Gov’t Representatives Host African Negotiators At Climate Change Conference In Poland

Liberia is part of the world’s delegations attending the United Nation Climate Change Conference (COP24) in Katowice, Poland.

At the ongoing COP24, the Government of Liberia in collaboration with Conservation International hosted an informal workshop for African negotiators that are negotiating Article 6 of the Paris Climate Change Agreement.

Article 6 of the Paris Agreement (PA) establishes a broad framework for voluntary cooperation among parties in delivering climate action.

The article sets out three approaches through which Parties may interact: “bottom up,” bilateral or regional cooperative approaches via internationally transferred mitigation outcomes (ITMOs); a centrally-governed Unmechanism to contribute to mitigation and support sustainable development; and 3) non-market approaches.

Under the Paris Agreement, parties have agreed for the first time that all countries must push forward with legally binding climate change actions.

According to a release from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) of Liberia, all countries are required to draw up national emission reduction targets that will contribute to their nationally determined contributions (NDCs) – which they must regularly submit to the UN Climate Change Secretariat.

In welcome remarks, the National Climate Change Focal Point at the EPA of Liberia, Mr. Benjamin S. Karmorh, Jr. said that African Negotiators are all working towards the implementation of the Paris Agreement.

Speaking further, he said “We need to understand what the challenges are and opportunities that will help us in fulfilling our obligations under the Paris Climate Change agreement”.

For his part, the Lead Coordinator for Article 6 of the Paris Climate Change Agreement Mr. El Hadji Mbaye Diagne of Senegal, thanked Liberia of giving African negotiators the opportunity to meet early during the negotiations process to discuss issues that are important in an effort to refine Africa’s positions.

Speaking further, he mentioned that the goal of the workshop was to discuss the status of negotiations on Article 6 and refine African group positions on priority topics, including the inclusion of forests, how countries can handle emissions transfers from sectors not included in the scope of a country’s nationally determined contribution, and issues of governance, among others.

Mr. Diagne mentioned that Africans are on the same pitch with many issues but said “there are still many issues Africa needs to further discuss and see how they can strategize during these negotiations.

He disclosed that international transferred mitigation outcomes under Article 6 can facilitate financial support for emission reductions beyond a country’s Nationally Determined Contribution (NDCs), which is essential that the guidance agreed at COP 24 to supports environmental integrity while ensuring strong benefits and incentives for African countries.

The workshop brought together delegates from Senegal, South Africa, Kenya, Ghana, Sudan, Gambia and Cote d’Ivoire.