The Commonwealth at COP23
Commonwealth member states will be among the countries at the 23rd session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 23) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Bonn, Germany.
Fiji will preside over COP 23 from 6 to 17 November 2017. Countries will meet to advance the aims and ambitions of the Paris Agreement.
The Commonwealth has led the way in global advocacy on climate change and will be contributing to COP23. Among the highlights at this year’s conference, we will be:
- unveiling a new online resource which supports climate change law-making
- showcasing Commonwealth youth led-action to tackle climate change and unveiling a new resource guide for youth climate advocacy for small island developing states
- highlighting the Commonwealth initiative which supports small states and vulnerable states to access climate finance
And Secretary-General Patricia Scotland will be setting out the Commonwealth’s continuing vision and work being carried out to help save the planet.
Assisting Parties in NDC implementation: New developments on the ‘Law and Climate Change’ Toolkit
8 November, 13:15-14:45
Venue: Meeting Room 10, Bonn Zone.
Young and Future Generations Day: Showcasing youth work to combat climate change (organized by YOUNGO)
9 November
Young and Future Generations Day: Intergenerational enquiry (organized by YOUNGO)
9 November
Climate Law and Governance Day
10 November
Commonwealth Intergenerational Climate Dialogue
13 November, 18:00-19:30
Organised and hosted by the Commonwealth Youth Climate Change Network (CYCN)
Chief guest: Commonwealth Secretary-General Patricia Scotland
Venue: ENGO Room, Observer Room 5, Bonn Zone.
Accessing Climate Finance: The Commonwealth Support Mechanism to Developing Countries
14 November, 16:45-18:15
Venue: Meeting Room 9, Bonn Zone
This side-event will be co-hosted by the Commonwealth Secretariat and Government of Mauritius. It will feature a highlevel round table panel discussion, where participants will share experiences, challenges, and lessons learned about accessing climate finance, as well as the successes resulting from support provided by the Commonwealth’s Climate Finance Access Hub. The Hub receives funding from the Government of Australia.
List of Speakers:
- The Rt Hon Patricia Scotland QC, Secretary-General of the Commonwealth
- Fiji: (TBC)
- Mauritius: Hon Marie Joseph Noel Etienne Ghislain Sinatambou – Minister of Social Security, National Solidarity, and Environment and Sustainable Development
- Australia: Andrea Faulkner – Assistant Secretary, Sustainability and Climate Change Branch, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
- Vanuatu: Hon Ham Lini Vanuaroroa – Minister of Climate Change Adaptation, Meteorology and Geo-Hazard, Environment, Energy and Disaster Management
- Antigua and Barbuda (TBC)
- Green Climate Fund: Pa Ousman Jarju, Director of Country Programming
Commonwealth Secretary-General address at COP23
16 November.
Harsen Nyambe, Head of Climate Change, Commonwealth Secretariat on COP23.
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