Negotiating Bloc
African Group
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Highlights and images for 9 May 2018
13th Session of the UN Forum on Forests (UNFF13)
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
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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
Highlights and images for 8 May 2018
Bonn Climate Change Conference - April 2018
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
Daily report for 7 May 2018
13th Session of the UN Forum on Forests (UNFF13)
Summary report 7–11 May 2018
13th Session of the UN Forum on Forests (UNFF13)
Highlights and images for 5 May 2018
Bonn Climate Change Conference - April 2018
With the first week of negotiations coming to a close, one of the day's key events was the joint stocktaking plenary by the Subsidiary Body for Implementation (SBI), the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice (SBSTA) and the Ad Hoc Working Group on the Paris Agreement (APA). A Gender Dialogue also convened, and the Paris Committee on Capacity-Building (PCCB) held a meeting.
The main focus in the negotiations remained on the Paris Agreement Work Programme (PAWP), which needs to be finalized by COP 24. A range of topics were taken up during the day, including finance, adaptation, mitigation, market and non-market approaches, response measures, and the transparency framework.
Negotiating groups also met to discuss various other issues on the SBSTA and SBI agendas, including arrangements for intergovernmental meetings, agriculture, and research and systematic observation.
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.
Photos by IISD/ENB | Kiara Worth
For photo reprint permissions, please follow instructions at our Attribution Regulations for Meeting Photo Usage Page
Gender Dialogue
View of the panelists during the Gender Dialogue
Una May Gordon, Jamaica
Anne Barre, Women Engage for a Common Future (WECF)
Rita Mishaan, PCCB
Piotr Dombrowicki, Executive Board of the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM)
Young Hee Lee, Adaptation Fund Board Secretariat
Sadya Ndoko, UNFCCC Secretariat
Verona Collantes, UN Women
Maia Tskhvaradze, Advisory Board of the Climate Technology Centre and Network (CTCN)
Karina Larsen, CTCN
Claudia Octaviano and Stella Gama, Technology Executive Committee (TEC)
Thiago de Araújo Mendes, Consultative Group of Experts (CGE)
Participants during the discussion
High-level Champions’ Dialogue with Observer Organizations
View of the dais during the High-Level champion's dialogue with observers
Martin Frick, UNFCCC Secretariat
Inia Seruiratu, Minister of Agriculture, Rural and Maritime Development and National Disaster Management, and High-Level Climate Champion, Fiji
Chair Ceris Jones, Farmers
Clara von Glasow, Youth NGOs (YOUNGOs)
Inga Fritzen Buan, Climate Action Network (CAN)
Informal Consultations Throughout the Day
APA informal consultations on Agreement Article 3, mitigation
SBI informal consultation on matters relating to the Least Developed Countries (LDCs)
SBI informal consultation on review of the effective implementation of the CTCN
APA informal consultations on Agreement Article 8, Adaptation Fund
Joint SBSTA, SBI, and APA Stocktaking Plenary
View of the dais during the stocktaking plenary
APA Co-Chairs Jo Tyndall, New Zealand, and Sarah Baashan, Saudi Arabia
SBI Chair Emmanuel Dlamini, Swaziland
Wael Aboulmagd, Egypt, speaking on behalf of the G-77/China
Franz Perrez, Switzerland, speaking on behalf of the Environmental Integrity Group (EIG)
SBSTA Chair Paul Watkinson, France
Gebru Jember, Ethiopia, speaking on behalf of the LDCs
Amjad Abdulla, Maldives, speaking on behalf of the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS)
Patrick Suckling, Australia, speaking on behalf of the Umbrella Group
Tomasz Chruszczow, COP 24 Presidency, Poland, and Incoming COP 24 President Michal Kurtyka, Poland
Mohamed Nasr, Gabon, speaking on behalf of the African Group
Ravi Prasad, India
Majid Shafie-Pour, Iran, speaking on behalf of the Like-minded Developing Countries (LMDCs)
Ayman Shasly, Saudi Arabia, speaking on behalf of the Arab Group
Eduardo Silva, Chile, speaking on behalf of the Independent Association of Latin America and the Caribbean (AILAC)
Boriana Kamenova, EU
Civil Society Demonstration
Members of civil society demonstrate in the corridors to 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.'
