21 November 2016
Marrakech Conference Carries Momentum of Climate Action
Photo by IISD/ENB | Kiara Worth
story highlights

The two-week meeting, which took place in Marrakech, Morocco, included COP 22 to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the 12th session of the Conference of the Parties serving as the Meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol (CMP 12), and the the first session of the Conference of the Parties serving as the Meeting of the Parties to the Paris Agreement (CMA 1).

On Thursday, 17 November, the Presidency read out the Marrakech Action Proclamation for our Climate and Sustainable Development to the COP plenary.

Fiji was announced as the incoming President of the 2017 UN climate change conference (COP 23), which will held in Bonn, Germany, in November 2017.

19 November 2016: The Marrakech Climate Change Conference took place after the historically rapid entry into force of the Paris Agreement, which was agreed at the conclusion of the 2015 Paris Climate Change Conference. Many looked to the 22nd session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 22) to maintain the momentum established at COP 21. Although the COP 22 agenda focused on technical work, making it difficult to show significant progress, participants believed that the Conference rose to the challenge and created a sense of urgency and accountability for the development of a rulebook that will make the Paris Agreement implementable from day one.

The two-week meeting, which took place in Marrakech, Morocco, included COP 22 to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the 12th session of the Conference of the Parties serving as the Meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol (CMP 12), and the the first session of the Conference of the Parties serving as the Meeting of the Parties to the Paris Agreement (CMA 1). Three subsidiary bodies also met: the 45th sessions of the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice (SBSTA 45) and Subsidiary Body for Implementation (SBI 45), and the second part of the first session of the Ad Hoc Working Group on the Paris Agreement (APA 1-2).

During the second week, the joint high-level segment brought together over 70 Heads of State and Government, in addition to ministers and heads of delegation, to generate political will to take collective action to address climate change. On Thursday, 17 November, the Presidency read out the Marrakech Action Proclamation for our Climate and Sustainable Development to the COP plenary. The Marrakech Action Proclamation was issued by heads of state, government, and delegations, to signal a shift towards “a new era of implementation and action on climate and sustainable development.” Among other things, it notes the momentum on climate change is irreversible, and is being driven not only by governments, but by science, business and global action at all levels; and stresses the need to purposefully reduce emissions and to foster adaptation efforts, which will benefit and support the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Fiji was announced as the incoming President of the 2017 UN climate change conference (COP 23), which will held in Bonn, Germany, in November 2017.

On the sidelines of the intergovernmental negotiations, numerous side events convened, as well as, inter alia, Global Climate Action thematic events on forests, water, industry and business, energy, human settlements, oceans, transport and agriculture.

The Conference brought together over 22,500 participants, including nearly 15,800 government officials, 5,400 representatives of UN bodies and agencies, intergovernmental organizations and civil society organizations, and 1,200 members of the media.

Parties adopted 35 decisions, 25 under the COP, eight under the CMP and two under the CMA, which, inter alia: provide guidance on the completion of the work programme under the Paris Agreement and decide that the Adaptation Fund should serve the Paris Agreement; advance the preparations for the entry into force of the Paris Agreement and CMA; adopt the terms of reference (ToR) for the Paris Committee on Capacity- building (PCCB); and approve the five-year workplan of the Warsaw International Mechanism to address loss and damage associated with impacts of climate change (WIM) Executive Committee (ExCom). Decisions were also adopted on, inter alia, linkages between the Technology Mechanism and the Financial Mechanism of the Convention; long-term finance; and the sixth review of the Financial Mechanism.

The UN Climate Change Conference was scheduled to end at 6:00 pm on 18 November. However, it did not end until almost 3:00 am on Saturday, 19 November. Negotiations on Friday focused on the draft COP decision on entry into force of the Paris Agreement and on the draft CMA 1. The Friday negotiations were the cummulation of informal consultations carried out by the COP President throughout the meeting. The discussions focused on where to house “orphan issues,” the timing of the next or resumed CMA session (2017 or 2018), and whether the Adaptation Fund should serve the Paris Agreement.

The COP decision on preparations for entry into force of the Paris Agreement and CMA 1 decides to: convene at COP 23 a joint meeting with the second session of CMA 1 (CMA 1-2) to review progress on implementation of the work programme; and conclude the work programme as soon as possible and to forward the outcomes, at the latest, to the third part of CMA 1 (CMA 1-3) to be convened in conjunction with COP 24 for its consideration and adoption.

On additional matters relating to the implementation of the Paris Agreement, the COP notes the CMA’s invitation to request the APA to continue considering possible additional matters relating to the implementation of the Paris Agreement and the convening of CMA 1. On the Adaptation Fund, the COP requests the APA to address the governance and institutional arrangements, safeguards and operating modalities for the Adaptation Fund to serve the Paris Agreement, and invites Parties to submit their views on this matter. [IISD RS Coverage of COP 22] [Marrakech Action Proclamation for our Climate and Sustainable Development] [UNFCCC Press Release] [Wrap Up on COP 22 – Earth Negotiations Video]


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