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| [PHOTO: UNFCCC/CC BY 2.0] |
Doha: The high-level segment of the UN Climate Change Conference
in Doha gets underway, with ministers starting to provide guidance
on key issues.
“I welcome all ministers arriving for the final, high-level
segment of the Doha climate change conference. The Qatar Presidency of COP
18/CMP 8 will continue to work with all countries in an open, transparent and
inclusive process that must reach a timely and successful conclusion,” said COP
President Abdullah bin Hamad Al-Attiyah.
Revised texts from all negotiating groups have now been
issued and ministers are beginning to provide guidance to reduce the number of
options on outstanding political issues.
At a stock-taking plenary meeting on 3 December, the
President announced a series of ministerial outreach consultations to help find
the political space that will allow countries to reach common ground on the
remaining key issues.
The first two ministers to do this were named on Monday
evening. Luiz Alberto Figueiredo Machado of Brazil and Bård Vegar Solhjell of
Norway will together carry out ministerial outreach in support of the negotiations
under the Kyoto Protocol, at the request of the Chair of the group, Madeleine
Diouf of Senegal. Other designated ministerial support will be announced later.
In addition, the COP Presidency invited Ministers and heads
of delegation to participate in an Informal Ministerial Round Table on 5
December on the issue of how mitigation, adaptation and means of implementation
can be strengthened now and in the future.