Around the Venue
Tomasz Chruszczow, COP 24 Presidency, Poland, and Trigg Talley, US
Andrew Rakestraw, US, Xiang Gao, China, and Santhosh Manivannan, Singapore
Carlos Fuller, Belize, Lidia Wojtal, Climatekos, and SBI Chair Emmanuel Dlamini, Swaziland
Olga Alcaraz, Josep Xercavins, Gisela Torrents, and Laia Segura, Polytechnic University of Catalonia, Spain
Sandra Boitumelo Motshwanedi, South Africa, and Neoka Naidoo, CAN
Delegates from CAN encourage delegates to 'step up' their NDC contributions
Talieh Wögerbauer, Austria
Natsumi Yoshida, Arunima Hakhu, and Kalyani Raj, Women and Gender
Dominic Efosa Idaghe, World Conference Center Bonn staff
Delegates between sessions
Delegates enjoy a moment in the sun
Highlights and images for 1 May 2018
Bonn Climate Change Conference - April 2018
The Bonn Climate Change Conference continued on Tuesday, with negotiations on the Paris Agreement Work Programme (PAWP) as the day's main focus. Topics discussed included finance, mitigation, transparency, global stocktake, adaptation and the committee to facilitate the Paris Agreement's implementation and promote compliance. These discussions took place under the Ad Hoc Working Group on the Paris Agreement (APA), the Subsidiary Body for Implementation (SBI), and the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice (SBSTA) through various contact groups and informal consultations.
Negotiations also took place on other items under the SBI and SBSTA. Issues discussed included technology, Least Developed Countries (LDCs), the Adaptation Committee, research and systematic observation, and reporting.
In addition, three workshops took place throughout the day, on:
economic modeling tools related to the work programme on response measures;
the Local Communities and Indigenous Peoples (LCIP) Platform; and
education, training, public awareness, public participation and public access to information to enhance actions under the Paris Agreement (ACE).
For extensive details on the day’s negotiations and to hear what delegates 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.
Photos by IISD/ENB | Kiara Worth
For photo reprint permissions, please follow instructions at our Attribution Regulations for Meeting Photo Usage Page
APA Contact Group
View of the dais during the APA contact group
Wael Aboulmagd, Egypt, speaking on behalf of the G-77/China
APA Co-Chairs Sarah Baashan, Saudi Arabia, and Jo Tyndall, New Zealand
Amjad Abdulla, Maldives, speaking on behalf of the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS)
Mohamed Nasr, Gabon, speaking on behalf of the African Group
Patrick Suckling, Australia, speaking on behalf of the Umbrella Group
Mona Al-Attas, Saudi Arabia, speaking on behalf of the Arab Group
Collin Beck, Solomon Islands
APA family photo
Multi-stakeholder Workshop of the Local Communities and Indigenous Peoples (LCIP) Platform
Frank Ettawageshik, National Congress of American Indians, opens the session with a prayer
UNFCCC Executive Secretary Patricia Espinosa
Roberto Múkaro Borrero, Indigenous Peoples Organization Representative and Co-Moderator
Participants stand during the opening prayer
Alberto Saldamando, Indigenous Environmental Network
Walter Schuldt Espinel, Ecuador
Karoliina Anttonen, Finland
Juan Carlos Jintiach Arcos, Ecuador
Geert Fremout, EU
Grace Balawag, Indigenous Leader Tebtebba
SBSTA Chair Paul Watkinson, France
Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim, Indigenous Peoples
Action for Climate Empowerment (ACE) Workshop
Participants gather during the ACE workshop
Ana Maria Kleymeyer, ACE Workshop Facilitator
Adriana Valenzuela, UNFCCC Secretariat
Deo Saran, ACE Workshop Facilitator
Laura Maanavilja, EU
Participants form break-out groups to discuss ACE-related topics
Informal Consultations Throughout the Day
SBSTA informal consultations on Annex I parties' reporting under the Convention,
relating to greenhouse gas inventories, biennial reports, and national communications
SBSTA contact group on financial resources provided and mobilized through
public interventions in accordance with Paris Agreement Article 9.7
Informal consultations on further guidance on adaptation communication (APA agenda item 4)
SBI informal consultation on Paris Agreement Article 9.5, matters related to climate finance
SBSTA informal consultations on rules, modalities, and procedures for the mechanism established by Paris Agreement Article 6.4
Around the Venue
Nicole Wilke, Germany, and Johanna Lissinger-Peitz, Sweden
APA Co-Chairs Sarah Baashan, Saudi Arabia, and Jo Tyndall, New Zealand, speak with Trigg Talley, US, and Patrick Suckling, Australia
Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim, Indigenous Peoples
Delegates speak informally
Anne Maletjane, UNFCCC Secretariat
Halldór Thorgeirsson, UNFCCC Secretariat
Benito Müller, Oxford Climate Policy
Security staff around the venue
A delegate makes a recording of statements
Collin Beck, Solomon Islands
Highlights and images for 30 April 2018
Bonn Climate Change Conference - April 2018
On Monday, parties at the Bonn Climate Change Conference focused on launching substantive work by establishing negotiating groups. Plenary meetings of the three main negotiating bodies, the Subsidiary Body for Implementation (SBI), the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice (SBSTA) and the Ad Hoc Working Group on the Paris Agreement (APA) made good progress, with each body working through its agenda without major disagreements. In the evening, the three bodies held a joint plenary to hear statements from parties and observer organizations.
