30 July 2008: The President of the UN General Assembly issued a draft outcome
document for the Monterrey Consensus Review Conference where countries would
recognize that responses to the climate change problem have “major development
implications” and “commit to respond to the additional financial requirements
that meet these new challenges with appropriate, concrete international
cooperation measures and policies.” The Review Conference, to be held in Doha,
Qatar, from November 29 to 2 December 2008, would also highlight that efforts
to address climate change should “promote increased trade in environmental
goods and not result in environmentally-based trade distortions.”

The
draft outcome document was based on the input received during the first
semester of 2008 from member States, business, NGOs and civil society on the
thematic areas outlined in the 2002 Monterrey Consensus. It reaffirms the
Consensus’ goals and commitments on issues such as mobilizing financial
resources for development and international trade as an engine for development,
and welcomes the targets announced by G8 countries in Hokkaido, Japan, to
increase their official development assistance to US$ 130 billion by 2010. The
draft also presents proposals to improve the coherence and consistency of the
international monetary, financial and trading systems in support of
development.
The section on “New Challenges and Emerging Issues” recognizes
“increased costs from damage to the Earth’s environment and climate change” as
key challenges and reaffirms the need for concerted global action to address
them “while consistently furthering economic and human development for all.” In
particular, the draft document proposes that countries agree to address the
financing needs for mitigation and adaptation to climate change in developing
countries in the context of sustainable development and within the structure of
the UNFCCC.
Countries would also commit to respond to the additional financial
requirements and facilitate the transfer of low-carbon technology. Informal
consultations and drafting sessions on the outcome document will be held during
the second semester of 2008, leading to the Doha Review Conference in November.
[Draft
outcome document]