New Zealand Is Abandoning Small Island Developing States In The Negotiation For Cop15 Unfccc

New Zealand is abandoning Small Island Developing States in the Negotiation for COP15 UNFCCC New Zealand has submitted its position relating to key issues under negotiation for COP15 UNFCCC. New Zealand has forgotten the plights of small island states regarding their urgent need for adaptation. New Zealand chose to ignore its commitment under the Convention and let the small island states to perish in the absence of any support for adaptation. New Zealand submitted its proposal on Ideas and proposals on the elements contained in paragraph 1 of the Bali Action Plan under the Ad hoc Working Group on Long-term Cooperative Action under the Framework Convention on Climate Change on 24 April 2009. The submission could be found in document FCCC/AWGLCA/2009/MISC.4 (Part II) issued by the UNFCCC secretariat. On the section of Adaptation, New Zealand has a Framework on Adaptation to be set up. It has further explained that “the Convention’s role is one of coordination and facilitation, and of catalysing activity e.g. by providing access to a range of tools and information sources including on availability of adaptation finance and technologies. The Convention’s role is not that of an implementing agency. Critically, a framework that addresses adaptation to the adverse effects of climate change is not a framework to address the impacts of response measures to climate change. This issue is more than adequately covered elsewhere in the negotiations and it does not belong in the Framework on Adaptation.” New Zealand has heartlessly ignored its commitment under Article 4.3 of the Convention “The

developed country Parties and other developed Parties included in Annex II shall also assist the developing country Parties that are particularly vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate change in meeting costs of adaptation to those adverse effects.” New Zealand shows no mercy to Small Island States, particularly those which are its neighbours and prefer to watch them sinking in vain. It chooses to ignore its commitment, as an Annex I Party, on adaptation. New Zealand has also downgraded the role of UNFCCC to coordination and facilitation and of catalyzing activity. New Zealand is totally irresponsible in saying that the Convention has only coordination and facilitation roles only. Indeed, It never have the slightest intention to assist those countries that are vulnerable to the adverse impacts of climate change. Its proposal demonstrates its total unwillingness in fulfilling its responsibility of meeting the cost of adaptation. New Zealand proposed that the operation of the Framework on Adaptation shall be guided by the following objectives: (a) To assist all Parties, in particular developing countries, including the least developed countries and small island developing States, to improve their understanding and assessment of impacts, vulnerability and adaptation, and to make informed decisions on practical adaptation actions and measures; (b) To create enabling environments through knowledge sharing, capacity building and the strengthening of regional centres of expertise; and (c) To facilitate and promote an integrated best practice approach to adaptation to the adverse effects of climate change;

New Zealand has suggested initiatives only to improve the understanding and assessment of impacts and vulnerability through knowledge sharing and regional centres of expertise, using integrated best practice approach. New Zealand only “facilitates” information exchange on adaptation and not providing any financial support for adaptation as stipulated in Article 4.4 of the Convention. New Zealand further pushes the responsibility of provision of financial support to developing countries by articulating that the developing countries “have the primary responsibility for implementing measures to reduce climate change risk and to adapt to the adverse effects of climate change and climate change risk reduction and adaptation must be integrated into development activities”. It now implies that each country has to accept the cold fact that adaptation is its own responsibility and any cost of adaptation has to be borne by the country itself as adaptation is to be integrated into national development plan. Developed countries, including New Zealand, continue to divert public attention on climate change responsibilities to developing countries like China and India as major source of emission. They are running away from their commitments of providing financial support to developing countries on adaptation. The “Framework” proposed by New Zealand is just a bare-bone framework of information exchange, in which any information portal could assume such responsibility at very low cost. It is extremely sad to see the true intention of New Zealand is to get all developing countries to mitigate and forget its rudiment responsibility of providing financial resources for most vulnerable countries, particularly the many small island States in its neighbourhood. For these small island States which are desperately fighting for survival as a result of sea level rise and global warming, we cry for you!! To New Zealand, you are only a coward in sheep skin!! Be brave, come out to commit funding