12 November 2015
Climate Vulnerable Forum Issues Manila Communiqué
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A meeting of 43 countries vulnerable to climate change concluded with the adoption of a call to "enshrine the critical goal of below 1.5°C together with a successive 5-year commitment cycle" in the Paris climate change agreement.

The 20-member Climate Vulnerable Forum (CVF) convened its Sherpa Senior Officers' Meeting, with participation by 23 incoming members, to take stock of progress and prepare a common position ahead of the Paris Climate Change Conference.

Climate Vulnerable Forum11 November 2015: A meeting of 43 countries vulnerable to climate change concluded with the adoption of a call to “enshrine the critical goal of below 1.5°C together with a successive 5-year commitment cycle” in the Paris climate change agreement. The 20-member Climate Vulnerable Forum (CVF) convened its Sherpa Senior Officers’ Meeting, with participation by 23 incoming members, to take stock of progress and prepare a common position ahead of the Paris Climate Change Conference.

The meeting, held in Manila, the Philippines, from 9-11 November 2015, resulted in The Manila Communiqué, which outlines “What we have done,” “What we want in Paris,” and “What we will do further.”

On the first, the Communiqué reports that representatives welcomed the establishment of the Vulnerable 20 (V20) as a dedicated cooperation mechanism for CVF Ministers of Finance to mobilize resources for CVF advocacy and priorities, climate resiliency and low-emissions development.

On expectations for Paris, CVF calls for an agreement that includes, among other things: an international mechanism on loss and damage that builds on the Warsaw International Mechanism for Loss and Damage associated with Climate Change Impacts; protection for human rights; and improved access to predictable, scaled-up finance.

On next steps, CVF plans to, inter alia: establish a South-South Centre of Excellence for Climate Information and Services in the Philippines; strengthen collaboration in its five focus sectors (health, human rights, labor, migration/displacement and science) and expand its focus sectors to agriculture, education, gender, tourism and water; strengthen the CVF Trust Fund as a financing mechanism for CVF and V20 activities; and work towards a “culture of international partnership” on finance, capacity building and technology.

Shanchita Haque, Director, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bangladesh, underlined that “Not doing anything on climate change is a crime against humanity.” She added that Bangladesh, which chaired the meeting with the Philippines and Costa Rica, “remains extremely committed to raise the voice of the vulnerable through the CVF for a more ambitious response to protect our people from the growing dangers of climate change.”

The 43 current and incoming members of CVF represent one billion people living in Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, Latin America, the Middle East and the Pacific. Several observers, including France and Germany, as well as representatives from international and civil society organizations attended the meeting.

A high-level meeting of the Forum will take place on 30 November 2015 on the sidelines of the 21st session of the Conference of Parties (COP 21) to the UNFCCC in Paris, France. The high-level meeting is expected to adopt the Manila-Paris Declaration and 2016-2018 Road Map. [CVF Press Release, 11 November 2015] [The Manila Communiqué] [CVF Press Release, 2 November 2015] [Meeting Webpage]


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