The UNFCCC has announced the launch of a platform for the Santiago Network that will assist countries and organizations to identify opportunities to mobilize technical assistance and generate initiatives to avert, minimize, and address loss and damage resulting from climate change. 

The Warsaw International Mechanism for Loss and Damage Associated with Climate Change Impacts was established at the 19th session of the Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC (COP 19) in 2013. It was mandated to enhance knowledge, strengthen dialogue and coordination, and enhance action to address loss and damage associated with the impacts of climate change in vulnerable developing countries. 

In 2019, the Santiago Network was created at COP25 in Madrid to further the work of the loss and damage mechanism by catalyzing access to, and organizing the availability of, technical assistance to developing countries vulnerable to the adverse impacts of climate change. The Network is designed to enable quick access to planning tools and solutions, organize the exchange of knowledge between organizations, facilitate new partnership arrangements, and convene organizations and experts to leverage additional resources and reduce the duplication of efforts.  

The establishment of the Santiago Network is still in early stages, with plans to develop the functions and website over time to better align with countries’ needs for technical assistance. The initial platform will provide a space to quickly channel assistance into operations, mid- to long-term investments, humanitarian services, and immediate technical needs. 

Carolina Schmidt, Chile’s Minister of Environment and COP 25 President, said, “It is my personal hope that the Santiago Network will spark new partnerships, joint ventures, consortiums and technical corporations, and we have requested the secretariat to proceed along these principles.” [UNFCCC News Release]

By Gabriel Gordon-Harper, Thematic Expert on Climate Change and Sustainable Energy