Environment

ASEAN Leaders’ Statement on Joint Response to Climate Change

The 16 th ASEAN Summit adopted the ASEAN Leaders’ Statement on Joint Response to Climate Change in Hanoi on April 9.
The 16 th ASEAN Summit adopted the ASEAN Leaders’ Statement on Joint Response toClimate Change in Hanoi on April 9.

Following is the full text of thestatement:

We, the Heads of State/Government of Brunei Darussalam, theKingdom of Cambodia, the Republic of Indonesia, the Lao People’s DemocraticRepublic, Malaysia, the Union of Myanmar, the Republic of the Philippines, theRepublic of Singapore, the Kingdom of Thailand and the Socialist Republic ofViet Nam, Member States of ASEAN, on the occasion of the 16 th ASEAN Summit;
RENEWING our commitments made in the ASEAN Joint Statement on Climate Changeto the 15 th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP) to the UnitedNations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the 5 th session ofthe Conference Parties serving as the Meeting of Parties (CMP) to the KyotoProtocol (2009), the ASEAN Declaration on the 13 th session of COP to the UNFCCCand the 3 rd session of the CMP to the Kyoto Protocol (2007), and the ASEANDeclaration on Environmental Sustainability (2007);
Reaffirming that theUNFCCC and its Kyoto Protocol constitute the current legal framework and legalinstrument for the international community to combat global climate change andthat comprehensive, effective and binding outcomes of the Bali Roadmap areessential for furthering the implementation of the UNFCCC and the Kyoto Protocoland should be addressed by a consensus-based and transparent manner;
Furtherreaffirming the principle of equity and in accordance with their common butdifferentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities and nationalcircumstances;
Understanding that while the Copenhagen Accord is not alegally binding instrument, it provides elements that could be considered asinputs to the two-track process of the Ad-hoc Working Group on Long-termCooperative Actions (AWG-LCA) and the Ad-hoc Working Group on FurtherCommitments for Annex I Parties under the Kyoto Protocol (AWG-KP) aimed atreaching at a fair, equitable, and legally binding agreement that ensures asuccessful COP 16/CMP 6 in Mexico;
Noting the large number of countriesassociating themselves with the Copenhagen Accord;
Recognising that theSoutheast Asian region is also vulnerable to climate change which will seriouslyaffect most of aspects of livelihood and limit our development options for thefuture, including our efforts towards the achievement of the MillenniumDevelopment Goals;
Recognising the importance of sustainable forestmanagement in ASEAN, which will contribute significantly to the internationalefforts to promote environmental sustainability and to mitigate the effects ofclimate change;
Sharing a vision for an ASEAN Community resilient to climatechange, and supporting our national and global efforts to combat climate changeconsistent with our common but differentiated responsibilities and respectivecapabilities;

