China's special representative for climate change talks, Yu
Qingtai, urged the international community to conduct substantive
negotiations aimed at securing a new global post-2012 agreement on
climate change by 2009.
Speaking at the UN General Assembly debate on climate change, Yu
said that the Bali roadmap, adopted at the UN climate conference
last December by delegates from nearly 190 nations, is "only a
beginning."
"The international community must continue with the task of
conducting substantive consultations and negotiations, so as to
insure a final agreement on the post-2012 international cooperation
on climate change within the next two years," he said.
Yu emphasized that any framework for future arrangements must be
firmly based on the principles established by the UN Framework
Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC) and the Kyoto Protocol,
particularly the principle of common but differentiated
responsibilities.
The four building blocks of the roadmap -- mitigation,
adaptation, technology transfer and financing, are all important
components for developing an effective framework for responding to
climate change, and should be given equal attention, and none of
them should be neglected, he noted.
Urging developed countries to further strengthen policies and
measures aimed at emission reduction, the special envoy said the
concerns by developing countries over adaptation, technology
transfer and financing should be addressed in earnest, so that they
will have the capacity to make greater contributions to confronting
the challenge from climate change.
"The effectiveness of participation by the developing countries
will, to a significant extent, depend on whether the developed
countries will take substantive actions on financial and
technological assistance," he said.
"Effective mechanisms should be set up as soon as possible to
insure that measurable, reportable and verifiable assistance be
provided to the developing countries with regard to financial
resources, technology and capacity building," he said.
China takes climate change "very seriously" and have adopted
various policies and measures to respond to the challenge, with
"noticeable success," he said.
"While making our own due contribution, we will also help other
developing countries to enhance their ability to adapt to climate
change," Yu added.
Representatives, including some 20 ministers, from more than 100
countries and international organizations attended the two-day
high-level session and exchanged views on ways to move forward the
negotiating process launched in the Bali conference.
(Xinhua News Agency February 13, 2008)
