CAN Intervention: Stocktake Plenary, Virtual SB 2021, June 2021

Presidency, SB chairs and secretariat, Many developing countries – particularly vulnerable groups – have raised the issue of the imbalance in prioritization of issues on the agenda for this SB Session. Tackling the climate emergency requires listening to the needs of those feeling the worst impacts of this crisis.

We ask you to ensure a much more balanced agenda which treats Finance and Loss and Damage with the same level of urgency as other issues.  To ensure that a robust and balanced package deal is achieved at COP26, we strongly urge you to consider holding another session ahead of Glasgow, where these issues can be discussed with the weight it deserves. We look in particular to the UK and Chilean presidencies to show leadership ensuring this balance beyond workshops and inside the UNFCCC SB sessions.

As a starting point, developed countries have to deliver the financial commitment of 100 bn per annum by 2020 and go beyond this, including providing funding to address loss and damage.

CAN welcomes those parties who now strongly endorse the inclusion of human rights, including the rights of Indigenous People, in Article 6. CAN also welcomes the updates of progress on the work so far to advance Common Timeframes, in particular the helpful reduction of options to be in a position to take a decision.

But we want to make clear that we have a RIGHT to be in this process and we will not accept being excluded. While countries are talking about human rights in one room, some countries are also excluding observers in others.  We have worked hard alongside parties to achieve the Paris Agreement. We represent people and communities globally.  How do you expect to abide with the UNFCCC Bureau’s decision to “enhance openness, transparency and inclusiveness, effective participation and engagement of observers“ if you don’t allow us to participate? This virtual session is an exceptional one, and the usual opportunities for observers to interact with the process through engaging negotiators, presenting our solutions, holding the process to account, even just knowing who is in the room, are not possible. We call on you to ensure that we are able to contribute in this session and others in the most meaningful way. Do not shut us out for spurious reasons. 

As a network of over 1500 NGOs in 130 nations, we will raise our voice because we care for the implementation of the Paris Agreement. We won’t accept exclusion because we know the climate crisis has a direct impact on the people and communities we represent.

People Power, Climate Justice.

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Download file: http://ENGO-CAN_Stocktake-intervention_-Virtual-SB-2021-2.pdf

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