CAPTION: L-R Mr. Gao Feng (Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China), Mr. Mourad Ahmia (G77 Executive Secretariat), Mr. Xie Zhenhua (Minister, Vice Chairman NDRC of China), Ambassador Thomson (Chair of G77), Mr. Sai Navoti (Fiji Mission).
The Chair of the Group of 77 and Fiji’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations Ambassador Peter Thomson met this week with the Vice Chairman of the National Development and Reform Commission of the Government of the People’s Republic China Mr Xie Zhenhua.
Both parties discussed the multilateral process of the UNFCCC climate change negotiations and related matters.
Mr Xie is currently in New York to meet with the UN Secretary-General and key stakeholders including the G77 to discuss the year’s work programme of climate change negotiations.
Mr Xie took the opportunity to acknowledge Fiji’s effective work in maintaining G77 unity across the broad range of issues that the G77 is active on this year. At the same time, he assured Ambassador Thomson of China’s active and constructive role in supporting Fiji’s Chairmanship of the global body.
Mr Xie and Ambassador Thomson discussed the elements of the joint declaration of the meeting of BASIC countries (Brazil, South Africa, India and China) from their meeting earlier in the year which had outlined the position of the BASIC countries on the UNFCCC process. Key elements include the need to build on the consensus reached in Doha during COP18 and to ensure that the commitments made there are honoured and implemented. Discussions between the two emphasised the importance of political will in the approach to COP 19, due to be held in Warsaw in November 2013. This includes ensuring that the concerns of developing countries relating to financing for climate change are taken into account through clear solutions being provided for financing, including the implementation of the commitment to mobilise $100 billion for climate financing before 2020.
Mr Xie and Ambassador Thomson also discussed the proposed World Leaders Climate Change Conference for 2014, and agreed in discussions that two key principles that the conference would need to include is that it provides overall political guidance to the UNFCCC process, and that it find a solution to the financing for climate change issues.
The meeting concluded with a reiteration of China’s support of the G77 and the work being conducted for the Group through Fiji’s chairmanship.
MINFO