DO HEREBY DECLARE TO:
Towards a global solution to thechallenge of climate change at COP 16/CMP 6
1. Reaffirm our right tosustainable development and resolve to achieve the ultimate objective of theUNFCCC to stabilise atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations at a level thatwould prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system andwithin a time-frame sufficient to allow ecosystems to adapt naturally to climatechange, to ensure that food production is not threatened and to enable economicdevelopment to proceed in a sustainable manner;
2. Urge all Parties ofUNFCCC to work together to secure a legally binding agreement, particularly tolimit the increase in average global temperature to below 2 degrees Celsiusabove the pre-industrial level, and encourage all Parties concerned to engage infurther discussions to elaborate appropriate provisions, which should beconcluded at COP 16/CMP 6 in December 2010;
3. Urge developed countries tocontinue taking the lead by making more ambitious commitments and setting outspecific and binding targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the mid-termand long-term;
4. Call upon developed countries to support developingcountries, and take full account of the specific needs and special situations ofthe least developed countries and those most affected by climate change, withadequate, predictable and sustainable financial resources, transfer oftechnology, as well as capacity enhancement to enable adaptation efforts andnationally appropriate mitigation actions by developing countries througheffective and new institutional arrangements;
5. Urge all countries,particularly developed countries, to ensure that their existing and futureunilateral policies and measures as well as market-based mechanisms inaddressing climate change will not negatively affect international trade as wellas the sustainable economic and social development of developing countries,taking into full account the specific needs and special situations of the leastdeveloped countries;
6. Urge developed countries to fulfill theirobligations under the UNFCCC and to provide scaled-up, new and additional,adequate and predictable funding to the developing countries, taking into fullaccount the specific needs and special situations of the least developedcountries and those most affected by climate change which shall be provided withincentives to continue to develop on a low emission pathway;
7. Encourageall developing countries to make active contributions to the global effortsthrough the development and implementation of Nationally Appropriate MitigationActions (NAMAs) on a voluntary basis, in accordance with their differentnational circumstances, while welcoming adequate financial and technical supportthat is made available to them;
8 . Encourage South-South cooperation tosupport ASEAN Member States in addressing the impacts of climate change throughtechnical cooperation and capacity building;
9. Reaffirm that agreement onand effective implementation of Reduced Emission from Deforestation and ForestDegradation (REDD)-plus mechanisms is critical for contributions by ASEANMembers States to mitigate emissions, and offers major opportunities forenhancing biodiversity conservation and sustainable use of natural resources, aswell as supporting the livelihood of local communities in a sustainable manner;
10. Work constructively together to ensure that the outcome of COP 16/CMP 6will incorporate long-term cooperative actions to address climate change inaccordance with principles and provisions of the Convention and the Bali ActionPlan, in particular on mitigation, adaptation, finance, technology transfer,capacity building and taking into account the specific national circumstances ofParties and a future agreement of the Second Commitment period of the KyotoProtocol;
11. Commit to actively contribute towards a successful outcome ofCOP 16/CMP 6;
Towards an ASEAN Community resilient to climate change
12.Continue to exchange views among ASEAN Member States on international climatenegotiations under the UNFCCC, before and in Mexico (COP 16/CMP 6) as well asother related international conferences. In this regard, the newly establishedASEAN Working Group on Climate Change (AWGCC) should work extensively to developa common understanding/position of ASEAN in the coming COP 16/CMP 6 in 2010 inline with the Bali Roadmap;
13. Urge the ASEAN Climate Change Initiative(ACCI) to actively provide a consultative platform to further strengthenregional coordination and cooperation addressing climate change;
14. Enhancescientific collaboration including on the following areas:
Downscaling ofclimate change effects according to different greenhouse gas emissions scenariosfor the Southeast Asian region and for local areas according to multiple models;
Detailed climate change impact assessment, vulnerability assessment,adaptation options and needs for the Southeast Asian region and sub-regions suchas BIMP-EAGA and Greater Mekong Sub-region;
Formulation of needs andopportunities for greenhouse gas emissions mitigation with both domestic andinternational support in, for example water resources management and peat landmanagement, forestry, agricultural, industrial and domestic energy efficiencymeasures, renewable energy generation, and transportation;
15. Engage incooperation in research and development and knowledge sharing, including onagricultural management and practices so as to enhance food production,agricultural productivity and water resources sustainability, while adapting tothe adverse effects of climate change and mitigating greenhouse gas emissionsfrom the sector, thus ensuring food security in the ASEAN region;
16. Commitourselves to promoting programmes for raising domestic awareness on climatechange and to inculcate habits towards a low emissions society, includingthrough enhancement of education on climate change;
17. Incorporatemitigation and adaptation strategies into national development strategies andpolicies in line with sustainable development;
18. Enhance ASEANparticipation towards strengthening international cooperation/efforts to addressclimate change and assess its impacts on socio-economic development, health,environment and water resources , including activities on building adaptivecapacities and supporting mitigation and adaptation actions;
19. Encouragecooperation with other regional and sub-regional institutions such as,inter-alia, the Greater Mekong Sub-region and the Mekong River Commission (MRC),while welcoming the outcomes of the First Summit of the MRC in Thailand on 4-5April 2010, which were reflected in the “Declaration on Meeting the Needs,Striking the Balance: Towards the Sustainable Development of the Mekong RiverBasin” highlighting the sustainable use, management and development of water andrelated resources.
20. Collaborate on environmentally-sound technologies,towards low carbon and green economy;
21. Consider the possibility ofdeveloping an ASEAN action plan to better understand and respond to climatechange;
22. Develop ASEAN climate change impact scenarios as the foundationto conduct an ASEAN report on climate change impact assessment so as to provideinputs to the Fifth Assessment Report (AR 5) of the United NationsIntergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in 2015, taking into accountrelated initiatives in other multilateral fora;
23. Strengthen ASEANcollaboration and cooperation with a view to enhancing regional awareness onenvironment, environmentally-sound technology and climate change towards better,research and education on these matters in the region./.
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