In the afternoon, several of the negotiating groups held their first meetings and started substantive negotiations on issues such as agriculture, technology, finance, market and non-market mechanisms, and adaptation.
Throughout the day, a training workshop also took place to consider economic modelling tools related to the work programme on response measures. Its aim was to understand and quantify the cross-border impacts of climate-related policies (i.e., response measures).
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
SBSTA Opening Plenary
View of the dais during the SBSTA opening plenary
SBSTA Chair Paul Watkinson, France
UNFCCC Executive Secretary Patricia Espinosa
Ian Fry, Tuvalu
Chen Zhihua, China
Abdalah Mokssit, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)
Delegates during the SBSTA opening plenary
SBI Opening Plenary
View of the dais during the SBI opening plenary
SBI Chair Emmanuel Dlamini, Swaziland
Ovais Sarmad, UNFCCC Deputy Executive Secretary
Thiago de Araújo Mendes, Chair of the Consultative Group of Experts on National Communications for Non-Annex I Parties (CGE)
Aderito Manuel Fernandes Santana, São Tomé and Príncipe
Adão Soares Barbosa, Timor-Leste
APA Opening Plenary
View of the dais during the APA opening plenary
APA Co-Chairs Jo Tyndall, New Zealand, and Sarah Baashan, Saudi Arabia
UNFCCC Executive Secretary Patricia Espinosa speaks with APA Co-Chairs Jo Tyndall and Sarah Baashan, and Sergey Kononov, APA Coordinator
Joint Session for Statements
View of the dais during the joint session for statements
Wael Aboulmagd, Egypt, speaking on behalf of the G-77/China
Boriana Kamenova, EU
Mohamed Nasr, Gabon, speaking on behalf of the African Group
Franz Perrez, Switzerland, speaking on behalf of the Environmental Integrity Group (EIG)
Patrick Suckling, Australia, speaking on behalf of the Umbrella Group
Majid Shafie-Pour, Iran, speaking on behalf of the Like-minded Developing Countries (LMDCs)
Gebru Jember, Ethiopia, speaking on behalf of the Least Developed Countries (LDCs)
Tosi Mpanu-Mpanu, Democratic Republic of the Congo, speaking on behalf of the Coalition for Rainforest Nations (CfRN)
Amjad Abdulla, Maldives, speaking on behalf of the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS)
Isabel Di Carlo Quero, Venezuela, speaking on behalf of the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America (ALBA)
SBI/SBSTA In-forum Training Workshop
SBI/SBSTA in-forum training workshop on the use of economic modelling tools related to the areas of the work programme on response measures
Alicia Bagasra, New Zealand
Bert Saveyn, EU
Morgenie Pillay, South Africa
Co-Facilitator Andrei Marcu, Panama
Ama Essel, Ghana
Contact Groups and Informal Sessions Throughout the Day
SBSTA contact group on matters relating to Article 6 of the Paris Agreement
SBSTA informal consultations on the Nairobi Work Programme (NWP)
Informal consultations on Koronivia joint work on agriculture
Around the Venue
Members of the UNFCCC Secretariat gather on the podium
SBSTA Chair Paul Watkinson, France, speaks with Kishan Kumarsingh, Trinidad and Tobago
Delegates speak informally
Delegates read the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB)
curtain raiser to prepare for the start of the meeting
Delegates between sessions
Delegates speak informally
Summary report 30 April – 10 May 2018
Bonn Climate Change Conference - April 2018
Summary report 10–13 April 2018
2nd Meeting of the Sustainable Ocean Initiative (SOI) Global Dialogue with Regional Seas Organizations and Regional Fishery Bodies on Accelerating Progress Towards the Aichi Biodiversity Targets and Sustainable Development Goals
Summary report 17–24 March 2018
Stakeholder Day and 6th Session of the Plenary of the Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES-6)