Enhancing Capacity for ASEAN Climate Change Negotiators
Climate change negotiators in the region are attending a workshop in Hanoi in two days to strengthen their capacity for engaging in international climate negotiations. The workshop was hosted by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment and sponsored by the UK Foreign Commonwealth Office with technical support from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Vietnam.
Negotiators will be exposed to international climate policy development under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). They will also learn the available negotiation space with regards to the most critical issues ahead of a new global climate agreement by 2015.
As the strategic partner of Vietnam, the UK has been committed to supporting Vietnam’s efforts in climate change to ensure its sustainable socioeconomic development. Mr Andrew Holt, Head of Political Economics and Environment of the British Embassy Hanoi, said, “The Foreign and Commonwealth Office is pleased to deliver this important training event because the UK is a global leader in climate change response and support to developing countries. I believe this training will help Vietnam and other ASEAN member countries effectively engage in international negotiations on climate change and secure our chances of achieving the ambitious new global climate agreement we all want to see by 2015.”
UNDP has been supporting similar workshops for Vietnamese and ASEAN negotiators for several years already. According to Bakhodir Burkhanov, Deputy Country Director of UNDP in Vietnam, it is important that UNFCCC Parties have started to consider the real negotiation text. It is critical that there will be a balanced consideration of mitigation and adaptation actions in the future climate agreement, and that developing and developed countries come to mutual understanding and broad agreements on that as soon as possible. This requires that negotiators have a real in-depth understanding of many complex issues.
Climate change negotiation capacity building is one priority of Vietnam. As the Chair of the ASEAN Climate Change Working Group, Vietnam is taking the initiative in stimulating long-term regional cooperation and to provide a mechanism for further strengthening negotiating skills of ASEAN countries.
Vietnamese and ASEAN climate change negotiators will deepen their strategic understanding of possible outcomes of the 21st Conference of Parties on Climate Change to be held in Paris in 2015 (COP 21).
Quynh Anh
Vietnamese
