Post-Paris Ministerial Meeting on Climate Change

1 April 2016, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo: The Chair of the LDC Group of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Mr. Toshi Mpanu-Mpanu organised three meetings in Kinshasa in the last week of March and 1 April 2016 to develop a common understanding on the Paris Agreement (PA) and encourage LDCs for its effective implementation.

The LDC post-Paris Strategy Meeting held on 28 and 29 March 2016 and the Technical level meeting on LDC post-Paris Ministerial Meeting on Climate Change held on 30-31 March reviewed and analysed the PA and COP21 decisions, and discussed immediate next steps and obligations arising from the PA and available support mechanisms, including organisational matters and future activities of the LDC Group for 2016.

The Technical Meeting discussed key issues for political guidance from the LDC ministerial meeting held on 1 April 2016. The Ministerial Meeting provided a platform for LDC ministers and high-level representatives to share and exchange information on the current status of negotiations, its politics and science, to reviewed and analyse the PA and accompanying COP decisions and obligations arising from PA, and to discuss follow-up plans, PA implementation and future activities for the engagement of the LDC high-level representatives. The Ministerial Meeting also issued a communiqué.

The Strategy Meeting reviewed LDCs key asks and found several key issues accommodated directly or indirectly in the PA For strategic engagement, LDC participants considered the need to strengthen the LDC team, engage in technical examination processes, coordinate at country and regional levels for inputs into the technical processes, ensure LDCs priorities in sector coverage, outputs and outcomes of the processes, and also ensure more concrete and practical, less procedural, and constructive engagement.

Opening the technical meeting, the Honourable Minister Mr. Rober Bopolo emphasised the need for implementing the PA to protect LDCs from the adverse impacts of climate change. The Chair of the LDC Group to the UNFCCC, Mr. Tosi Mpanu-Mpanu, highlighted the negotiation landscape and opportunities for LDCs from the PA. The mmost significant outcome is the requirement for updated Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) every five years, to take actions to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. LDCs have been recognised for support from the LDCF though expedited access, the Green Climate Fund (GCF) through a simplified approval process for readiness, and using NAPs as adaptation communication.

Participants agreed to explore possible initiatives to foster the implementation of the PA, prepare science-based briefing papers and ensure submissions, organise strategy and technical meetings and trainings, engage with ministers and high level representatives, strengthen institution and outreach activities, and work with progressive countries/groups for strengthening climate regime.

On 1 April 2016, Ministers from several LDCs met, to discuss and develop a common understanding, and issue a communiqué to inform the international community on LDCs concerns for the effective implementation of the PA.

The LDC Ministers urged all countries to, inter alia, participate in the high-level signature ceremony for the PA on 22 April 2016 in New York; requested IPCC to prepare a Special Report on impacts of global warming of 1.50C above pre-industrial levels as well as related global GHGs emission pathways; encouraged funding institutions to provide support for the formulation and implementation of the national adaption plans; and urged developed countries to provide additional financial resources to the LDC Fund, and ensure substantial resources from the GCF to address the specific needs and special priorities of the LDCs.

This broad-based strategy and communiqué is expected to provide avenues to voice LDC concerns in future meetings. The Ministry of Environment, Nature Conservation and Sustainable Development of the DRC organised these meetings with support from UNDP-UNEP joint project on 'building capacity for LDCs to participate effectively in intergovernmental climate change processes', UNDP Regional Office for Africa in Addis Ababa, The High Level Support Mechanism of Climate Analytics, and the Francophonie's Institute for Sustainable Development.