Caribbean negotiators have come out of the first round of negotiations, on the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC) text of the draft declaration for a new Climate Change Agreement, very optimistic that significant common understanding has been built to facilitate the negotiations, when the 15th UN Conference of the Parties (COP 15) meet in Copenhagen in December.Over the past two weeks, Caricom negotiators joined their counterparts of the United Nations Member States at a meeting in Bonn, Germany, to initiate negotiations on the draft document.The issue of climate change,Adidas NHL Jerseys China, including the outcomes of the Bonn meeting, in addition to final preparations for COP 15 will be one of the major issues for discussion when Heads of Government meet in Guyana from July 2,Supply NFL Jerseys, 2009.The negotiating text of the draft Declaration will be addressed further at another round of negotiations in Germany during August.It will also be discussed at the UN Special Session on Climate Change in September resulting from decisions taken in Bonn at several parallel sessions, contact and working groups and subsidiary bodies.Representatives from the Caribbean led the discussions on a range of issues by acting as facilitators for four of the important groups and bodies of the Convention.These included the Subsidiary Body for Implementation (SBI),Wholesale NFL Jerseys, the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice, the Nairobi Work Programme and the longer-term aspects of international climate change cooperation.In addition, the Permanent Representative of Antigua and Barbuda to the United Nations,Cheap NFL Football Jerseys, Ambassador John Ashe was elected to serve as the Chair of the important working group reviewing the Kyoto Protocol.Two readings of the draft text provided the opportunity for the Caribbean representatives to address regional concerns.It was also reported that progress had been in relation to global requirements for stabilising Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions and on reduced emissions from deforestation and degradation (REDD).With respect to a carbon tax being advocated by President Bharrat Jagdeo it was agreed that Belize and Guyana would be working along with other like-minded parties to formulate a coherent response on the REDD plus initiative.Despite the positive note on which the negotiations ended however, it was understood that there were still some gaps to be addressed,Cheap NFL Jerseys Wholesale, chief among which are the negotiations on the Kyoto Protocol on emissions reduction where the developed countries are yet to agree with the developing countries on emission reductions levels proposed for 2012.There are also the outstanding issues on land use, land-use change and forestry (LULUCF) that remain unresolved.Last Monday,Wholesale Authentic Jerseys, President Jagdeo, launched Guyana’s low carbon development strategy towards promoting economic development, while at the same time combating climate change.While doing so, he called for a platform on which developing countries like Guyana are not seen as mere recipients of aid, but as equal partners in the search for climate solutions.The launch of the strategy represented the start of an aggressive round of consultations, three months long, with all stakeholders, and a robust public relations campaign, before it is adopted by the government.
