- Title: DENMARK: G77 condemns Danish text as dangerous, insult to COP15 president
- Date: 10th December 2009
- Summary: COPENHAGEN, DENMARK (DECEMBER 9, 2009) (COP15/TV2 POOL) PODIUM (SOUNDBITE) (English) CHAIRMAN OF G77 AND CHINA NEGOTIATING GROUP, LUMUMBA D'APING SAYING: "The Danish text is an extremely dangerous document for developing countries. It is a total violation of the principles of transparency and openness. It is a rejection of the fact that the UNFCCC is the only legitimate forum for conducting negotiations by parties to the convention." PHOTOGRAPHER (SOUNDBITE) (English) CHAIRMAN OF G77 AND CHINA NEGOTIATING GROUP, LUMUMBA D'APING SAYING: "It is our humble view, it is equally an insult to the elected president of COP15 (Danish Climate and Energy Minister, Connie Hedegaard). This text comes from the office of the Prime Minister of Denmark." SIDE SHOT OF PODIUM (SOUNDBITE) (English) CHAIRMAN OF G77 AND CHINA NEGOTIATING GROUP, LUMUMBA D'APING SAYING: "This is all aimed at preserving and advancing developed countries' economic dominance and supremacy. That, of course, is not news for you, nor for us. One would say that the empire has been doing that since 16th Century." HIGH SHOT OF PODIUM AS EXECUTIVE SECRETARY UNITED NATIONS FRAMEWORK CONVENTION ON CLIMATE CHANGE (UNFCCC), YVO DE BOER SITS DOWN FOR NEWS CONFERENCE REPORTER ASKING QUESTION (SOUNDBITE) (English) EXECUTIVE SECRETARY UNITED NATIONS FRAMEWORK CONVENTION ON CLIMATE CHANGE (UNFCCC), YVO DE BOER SAYING: "Well, prior to this UNFCC meeting, the Danish government organised a lot of consultations. They've been going on throughout the year. And they also organised a consultation with a limited group of countries, immediately before this session. And, in fact, Mr Lumumba was one of the people that attended that informal session. At that informal session, several texts were circulated as a way of stimulating discussion. All of those texts are now off the table." HIGH SHOT OF PODIUM PODIUM WITH EU DELEGATION (SOUNDBITE) (English) EUROPEAN UNION PRESIDENT SWEDEN'S CHIEF NEGOTIATOR, ANDERS TURESSON SAYING: "We haven't commented on that proposal. We really do hope that it won't disturb these negotiations. That's my simple comment." VARIOUS OF PODIUM WITH DE BOER (SOUNDBITE) (English) EXECUTIVE SECRETARY UNITED NATIONS FRAMEWORK CONVENTION ON CLIMATE CHANGE (UNFCCC), YVO DE BOER SAYING: "No, I have not seen the paper that you're referring to. Yes, the issue of finance needs to be resolved, not just in terms of the short-term finance but also a recognition of the long-term financing requirements." HIGH SHOT OF PODIUM
- Embargoed: 25th December 2009 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Denmark
- Country: Denmark
- Topics: International Relations
- Reuters ID: LVACRS2USN6DBB9TK2JVE1ZTLJQO
- Story Text: Annexes of a Danish text on climate change seen by Reuters last week are dangerous and a violation of the principles of transparency, the chairman of the Group of 77 developing nations said in Copenhagen on Wednesday (December 09).
"The Danish text is an extremely dangerous document for developing countries," said Lumumba D'Aping, who chairs the G77 plus China negotiating group.
"It is a total violation of the principles of transparency and openness. It is a rejection of the fact that the UNFCCC (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change) is the only legitimate forum for conducting negotiations by parties to the convention."
D'Aping also said that the text was "all aimed at preserving and advancing developed countries' economic dominance and supremacy. That, of course, is not news for you, nor for us," D'Aping said, adding that "the empire has been doing that since the 16th century."
The idea would be to provide financial resources from rich countries through a climate fund, which campaigners are concerned would be run by the World Bank, on the basis poorer countries took action to increase efforts to cut pollution and adapt to climate change.
It also includes provision for a 10 billion dollar "fast start" fund to help poor countries take immediate action on coping with climate change and reducing their emissions - but developing countries said it would not be enough.
An alternative document from China would extend the existing 1997 Kyoto Protocol, with its legal requirement for developed countries - excluding the US which did not sign up to the treaty - to cut their emissions, and would outline new deeper cuts over a further five to eight years.
Developing countries, including China, would be covered by a separate agreement that envisions their taking actions to control emissions but does not make them sign up to legally binding or specific targets.
Asked to comment on D'Aping's remarks, Yvo de Boer, the UNFCCC executive secretary told reporters that "all of those texts are now off the table."
"Prior to this UNFCC meeting, the Danish government organised a lot of consultations. They also organised a consultation with a limited group of countries, immediately before this session. And, in fact, Mr Lumumba was one of the people that attended that informal session," de Boer said, adding that "several texts were circulated as a way of stimulating discussion."
Also on Wednesday, four nations were to propose a "green fund" to try to break deadlock on ways to raise and manage billions of dollars at the U.N. climate talks, according to delegates.
Britain, Australia, Mexico and Norway would outline ideas in a document for raising billions of dollars towards 2020 at the Dec. 7-18 talks.
UNFCCC executive secretary de Boer told reporters he had not seen the paper, saying "the issue of finance needs to be resolved, not just in terms of the short-term finance but also a recognition of the long-term financing requirements." - Copyright Holder: POOL (CAN SELL)
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