ACP- Special Meeting on sustainable Development on Cop 22 Outcomes and the Roadmap to Cop 23

Brussels 16^th March 2017 – The ACP-special meeting took place at the ACP House on 14^th and 15^th March. The first objective of the two-day meeting was to discuss follow-up actions to COP 22, focusing on key issues for the ACP Group of States. The second objective was to explore possibilities for enhanced role for the ACP Group in implementing the Paris Agreement and actions toward a successful COP 23, taking into account priorities in the ACP Action Plan on Climate Change 2016-2020.

The meeting was opened with welcoming remarks by Dr Patrick I. Gomes, Secretary General of ACP Group of States, followed by H.E. Mr. Johnson Weru, Ambassador of Kenya and Mr. Nidhendra Singh,  First counsellor of the Fiji embassy, President of COP 23. ACP SG, Mr. Gomes stated that the entry into force of the Paris Agreement and that finding the right modalities of implementation it is paramount to combat climate change. Afterwards representatives from the ACP Secretariat and other invited stakeholders including ACP regional organizations, UN Agencies (UNIDO, UN Environment, FAO  and UNDP) and representatives of negotiating groups presented their respective positions and suggestions

Most of the participants called on actions to implement the Paris agreement. There is a need for more efficiency and support to improve the capacity of States to face the challenges of climate change. One of the main problems faced by the actors is the access on climate change funds with a special concern on adaptation funds which should take into account the difficulties of the developing countries.

Mr. Alois Mhlanga, UNIDO’s Industrial Development Officer and Energy Expert, highlighted the role of UNIDO in climate change adaptation and mitigation and how UNIDO can support countries to in the implementation of the Paris Agreement via technical assistance and institutional capacity building. Mr. Mhlanga draw the attention of the public on some UNIDO’s initiatives such as the RECPnet (The Network for Resource Efficient and Cleaner Production) and CTCN (Climate Technology Centre and Network). During his intervention he also emphasized the importance of the UNIDO Network of Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency which will be centers of excellence for the ACP Regions; centers have already been established in Barbados, Cape Verde, Uganda and will be established in Fiji in April and in Namibia (SACREEE) in June.

On day 2 the ACP Secretariat has presented the main outcomes of the discussions from Day 1 highlighting the fact that this two-day meeting has just been the beginning of a process which will continue through the year to prepare the ACP Group for the negotiations during COP 23. The consultations with the participants to the March event will continue and will serve as a basis for drafting the ACP Position Paper for COP 23.

CTCN : https://www.ctc-n.org/

RECPnet: http://www.recpnet.org/

The Global Network of Regional Sustainable Energy Centres : https://www.unido.org/fileadmin/user_media_upgrade/What_we_do/Topics/Energy_access/14._Regional_Sustainable_Energy_Centres.pdf

For more information please contact :

Mr. Alois Mhlanga, Industrial Development Officer, Department of Energy : a.mhlanga@unido.org

Christophe Yvetot, UNIDO Representative to the EU and ACP: c.yvetot@unido.org