DNPI to table ocean issues on global climate talks
Adianto P. Simamora, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Thu, 05/07/2009 6:54 PM
The National Council on Climate Change (DNPI) has pledged to help table output of Manado conference to international negotiations on climate change ahead of the ministerial meeting on climate change in Copenhagen.
Executive chairman of the DNPI Rachmat Witoelar has sent letter to Maritime Affairs and Fishery Minister Freddy Numberi saying that the council would recommend the output of the World Ocean Conference to be considered in the ongoing review of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
“Ocean issues to be agreed in Manado Ocean Declaration should be promoted in series of discussions on the climate change architecture leading to Copenhagen meeting,” Rachmat said in his letter.
Negotiators of the world countries are slated to meet at least in four sessions to draft the new commitment on emission cut to be agreed in December 2009.
The four sessions will be held prior to Copenhagen: June 1 to June 12 in Bonn, Germany; August 10 to August 14 also in Bonn. The third sessions was slated in Bangkok on Sept. 28 to Oct 9 in Bangkok with the last to be held in November.
The Ad Hoc Working Group on Further Commitments for Annex I Parties under the Kyoto Protocol (AWG-KP) and the Ad Hoc Working Group on Long-term Cooperative Action under the Convention (AWG-LCA) will operate in full negotiating mode in 2009 to advance work towards meeting their respective mandates.
National Organizing secretary Indroyono Susilo said that Indonesia would work hard to meet the goals to push ocean as world agenda in tackling climate change.
“Pak Rachmat and Minister Freddy also agreed to propose integration of Manado Ocean Declaration into Governing Council of the United Nation Development Program (UNDP),” he said.
The WOC was initiated purely by the Fishery ministry over concern of lack attentions on world communities to discuss ocean in climate change talks.
“Ocean carbon absorption must be equally considered as forest carbon absorption,” Indroyono said.
