ADDRESS BY MINISTER MAITE NKOANA-MASHABANE ON THE OCASSION OF THE LAUNCH OF THE "50 DAYS TO COP17/CMP7", GIANT STADUIM, SOSHANGUVE, 8 OCTOBER 2011

Programme Director,
Ladies and gentlemen,

In less than 50 days from now, on the 28th of November this year, South Africa will warmly welcome to Durban countries of the world for the 17th Conference of Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (known as COP17) and the 7th meeting of Parties to the Kyoto Protocol (CMP7).  These countries will be here to talk to each other – to negotiate – with the view to agreeing on measures that must be taken to address the challenges of climate change.

We all feel the impacts of climate change in the increased frequency and intensity of extreme weather events, coastal erosion and flooding as a result of rising sea levels, increase of the occurrence of certain diseases, loss of biodiversity and economic impacts, and an increase in the number of environmental refugees. Climate change has therefore become, without any doubt, the most pressing sustainable development issue of our times. Its effects are felt in all the important areas of human existence including agriculture, food security, housing, health, energy security and sustainable life itself. Humanity has therefore never been so profoundly aware of climate change, of its impacts and of the fact that emissions must be radically reduced to secure a relatively safe future for humankind on the planet.

In order to find solutions for this dire situation confronting our planet, we have the United Nations Framework Convention for Climate Change - the UNFCCC. The UNFCCC is a complicated “Party-driven process” in which all 194 member states must talk to each other to reach a consensus. However, finding a consensus amongst a very diverse group of member states is no easy task and for South Africa, as incoming COP17/CMP7 President, this process will be no different.

The Conference in Durban will not be an easy meeting. However, it will be in Durban where Parties will be held accountable to the global citizenry – ordinary people that suffer daily from the impacts of climate change and who have high expectations from their leaders to show leadership by being responsible, but also bold enough to find effective solutions to the threat that climate change presents to their livelihood, quality of life, dignity, and in many cases, their very existence on Earth. With this realization we have experienced within the preparatory process that many individual countries and groupings have expressed their readiness to support South Africa in ensuring that COP17/CMP7 will be a success.

The COP17/CMP7 Conference in Durban will present the world with a golden opportunity to shape the future global response to climate change. As the incoming COP17/CMP7 President, we have appealed to Parties arrive at COP17/CMP7 with the willingness to compromise and yield from their current positions, otherwise there could be a breakdown in negotiations with serious ramifications for the UNFCCC process and the prospects of achieving progress on climate change through a multilateral approach. There is a resurging sense that agreement and progress in Durban are possible if Parties are willing to shoulder their responsibilities and properly fulfill their leadership roles.

Since I have been involved in the process I have participated and held special consultations, as mandated by the UNFCCC process, with a number of negotiation groups and Parties which included amongst other the Climate Dialogue in Berlin, the inter-Ministerial Session that took place in Pretoria, as well as the participation by President Zuma in the Leaders’ Dilaogue that was arranged in cooperation with Mexico and the Clinton Foundation in New York. There will also be a Pre-COP at the end of October in Stellenbosch where I hope we will be able to iron-out the last major political obstacles.

This all said, the main question however remains what key issues should receive attention in the negotiations in Durban.   Please allow me, to share with you the impressions I have formed from the various consultations I have had with Parties on their expectations for a credible outcome in Durban.

• All Parties are in agreement that the outcome in Durban should be balanced, fair and credible that preserves and strengthens the multilateral rules based response to climate change. The approach to reach a balanced, fair and credible outcome in Durban must be informed by the principles that form the basis of UNFCCC climate change negotiations. These principles include multilateralism, environmental integrity, fairness (common but differentiated responsibility and respective capabilities, equity,) and honouring of all international commitments and undertakings made in the climate change process.
• There is consensus on the position that the Cancun Agreements must be operationalised, including the establishment of the key mechanisms and institutional arrangements agreed to in Cancun. Here the Green Climate Fund  represents a center piece of a broader set of outcomes for Durban. Developing countries demand a prompt start for the Fund through its early and initial capitalization.
• For Durban to be successful we have to do more than making the Cancun Agreements operational. We have no option but to deal with the outstanding political issues remaining from the Bali Roadmap. This means finding a resolution to the issue of the 2nd commitment period under the Kyoto Protocol and agreeing on the legal nature of a future climate change system.
• Adaptation is an essential element of the outcome in Durban as it is a key priority for many developing countries, particularly small island developing states, least developed countries and Africa. The current fragmented approach to adaptation must be addressed in a more coherent manner and give equal priority to adaptation and mitigation.
• Any outcome in Durban has to be adequate enough to adhere to the principle of environmental integrity. In this context the low level of ambition is a serious concern.

I have just returned from Panama City in Panama where the last formal session of the UNFCCC is taking place in preparation for Durban. It was evident there that there is urgency amongst the negotiators and groups to finalise text to serve as a basis for negotiations in for the Durban Conference. This gave me a sense of renewed hope for an acceptable and credible outcome in Durban. It is therefore our duty as incoming President of the Conference to spare no effort to make sure that Parties to the Convention find common ground and that they are able to agree on a fair, transparent and credible outcome we all want.

I am pleased to say that South Africa’s logistical arrangements for hosting the conference are on track and progressing well. We are on top of all aspects of what goes into organising an event of this magnitude – from accommodation and venue preparation, to security, protocol support and transport. We therefore look forward to proudly showcasing the beautiful city of Durban and to welcome the expected 20,000 delegates from the 194 member countries in South Africa. Our logo for Durban is designed around the baobab tree – a symbol of nature’s resilience and strength. This is well captured in the conference slogan that we have chosen: Working Together, Saving Tomorrow Today!

We invite all South Africans to begin the 50-day countdown from today, to ready themselves to receive our guests in our ubuntu style that we demonstrated during the FIFA World Cup.  The 50-day countdown must also be about mobilising our communities, working together to save tomorrow today!

I thank you.