CLIMATE CHANGE: UNGA TO KEEP BUSY TEMPO

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 USUN NEW YORK 000151

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: SENV KGHG ECON UNGA
SUBJECT: CLIMATE CHANGE: UNGA TO KEEP BUSY TEMPO

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Summary
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1. (U) The General Assembly's February 11-13 thematic debate
on climate change highlighted the role of the UN system in
responding to the global challenges and potential solutions
to that problem. Several delegations directed comments, both
good and bad, at the U.S., with island states providing some
of the sharpest rhetoric. Coming so soon after the UN
Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) ministerial
of December, delegations were nearly universal in their
cautious optimism over the Bali Roadmap, despite daunting
challenges in achieving a new international agreement by

2009. The General Assembly President announced plans to hold
two further GA debates on climate change in coming months, to
focus on vulnerable states and corporate responsibility and
sustainability. USUN Charge D'Affaires Wolff delivered the
U.S. statement on February 12, providing feedback to the
Secretariat report and describing inter alia USG initiatives

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in partnerships and technology sharing. End summary.

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Looking Inward
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2. (U) In what has become a annual exercise for General
Assembly presidents, PGA Srgjan Kerim convened on February
11-13 a special thematic debate "Addressing Climate Change:
The United Nations and the World at Work." The debate
featured one day of panel discussions focusing on
public-private partnerships and the roles of UN agencies in
addressing climate change, and two days of national
statements in plenary session. Guest speakers and panelists
included Slovenia President Turk, New York Mayor Bloomberg,
Virgin Group Chairman Sir Richard Branson, activist/actress
Daryl Hannah, and former New York Governor George Pataki. In
contrast to the Secretary-General's high-level climate change
event last September, this debate drew ministerial-level
attendance from only 20 states.


3. (U) The UN Secretariat made clear that it hoped to receive
feedback and guidance from member states on its comprehensive
report outlining the climate change activities of each UN
agency and proposals for future action. Predictably,
however, most delegations directed their comments to
aspirations for the UNFCCC negotiation process and to
describing their own national efforts. Antigua and Barbuda,
speaking on behalf of the 130 states of the "Group of 77 and
China", nevertheless criticized the Secretariat report for
going beyond its limited mandate by presupposing activities
that require intergovernmental decision by member states.
Conversely Slovenia, speaking on behalf of the European
Union, gave hearty support to UN efforts toward a more
coordinated approach and advocated for strengthened
international environmental governance. At the end of the
debate, the PGA announced he would seek further detail on the
UN Secretariat's future plans.

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National Statements: Good, Bad and Frantic
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4. (SBU) For the most part, statements by national
delegations contained the standard litany of popular
catch-phrases ("historical responsibility", "common but
differentiated responsibility") and pleas for assistance in
the form of unconditional aid, technology transfer, capacity
building, waiver of intellectual property rights, and new
financial mechanisms. Almost every delegation, however,

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expressed cautious optimism on the "Bali Roadmap" outcome of
the UNFCCC ministerial in December and its ambitious target
of 2009 for a comprehensive new international agreement, and
reaffirmed that the UNFCCC is the UN body responsible for
climate change negotiations. USUN Charge D'Affaires Wolff
delivered the U.S. statement on February 12, providing
feedback to the Secretariat report and describing inter alia
USG initiatives in partnerships and technology sharing (full
text is available on the USUN website under "press releases"
at: www.usunnewyork.usmission.gov).


5. (U) Positive references to the U.S.-initiated Major
Economies Meeting process were made by Indonesia, France and
Iceland. Libya made explicit reference to the upcoming
Washington International Renewable Energy Conference, while
Belarus reiterated its call for a special GA thematic debate
on renewable energy and energy efficiency. Mauritius and
Japan also noted the new multilateral Clean Technology Fund
(a U.S. initiative with Japan and UK support).


6. (SBU) Concerns or criticisms, both implicit and explicit,
were likewise pointed toward the U.S. Russia, Nigeria, St.
Vincent and Grenadines, and Bolivia raised concerns about
biofuels and food security. China deemed the Bali Roadmap a
success for having "incorporated the Annex I party that had
not approved the (Kyoto) Protocol," while Norway gratuitously
called on "industrialized nations, such as Norway and the
U.S." to make sweeping emissions reductions. Bolivia,
Nicaragua and Cuba denounced the injustice of "unbridled
consumption and production patterns" and "monopolization" of
clean technology by industrialized states like the U.S.
India's PermRep quoted the Gospel of Saint Thomas that
states, "blessed are the poor for they have saved the earth,"
and then deadpanned that "now would be the time for the rich
to do something."


7. (U) Small island states were particularly animated in
declaring over the "time for mind-numbing debate" (Papua New
Guinea) and calling for immediate action even pending a new
agreement. Palau called upon the UN Security Council to take
on climate change as a "threat to peace" under Articles 39,
40 and 41 of the UN Charter and to "consider the imposition
of mandatory emission caps on all states and use its power to
sanction in order to encourage compliance." Papua New Guinea
denounced the "hubris" of "certain industrialized nations who
promote emissions reductions in certain developing countries
as a precondition for taking responsibility for carbon
emissions at home."

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More Debate Coming
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8. (SBU) Despite an intense calendar of negotiations under
the UNFCCC on the basis of the Bali Roadmap, as well as
events by countless UN bodies that will focus on climate
change issues, General Assembly President Srgjan Kerim ended
this thematic debate with an announcement that he will
convene two additional GA debates: "One will focus on the
needs and concerns of vulnerable countries and the other one
on corporate responsibility and sustainability." Papua New
Guinea's popular plea for an end to mind-numbing debate
appears to have gone unheeded.
WOLFF