[A2k] TWN Bali Update: BALI MINISTERIAL SEGMENT OPENS, BUT SITUATION IS CRITICAL

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Title : TWN Bali News Update No.12
 Date : 13 December 2007

 Contents:
TWN BALI NEWS UPDATE  NO. 12

13 December 2007
Published by Third World Network
www.twnside.org.sg

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BALI MINISTERIAL SEGMENT OPENS, BUT SITUATION IS CRITICAL


Nusa Dua, Bali, 12 Dec (Martin Khor) =AD The Ministerial part of the UN Bal=
i
Climate Conference started today with an opening ceremony in which the head=
s
of governments who came made speeches, together with the UN Secretary
General.

Among the government leaders were the Indonesian President Dr Susilo Bamban=
g
Yudhoyono who made the keynote speech, Singapore Premier Lee Hsien Loong,
Australian prime minister Kevin Rudd, and Papua New Guinea prime minister
Sir Michael Somare, and the President of Palau Tommy Remengesau and the
President of Maldives Maumoon Abdul Gayoom.

Throughout the afternoon till 9.00 p.m. many Ministers and heads of UN and
other international agencies made speeches in plenary.

However the real substantive talks were being held elsewhere, in the Jakart=
a
Room where the Ministers of some 30-40 countries were invited to take part.

Only those countries selected and whose name was on a list, held by securit=
y
guards standing outside the door of the room, were allowed into the room.
The fact that the meeting was going on and who had been invited and what
criteria were used was not announced to the plenary.

This is similar to the tactics used at the World Trade Organisation=B9s
ministerial meetings, during which only selected countries are invited into
a =B3Green Room=B2 where the major decisions are made and then others are
persuaded to join in.

According to diplomatic sources, among the countries invited to this =B3Gre=
en
Room=B2 meeting are Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, the Philippines, India,
China, Pakistan, Bangladesh, South Korea, Japan, Saudi Arabia, the EU,
Canada, the US, Australia, Barbados, Grenada, Kenya, Nigeria, Brazil, Chile=
,
Mexico.

The Ministers were asked to share information and give their views on the
process for long-term cooperation.  This is the topic of a Dialogue process
that has been taking place in the last two years, and which is now sought t=
o
be converted to a negotiation on at least four =B3building blocks=B2
(mitigation, adaptation, finance and technology) but which some developed
countries want to add other issues including further contribution of
developing countries, level playing field for international competitiveness=
,
energy security, etc.

Among other aspects, the Ministers were asked to give their view on the
three options in a proposal by the Co-chairs of the contact group on
long-term cooperation:  (1) to continue the informal dialogue, (2) to form
an ad hoc working group of the Convention for a process to enable
implementation of the Convention through a comprehensive agreement and
complete its work by 2009, or (3) to form a working group combining (2) and
the existing group on the further commitments of Annex I parties under the
Kyoto Protocol.

According to some diplomats, several developing countries during a G77 and
China meeting had expressed serious concerns about the selective Ministeria=
l
meeting and how the process was transforming into an untransparent one.  Th=
e
G77 and China agreed to insist that the mini-Ministerial meeting could only
share information and views, but could not make decisions nor negotiate.

At the meeting, this point was made by the G77 as well as other countries.
It was then decided that the contact group comprising senior officials woul=
d
re-convene on Thursday morning to re-start the negotiations on the text on
long-term cooperation, and the Ministers would then meet again at 4 p.m. on
the same day.

The original draft text, prepared by Co-chairs from Australia and South
Africa, had been issued last Friday and was the subject of several
discussions.  A new draft dated 11 December had also been discussed.

According to diplomatic sources, the United States had made proposals to
eliminate or seriously water down several key sections of the 11 December
text.

The chapeau mentions responding to IPCC information that global emissions o=
f
Greenhouse Gases should peak in the next 10-15 years and reduced to well
below half of levels in 2000 by 2050, as well as recognizing that much
deeper cuts y developed countries are needed and that Kyoto Protocol partie=
s
are considering the indicative range of 25-40% below 1990 levels for Annex =
I
parties.

According to sources, the US has objected to the mention of any figures in
the above.

The US, as well as the G77, have serious reservations about the mention of
=B3the development of a comprehensive agreement=B2.

Another major area of dispute is a paragraph asking that all developed
countries in the Convention (and thus by implication also the US, although
they are not a member of the Kyoto Protocol) undertake quantified national
emission reduction commitments, ensuring =B3comparability of efforts=B2.

The participation of the US in a Convention process to discuss emission
reduction commitments has been a demand of the EU, and this view is shared
by other developed countries like Japan and Australia as well as the G77 an=
d
China.

However, according to diplomatic sources, the US has made known to the
contact group that it cannot accept this whole paragraph.

There are also many other places in the three-page text in which there is n=
o
agreement and where alternative options have been put forward by many
countries.

It thus seems that the December 11 draft will have to undergo drastic
surgery and reconstruction in the next attempt at consensus building.

There are so many deep divisions among the delegations =AD whether among th=
e
officials or among the Ministers =AD that a very watered down document may
have to be envisaged, if any consensus is to be possible.  This may well be
considered by NGOs as well as many governments as a deeply disappointing
Bali outcome, or even a disaster.

Meanwhile, the G77 and China have become very frustrated by the failure of
the subsidiary bodies to reach any outcome on technology transfer and on
capacity building, two topics of importance to the developing countries (se=
e
update 11).

This has also soured the atmosphere of the entire Bali conference, as it is
another evidence pointed to by the developing countries, that the developed
countries are not sincere about keeping their commitments to help developin=
g
countries address climate change.

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www.twnside.org.sg; twnet@po.jaring.my




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