Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
10BUENOSAIRES90
2010-01-28 20:26:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Buenos Aires
Cable title:  

Argentina Unlikely to Associate with Copenhagen Accord by

Tags:  SENV PREL KGHG ENRG AR 
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DE RUEHBU #0090/01 0282028
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O R 282026Z JAN 10
FM AMEMBASSY BUENOS AIRES
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 0400
INFO MERCOSUR COLLECTIVE
RHMFISS/HQ USSOUTHCOM MIAMI FL
UNCLAS BUENOS AIRES 000090 

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: SENV PREL KGHG ENRG AR
SUBJECT: Argentina Unlikely to Associate with Copenhagen Accord by
January 31

REF: 10 STATE 3079

(U) This cable is sensitive but unclassified and not for internet
distribution.



UNCLAS BUENOS AIRES 000090

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: SENV PREL KGHG ENRG AR
SUBJECT: Argentina Unlikely to Associate with Copenhagen Accord by
January 31

REF: 10 STATE 3079

(U) This cable is sensitive but unclassified and not for internet
distribution.




1. (U) Summary: Emboffs discussed reftel with Samuel Basualdo
of the Argentine Foreign Ministry's Climate Change Office and
Gabriel Blanco of the Environment Secretariat's Climate Change
Division several times over the last week. The GoA does not appear
positively inclined to associate with the Accord, especially by the
January 31 deadline. End Summary.




2. (SBU) When ESTHOff delivered the demarche to the Foreign
Ministry on January 20, Basualdo said that no decision has yet been
made on the Accord but that Argentina has several concerns about
the legal implications of the Accord. Argentina is reluctant to
abandon the work done in Bali and thinks that associating itself
with the Accord will do just that. Basualdo also mentioned the
GoA's attempt to align its response with the G-77 and hesitancy to
diverge from that body. In a follow-on conversation, Basualdo was
interested to hear about the positive response the USG has received
from other countries in the region. The only point on which
Basualdo expressed certainty was Argentina's aversion to accept
domestic targets or actions in the Accord Appendix at this time.




3. (SBU) Blanco was less circumspect when he and two members
of his team met with ESTH Counselor and ESTHOff on January 27. He
said that both the Foreign Minister and Environment Secretary do
not support association with the Accord. He also viewed the Accord
as a "parallel track" to the Kyoto-Bali agreements that would
detract from that work, and saw it as "unbalanced" in both the
mitigation and financing sections. He expressed strong concern
that the document was abandoning prior agreements (while admitting
that the Kyoto Protocol has not worked) and that it failed to
address the important issue of historic responsibility for
emissions.




4. (SBU) Blanco was also clearly displeased with the process
under which the Accord was written and the general tone of the
document: "If this is a political document, its tone is in error,"
he said. He also noted that as a legal document the Accord leaves
too many points unclear, and he disagreed that Argentina in any way
gave its implicit support to the document in Copenhagen. He said
that while a few countries objected, Argentina and many others
stayed silent, neither objecting to or giving their support to the
Accord.




5. (SBU) Blanco pressed ESTHOffs on why the January 31
deadline was necessary. Argentina and other countries will
continue to play a role in any future negotiations through the UN
fora, he said, "so why is this Accord necessary to keep working?"
He posited that if Argentina associates in April or May, or even
does not join at all, it will still be part of the next round of
negotiations. When ESTH Counselor explained that association was
important to gain global unity on the Accord as a basis for a
future legal agreement, Blanco said that Kyoto and Bali already
provide a basis on which to negotiate. He said that Argentina
considers itself engaged on climate change and will continue to do
so, regardless of whether it is part of the Copenhagen Accord.




6. (SBU) Comment: Although no formal decision has been made,
both Basualdo and Blanco doubted that Argentina would join the
Accord by the January 31 deadline. Association after that date is
also by no means certain. Many top decision makers, including
Chief Negotiator Silvia Merega, are on holiday for the Argentine
summer and do not appear to be participating in the analysis and
discussion of the Accord. For their part, both Basualdo and Blanco
emphasized that they still had too many doubts about the
political/legal nature of the Accord and its effect on the basic
UNFCCC framework, as well as (unspecified) concerns about the
mitigation and financing content of the accord. While it is
possible that the Argentines may just be waiting to see what other
countries (especially in South America) do before deciding on
association, direct engagement at the policy level to address their
concerns appears to be the only hope to bring the GoA on board.



End comment.
MARTINEZ