ADDIS ABABA – October 15-16, 2018 – Nearly 30 Ministers and high-level representatives from Africa, Asia and the Pacific, along with Least Developed Country (LDC) Group technical negotiators, convened in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, for the LDC Group Ministerial. The meeting enabled high-level preparation for the 24th Conference of the Parties (COP 24) under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), which will take place in December in Katowice, Poland. The Ministerial aimed to provide political momentum for the LDC Group leading into this critical meeting, which is expected to adopt the rules operationalizing the Paris Agreement (also known as the Paris Agreement Work Program or PAWP).
Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) Director-General Frank Rijsberman, in his address to the Ministerial, noted that the Ministerial will provide “a critical signal of the LDC Group’s leadership to the world and enable a successful outcome in Katowice.” He reiterated GGGI’s commitment to supporting climate action in its LDC Group members, including through activities related to implementing Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), accessing to climate finance through the Green Climate Fund (GCF), and developing and strengthening measurement, and reporting and verification (MRV) systems, among others.
Following quickly on the heels of the adoption by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) of the Special Report on Climate Change of 1.5°C, Ministers recognized the urgency of increasing climate action. Participants left the Ministerial with a better understanding of the LDC Group position on a variety of technical and political issues that are expected to be under discussion at COP 24.
At the close of the meeting, Ministers adopted the Addis Ababa Communique, which calls for an ambitious and comprehensive outcome on all areas of the PAWP, highlights the special circumstances faced by LDCs due to their vulnerability to climate change, and the challenges faced by LDC Group countries in simultaneously achieving sustainable development while achieving emission reductions.
GGGI, through its’ Climate Diplomacy Program, joined the Government of Germany, through Climate Analytics, and the Government of Norway to provide the support necessary to make the meeting possible. GGGI’s Climate Diplomacy Program provides support to the LDC Group in the UNFCCC negotiations, providing technical advice, particularly focusing on mitigation and transparency, as well as support for the annual LDC Group Ministerial.
The LDC Group members comprise the 48 poorest and most vulnerable countries in the world. LDCs are disproportionately affected by the impacts of climate change as well as facing low levels of social and economic development, financial constraints and limited capacity. The LDC Group was established in 2001 to create a robust voice for LDCs in the UNFCCC process to ensure the process is more equitable, effective and ambitious. Ethiopia is the Chair of the LDC Group in the period 2017-2018.
About GGGI
Based in Seoul, GGGI is a treaty-based international, inter-governmental organization founded to support and promote green growth. The organization partners with countries to help them build economies that grow strongly, are more efficient and sustainable in the use of natural resources, less carbon intensive, and more resilient to climate change. GGGI works with countries around the world, building their capacity and working collaboratively on green growth policies that can impact the lives of millions. To learn more about GGGI, see https://gggi.org and visit us on Facebook and Twitter.