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| BASIC ask developed nations to fulfil $30-billion obligation |
| BS Reporter / New Delhi Oct 12, 2010, 01:19 IST |
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Urging the developed countries to fulfil the obligation of providing the developing nations with $30 billion, the BASIC group of countries, formed by Brazil, South Africa, India and China, today said this fast-start financing should be made available as soon as possible in a transparent manner.
The fund was promised for 2012 at last year’s Copenhagen conference and the developed nations had also pledged to secure $100 billion annually till 2020.
The group agreed that mid- and long-term financial support provided by the developed nations would also determine the outcome of the Cancun climate change summit, to be held next month.
It also affirmed its full support for the establishment of a new fund under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) by the developed nations, to be funded by public money and not private, as suggested by the rich countries.
Besides, they also rejected the developed nations’ proposal of unilateral actions against products and services of developing nations on the grounds of combating climate change, including tax and non-tax, or other fiscal and non-fiscal border or other measures.
“It is against the principles and provisions of UNFCCC and will seriously jeopardise international pact on climate change and global trade,” the ministers said.
They emphasised the importance of the issue of equitable access to sustainable development as a central element in building a comprehensive and balanced outcome for climate change negotiations.
“BASIC ministers focused their discussions on issues in relation to the Cancun conference, and expressed their determination to facilitate a comprehensive and balanced outcome in Cancun in accordance with the mandate of the Bali Roadmap,” said a joint statement issued at the end of the 5th BASIC Ministerial Meeting on Climate Change.
“They expressed concern with the lack of transparency and the relevant information on fast start finance and reiterated that these resources must be new and additional to the existing ODA (Official Development Assistance) and bilateral funds,” the statement said.
The meeting was attended by environment ministers of Yemen, Argentina, Grenada, Ethiopia and Egypt and the ministers emphasized that the outcome in Cancun should pave the way for a legally binding outcome next year in South Africa.
Further, they said that “the outcome of Cancun conference should be based on the balance between and within the two negotiating tracks under UNFCCC and Kyoto Protocol, and that it should be open, transparent, inclusive, party driven and based on consensus.”
They group also urged developed countries to commit to more ambitious emission reduction targets under the second commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol. The ministers called for developed countries that did not ratify the Kyoto Protocol to undertake comparable emission reduction targets under the Convention.
“Ministers underscored the importance attached to developed countries fulfilling their obligations of technology transfer and agreed that intellectual property rights should not be allowed to become a barrier to technology transfer,” said the statement. The next meeting of the Basic ministers will be held India in February next year.
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