Talanoa Dialogue Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama, and COP 23 President, Fiji Incoming COP 24 President Michal Kurtyka, Poland Heike Summer, Liechtenstein, speaking on behalf of the Environmental Integrity Group (EIG) Balisi Justice Gopolang, Botswana, speaking on behalf of the African Group Maesela Kekana, South Africa, speaking on behalf of Brazil, South Africa, India and China (BASIC) Alberto Saldamando, Indigenous Peoples Organizations (IPO) Abdullahi Majeed, Maldives, speaking on behalf of the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS) Justin Perrettson, Business and Industry NGOs (BINGOs) APA Contact Group View of the dais during the APA contact group Sin Liang Cheah, Singapore, Co-Facilitator for APA agenda item 3 - mitigation APA Co-Chairs Jo Tyndall, New Zealand, and Sarah Baashan, Saudi Arabia Beth Lavender, Canada, Co-Facilitator for APA agenda item 4 - adaptation communication Xiang Gao, China, Co-Facilitator for APA agenda item 5 - transparency framework Janine Coye-Felson, Belize, Co-Facilitator for APA agenda item 7 - committee to facilitate implementation and promote compliance APA Co-Chair Jo Tyndall, New Zealand, and Co-Facilitator for agenda item 8 - other matters Pieter Terpstra, the Netherlands, and Co-Facilitator for APA agenda item 8 - further matters, Adaptation Fund Outi Honkatukia, Finland, and Co-Facilitator for APA agenda item 6 - global stocktake Informal Consultations Throughout the Day Family photo of APA agenda 8 - Adaptation Fund Family photo of APA agenda item 5, transparency framework Delegates huddle during informal consultations SBSTA contact group on matters relating to Article 6 of the Paris Agreement Civil Society Demonstrations Members of civil society hold a demonstration to stress the importance of human rights and fundamental freedoms, including the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly, association, speech, and privacy in the context of digital technologies and multilateral processes. They highlighted the role and importance of civil society in the fight against climate change. Civil society members recognize the 21 countries with gender focal points Members of civil society and other non-party stakeholders call for urgent action to prevent average global warming from rising 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels Members of civil society illustrate two pressing forces on negotiators: extreme weather events and fossil fuel lobbyists. The demonstrators called for more attention to be paid to civil society and for negotiators to accelerate climate action 'before it is too late.' Members of civil society raise awareness about the health impacts of climate change, calling for urgent climate action Around the Venue Delegates gather at the start of the day UNFCCC Executive Secretary Patricia Espinosa, confers with Ovais Sarmad, UNFCCC Deputy Executive Secretary Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama, and COP 23 President, Fiji, with members of the COP 23 Presiency Delegates from the US and Saudi Arabia Marcela Main Sancha, Secretary to the COP and Andrei Marcu, Panama Representatives of BINGOs meet with UNFCCC Executive Secretary Patricia Espinosa and members of the UNFCCC Secretariat Carlos Fuller, Belize, speaks with delegates Kimo Goree, International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) Vice-President, speaks with Benito Müller, Oxford Climate Policy UN Security around the venue Representatives of the International Network for Sustainable Energy (INFORSE)

The thirteenth session of the UN Forum on Forests (UNFF13) resumed on Wednesday, 9 May 2018, at UN Headquarters in New York. In the morning, delegates discussed the possible impact of UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA) reform on the UNFF Secretariat and how the Forum is serviced. Delegates then turned to monitoring, assessment and reporting, including the proposed format and cycle for voluntary national reporting to UNFF and work by the Collaborative Partnership on Forests (CPF) on a global core set of forest indicators. During lunch three side events were held: one hosted by Rwanda and the Central African Forests Commission (COMIFAC), on “Forest Ecosystems of Central Africa: The Unknown Lung of the Planet, Emerging issues, Challenges, and Prospects for the World”; a second hosted by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Government of Switzerland on “Mobilizing Finance for Forests and REDD+: The Key Role of National Forests and REDD+ Finance Strategies”; and a third hosted by the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and the Government of the Republic of Korea on “Forest Ecosystem Restoration and Biodiversity.” In the afternoon, delegates discussed means of implementation, with a focus on guidelines for the operation of the Global Forest Financing Facilitation Network (GFFFN) and proposed measures to increase its effectiveness and efficiency. For details on the day’s discussions and to hear what delegates said in the corridors, see our daily Earth Negotiations Bulletin. IISD Reporting Services, through its Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB) meeting coverage, provided daily digital coverage, daily reports, and a summary and analysis report from UNFF13. Photos by IISD/ENB | Ángeles Estrada Vigil For photo reprint permissions, please follow instructions at our Attribution Regulations for Meeting Photo Usage Page. Information on UN DESA Reforms Pertaining to UNFF Haitian Lu, UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA); Manoel Sobral Filho, UNFF Director; Muhammad Shahrul Ikram Yaakob, UNFF13 Chair; and Moncef Khane, UNFF Secretary Michael Osakuade, Nigeria, for Africa Group Haitian Lu, UN DESA Davia Carty, Jamaica Avhashoni Renny Madula, South Africa Rob Busink, The Netherlands Monitoring, Assessment and Reporting The dais during the session UNFF13 Vice-Chair Maureen Whelan Patrick Kariuki, Kenya Afsa Kemitale, UNFF Secretariat Peter Csoka, FAO UNFF13 Vice-Chair Luciana Melchert Saguas Presas, and Rafael da Soler, Brazil   Jessica Carvajal, Colombia Marta Nuñez, NGO Major Group Mehdi Remaoun, Algeria Renato Morales, Argentina Means of Implementation Peter Gondo, UNFF Secretariat Hu Yuanhui, China   Manoel Sobral Filho, UNFF Director Lisa Prior, Executive Secretary, International Forestry Students' Association Jean Baptiste Havugimana, East African Community; Raymond Ndomba Ngoye, Executive Secretary, and Tite Tchuante, Central African Forests Commission Yoshiko Motoyama, Japan Thioye Djibril, Senegal Around the Venue    

