Special Meeting of the Subcommittee on Sustainable Development in preparation for COP22- 4th and 5th October 2016

The Secretariat of the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) Group of States has organized a Special Sub-committee meeting to allow the ACP Member States to build a common position for COP22 in Morocco.

The two-day meeting provided background information and facilitated exchange of views on key issues for discussion in Marrakesh. Building on the ACP Action Plan on Climate Change, this Special meeting aimed to agree on a common ACP position for COP22, which could be used by delegations of the ACP Member States in Marrakesh during the climate talks.

The ACP Action Plan on Climate Change, adopted by the ACP Group following the Paris Agreement, seeks to contribute to strengthening the global response to the threat of climate change in ACP Member States, while taking into consideration the Sustainable Development Goals and efforts to reduce poverty.

A representative from each ACP region, the European Commission, South Centre and other invited stakeholders such as the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), representatives of groups including the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS), the Small Island Developing States (SIDS), the Least Developed Countries (LDCS), the African Group of Negotiators (AGN) and the G77 and China, presented their perspectives on current key issues in the UNFCCC negotiations.

Based on the presentations and discussions, a draft ACP Issues paper has been presented for discussion and finalization on the second day.