27 April 2010
Third Meeting of BASIC Group Issues Joint Statement
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25 April 2010: The third meeting on climate change of Ministers from Brazil, South Africa, India and China (BASIC) convened in Cape Town, South Africa, from 25-26 April 2010.

The Group issued a Joint Statement on 25 April 2010.

In their Joint Statement, BASIC Ministers express their determination to continue to show leadership in acting […]

25 April 2010: The third meeting on climate change of Ministers from Brazil, South Africa, India and China (BASIC) convened in Cape Town, South Africa, from 25-26 April 2010. The Group issued a Joint Statement on 25 April 2010.
In their Joint Statement, BASIC Ministers express their determination to continue to show leadership in acting on climate change. They stress that a legally binding outcome should be concluded in Cancún, Mexico, in 2010, or at the latest in South Africa by 2011, including an agreement on quantified emission reduction targets under a second commitment period for Annex I Parties under the Kyoto Protocol, as well as a legally binding agreement on long-term cooperative action under the Convention.
They recommend that negotiations follow a two-pronged approach by: developing a politically balanced comprehensive outcome in the formal negotiations under the two Ad hoc Working Groups, underpinned by the principles of equity, and common but differentiated responsibility and respective capabilities; and using the $10 billion fast-start funding to develop, test and demonstrate practical implementation approaches to both adaptation and mitigation, which can be used to inform the comprehensive package.
Ministers also identified areas in which progress could be made in the run-up to Cancún, including: the early flow of the $10 billion in 2010 pledged by developed countries; implementation of the REDD+ mechanism; the architecture of technology development and transfer; an adaptation framework encompassing implementation programmes; and a work programme on measurement, reporting and verification (MRV) of commitments to finance, technology and capacity building support by developed countries, starting with a common reporting format for financial contributions by developed countries.
Ministers reaffirmed that negotiations must be based on the official negotiating texts in the two Ad hoc Working Groups, and negotiations should be conducted in an inclusive manner. They called for a mechanism for reporting back to the multilateral forum when States meet in small groups outside the UNFCCC.
Finally, Ministers affirmed that the BASIC countries will continue their consultations with other countries and groups, following the “BASIC-Plus” approach, to facilitate the resolution of contentious issues in the negotiations. They welcomed Brazil’s offer to host the next BASIC Ministerial at the end of July 2010, and China’s offer to host a meeting at the end of October 2010. [Joint Statement]

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