The Bonn Climate Change Conference continued on Tuesday, with negotiations on some issues yielding preliminary agreement, and negotiations on other issues trying to find solutions to disagreements. Preliminary agreement, pending formal adoption by the Subsidiary Body for Implementation (SBI) and Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technical Advice (SBSTA), was found on some issues, including: Capacity building under the Convention and the Kyoto Protocol, Coordination of support for the implementation of activities relating to mitigation actions in the forest sector by developing countries, including institutional arrangements, and Response measures. Throughout the day, several of the issues discussed under the SBI and SBSTA remained outstanding. The final plenaries for all the Subsidiary Bodies are scheduled for the last day of the conference, on Thursday, 10 May. Therefore, outstanding issues must be resolved on Wednesday. To address the many interrelated issues under the Paris Agreement Work Programme (PAWP), a “joint” meeting convened to discuss adaptation communication and the transparency framework. Work under the PAWP also included continued discussions on the transparency framework, Article 6 (cooperative approaches), and information to be provided in advance by developed countries on their financial support. The long-term finance workshop continued to discuss experiences and lessons learnt from articulating and translating needs identified in country-driven processes into on the ground projects and programmes. The sixth Dialogue on Action for Climate Empowerment (ACE) started today, focusing on public awareness and international cooperation. The COP 23 Presidency held a session to report back on the Talanoas held as part of the Talanoa Dialogue on Sunday, 6 May. Many delegates expressed appreciation for the Dialogue’s format and atmosphere, noting its value in building trust between all stakeholders. For extensive details on the day’s negotiations and to hear what delegates said in the corridors, see our daily Earth Negotiations Bulletin. IISD Reporting Services, through its Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB) Meeting Coverage, provided daily digital coverage, daily reports, daily videos, and a summary and analysis report from the Bonn Climate Change Conference - April/May 2018. The summary and analysis report is now available in HTML and PDF. Photos by IISD/ENB | Kiara Worth For photo reprint permissions, please follow instructions at our Attribution Regulations for Meeting Photo Usage Page Executive Secretary's Meeting with Observer Organizations Participants during the meeting with the Executive Secretary UNFCCC Executive Secretary Patricia Espinosa Juan Carlos Jintiach and Thin Yu Mon, Indigenous Peoples Organizations (IPO) Wael Hmaidan, Climate Action Network (CAN) International Gunnar Steinsholt, Trade Union NGOs (TUNGOs) Norine Kennedy, Business and Industry NGOs (BINGOs) Joséphine Raynauld and Sofia Kabbej, Youth NGOs (YOUNGOs) Gillian Nelson, Harjeet Singh, and Eddy Pérez, CAN Bridget Burns, Women and Gender Halldór Thorgeirsson, UNFCCC Secretariat Marilyn Averill, Research and Independent NGOs (RINGOs) Report Back from Talanoa Dialogue Participants during the report back of the Talanoa Dialogue Amena Yauvoli, Fiji Sylwia Waśniewska, COP 24 Presidency, Poland  Tui Cavuilati, Fiji Emma Rachmawaty, Indonesia Marianne Karlsen, Norway Christina Paradiso, Canada Stephanie Lee, New Zealand Balisi Justice Gopolang, Botswana, speaking on behalf of the African Group In-Session Workshop on Long-Term Finance Participants during the in-session workshop on long-term finance Nathaniel Blama, Environmental Protection Agency, Liberia Co-Facilitator Janine Coye-Felson, Belize Alexander Linke, German International Cooperation Agency (GIZ) Co-Facilitator Stefan Schwager, Switzerland Participants discuss finance-related matters in break-out groups Espen Ronneberg, Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) Alexander Linke, GIZ Milena Gonzalez Vasquez, Global Environment Facility (GEF) Secretariat Kamel Djemouai, Advisor to the African Group, records ideas Sixth Dialogue on Action for Climate Empowerment ACE family photo Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama, and COP 23 President, Fiji SBI Chair Emmanuel Dlamini, Swaziland Pramisha Thapaliya, YOUNGOs Jamie Clarke, Climate Outreach Maria Nailevu, DIVA for Equality Informal Consultations Throughout the Day Coordination of support for the implementation of activities relating to mitigation actions in the forest sector by developing countries, including institutional arrangements family photo Ex-ante transparency of climate finance family photo APA agenda item 8: informal consultations on issues except the Adaptation Fund Public registry on Agreement Article 7.12 (adaptation communications) SBI informal consultations on capacity-building for developing countries Around the Venue UNFCCC Executive Secretary Patricia Espinosa Outi Honkatukia, Finland, and Stefan Schwager, Switzerland Delegates from YOUNGOs confer Todd Stern, World Resources Institute (WRI), and Jacob Werksman, EU Delegates from Austria and Luxembourg Security staff around the venue Niklas Höhne, New Climate Institute, speaks to the press A delegate reviews the Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB) website and daily to keep track of negotiations