- Title: COP29: Dozens of developing states temporarily walk out of finance talks
- Date: 23rd November 2024
- Summary: BAKU, AZERBAIJAN (NOVEMBER 23, 2024) (REUTERS) CHAIR OF LEAST DEVELOPED COUNTRIES, EVANS DAVIE NJEWA, SPEAKING TO REPORTERS AFTER WALKING OUT (SOUNDBITE) (English) CHAIR OF LEAST DEVELOPED COUNTRIES, EVANS DAVIE NJEWA, SAYING: "(We) have called for the suspension of the meeting until our views are reflected otherwise we will have no deal here, we will have no decision. Thirty-nine SIDs (Small Island Developing States), plus colleagues in the AOSIS (Alliance of Small Island States) and forty-five LDCs (Least Developed Countries) until we see our interests in the paper. Want a goal that is ambitious, want a goal that is a good share of public money, grant-equivalent and an allocation for LDCs and SIDs specific. (REPORTER ASKING IF THIS COULD CRASH TALKS) No, no, it will not crash. It will rebuild. It will rebuild. No, no, It will rebuild." NJEWA WALKING INTO SEPARATE MEETING (SOUNDBITE) (English) CHAIR OF LEAST DEVELOPED COUNTRIES, EVANS DAVIE NJEWA, SAYING: "Because if we do not get this one then we are moving maybe next year to (COP30 in) Brazil or we might have a COP bis (suspension and resumption of the summit at a later date). That is what it means. We are calling for an ambitious figure that will take us up from where we are." NJEWA WALKING INTO SEPARATE MEETING VARIOUS OF COLOMBIAN ENVIRONMENT MINISTER, SUSANA MUHAMAD SPEAKING TO SECURITY (SOUNDBITE) (English) COLOMBIAN ENVIRONMENT MINISTER, SUSANA MUHAMAD, SAYING: "It is a very difficult moment, there is half of the world just walked out - or a very important proportion. And we need to engage deeply in negotiation. There is dissatisfaction from the (global) south around the quantum and around some of the conditions that are in the text. I think that can be solved, but it requires political will and mobilizing." MUHAMAD SPEAKING TO REPORTERS (SOUNDBITE) (English) COLOMBIAN ENVIRONMENT MINISTER, SUSANA MUHAMAD, SAYING: "The least developed countries on the islands decided to walk out of the room because they don't feel they can engage. Their issues were not recognised in the text. Well, they are consulting so we have to see." MUHAMAD SPEAKING TO REPORTERS (SOUNDBITE) (English) COLOMBIAN ENVIRONMENT MINISTER, SUSANA MUHAMAD, SAYING (ASKED IF THERE COULD BE NO DEAL AT COP29): "Well, we are at risk. We are at risk. But we need to push through. It's important to push through. But of course, with a feeling that everybody's been taken into account and that there is a fair deal. I think I would call the developed countries to go deeper into what could be a fair deal where parties, of course, will not necessarily everybody achieve their maximum goals, but that you feel that we are moving forward in climate finance." UNITED NATIONS SECURITY OUTSIDE MEETING ROOM (SOUNDBITE) (English) COLOMBIAN ENVIRONMENT MINISTER, SUSANA MUHAMAD, SAYING: "Well they have, there's a lot of issues. First the quantum being just released yesterday is a super late moment. And second, I will not comment on the presidency. I will say they have made an effort, but they could have done more. But for sure at this moment, I think we are co-responsible for this result and we need to be able to push through because it's important hopefully that a result is happens here. However, in reality, we need more commitment from the (global) North." MUHAMAD SPEAKING TO REPORTERS COP29 PRESIDENCY LEAD NEGOTIATOR, YALCHIN RAFIYEV, WALKING OUT OF MEETING ROOM (SOUNDBITE) (English) EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF COALITION OF RAINFOREST NATIONS, KEVIN CONRAD, SAYING: "Look, just to be fair, everybody understands that they're the most vulnerable, but they're asking for very hard fixed numbers dedicated to them. And there's a lot of resistance from other developing countries. So they're asking for 30% of all finance." PANAMA'S SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE FOR CLIMATE CHANGE, JUAN CARLOS GOMEZ, WALKING OUT OF ROOM AND SAYING HE WILL COME BACK (SOUNDBITE) (English) EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF COALITION OF RAINFOREST NATIONS, KEVIN CONRAD, SAYING: "I think they'll come back to the table. I mean, we have to, right? So, I think everyone will come back to the table." PEOPLE INSIDE MEETING ROOM, WHERE SOME COUNTRIES WALKED OUT OF (SOUNDBITE) (English) EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF COALITION OF RAINFOREST NATIONS, KEVIN CONRAD, SAYING: "There should be a deal on a lot of things, right? We should be bringing in Article Six. We should be bringing in all these things. To place the whole COP on a very difficult discussion about finance and to say that there's no progress unless we agree on finance, I don't think is the right outcome. So let's get in what we can. And if we have to defer finance for another three months, let's do it." CONRAD WALKING AWAY AFTER SPEAKING TO MEDIA RAFIYEV WALKING BACK INTO MEETING ROOM SECURITY OUTSIDE MEETING ROOM
- Embargoed: 7th December 2024 14:07
- Keywords: Azerbaijan Baku COP29 Colombia Evans Davie Njewa Kevin Conrad Malawi Susana Muhamad climate finance talks walkout
- Location: BAKU, AZERBAIJAN
- City: BAKU, AZERBAIJAN
- Country: Azerbaijan
- Topics: Climate Change,Environment,Europe,General News,Government / Politics,Climate Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA001199723112024RP1
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Dozens of developing countries, including island states, walked out of a meeting on climate finance at COP29 on Saturday (November 23).
The European Union, the U.S. and other wealthy countries raised their offer of climate funding for developing nations to $300 billion a year at COP29 on Saturday, in a bid to unlock increasingly tense negotiations already a day into overtime.
It was not clear if the revised offer would be enough to lead to a deal, but negotiators from developing countries and island nations on Saturday aired frustration over a process they said was not inclusive, and temporarily walked out of talks.
Evans Davie Njewa, the chair of the Least Developed Countries, said that they had suspended the talks until they saw their own interests on paper, adding that their move would "rebuild" the talks on finance and not lead to their collapse.
Colombian Environment Minister, Susana Muhamad, said there was a risk of there being no deal on financing at the end of the negotiations but added that it was "important to push through." She said the Global North needs to make more commitments in terms of finance.
Kevin Conrad, the executive director of the Coalition of Rainforest Nations, said it was not the right strategy to place the whole summit on the finance issue, when there are other issues that need to be agreed on. "Let's get in what we can," he told reporters.
(Production: Bulent Usta, Ali Kucukgocmen) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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