Uruguay's Position Paper on Climate Change and Delegation

UNCLAS MONTEVIDEO 000672 SIPDIS FOR OES/EGC ALSO FOR WHA/BSC MARY DASCHBACH E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: SENV KGHG UY SUBJECT: Uruguay's Position Paper on Climate Change and Delegation Composition for COP-15 (Copenhagen) Summary -------------- ¶1. The GOU has shared with us a copy of its position paper on climate change, to be presented at the Copenhagen Conference of the Parties (COP-15) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The GOU delegation, which will be led by Minister of Environment Carlos Collace, intends to be helpful and work toward reaching an agreement in Copenhagen. As a testament to its goodwill, the GOU will commit itself to "continue taking voluntary and measurable steps towards mitigation in a unilateral manner..." by increasing electricity production from non-traditional clean energy sources from the current six percent to fifteen percent by 2015. End Summary. Uruguay's position on climate change -------------- ¶2. At post's request, the GOU provided us with a copy of Uruguay's official position regarding climate change, to be formally submitted at the 15th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP-15) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) that will take place in Copenhagen in December. The position paper reinforces Uruguay's intention to reach an agreement in Copenhagen in cooperation with the international community, and stresses the importance of the UNFCCC and the Kyoto Protocol and the continuation of the Principle of Common but Differentiated Responsibilities explicitly formulated in the context of the 1992 Rio Earth Summit. ¶3. After a brief review of the potentially adverse impacts of climate change in Uruguay, the paper calls for (a) a substantial increase in the funding allocated to the Adaptation Fund under the Kyoto Protocol, and, (b) the urgent need for developed countries to fulfill their commitments under the UNFCCC by supporting developing countries in their efforts to halt climate change and address its impacts. ¶4. The GOU position paper explicitly recognizes the need for Uruguay to help advance the fight against climate change, noting that at a GOU ministerial meeting that took place on October 26, 2009, Uruguay decided to take a proactive approach to the issue in order to contribute to reaching an agreement in Copenhagen next month. As a result, the GOU is committing itself to "continue taking voluntary and measurable steps towards mitigation in a unilateral manner, in order to contribute to the reduction of greenhouse gases." Moreover, in the paper Uruguay states its objective to continue modifying its energy matrix by increasing the production of electricity from non-traditional renewable energy sources (currently at six percent) up to fifteen percent by 2015. By undertaking that sort of unilateral commitment, Uruguay is trying to help achieve an "atmosphere of mutual trust" that will be essential for reaching an agreement. Uruguay is also hoping that its planned course of action would serve as a model for other countries, according to the document. Composition of the Uruguayan delegation -------------- ¶5. The GOU delegation to COP-15 will be led by Carlos Colacce, Minister of Environment. The Uruguayan delegation will also include the following individuals: A) Luis Santos, Head of the Climate Change Unit of the Ministry of Environment. Santos has been in charge of the GOU's Climate Change Unit since its creation, on December 1994. He has successfully coordinated numerous projects and programs, with funding from GEF and bilateral parties. Santos continues to be the main GOU representative at climate change events, both at the technical and diplomatic level. He is our main POC on climate change issues. B) Alicia Torres, Director of the Environment Directorate of the Ministry of Environment. C) Susana Rivero, Director of the Environment Office of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. D) Carlos Rueda, Legal Advisor to the Minister of Environment. E) Mariana Kasprzyk, Senior Technical Staff of the Climate Change Unit. MATTHEWMAN