Vietnam, November, 5 – 6, 2015: In order to contribute the useful CSOs inputs to the upcoming “21st Session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP 21)”, in which going to take place in Paris from November 30 to December 11, 2015, Vietnam NGO’s Climate Change Working Group in collaboration with NGO Forum on Cambodia (NGOF), Friedrich Ebert Stiftung in Vietnam, Cambodia Climate Change Network (CCCN), Christian Aid in Philippines and Climate Watch from Thailand, organized a two-day Regional Workshop on “Climate Change: A Road to COP 21” at Sunway hotel in Hanoi.
The core objectives of the workshop were to enhance knowledge among, and engaging CSOs in the debates on the international agreements, especially, on climate change; to share and exchange among CSOs on the national preparation and engagement in the UNFCCC process leading to COP 21; to understand the political dynamics, process and mechanisms of the region; and lastly, to strengthen CSO platform and collaboration on climate change towards COP 21 and beyond.
“This is a very important event, which help raising awareness on climate negotiation and share different perspectives to COP 21,” Sey Peou, NGOF’s Climate Change Policy Monitoring Project Coordinator and NGOs on Environment and Climate Change Alliance (NECA) Secretary shared. “I also glade to see a very active involvement, discussion, sharing and exchanging idea among participants from all levels and institutions, during the workshop, in order to add fruitful discussion results and strategies to ensure the new global climate agreement will create a common legal framework that applies to all countries with clear and fair targets for all countries based on evolving global economic and national circumstances.”
He added that the UN Climate Summit 2015 in Paris is expected to become a milestone in the struggle against climate change, and the most important COP since COP 15 in Copenhagen 2009.
This regional workshop happened after launching workshop on a Policy Brief on “Climate Change Negotiation: Preparedness to COP21”, which was conducted at Himawari Hotel; Phnom Penh on September 25, 2015 and organized by NGO Forum on Cambodia (NGOF) in collaboration with DanChurchAid/ChristianAid (DCA/CA).
The countries like Cambodia and those in Asia must be enthusiastically engaged in the current policy debates on climate change and with the clear position of matters, which will have greatest impacts on development priorities. This important case is needed to be articulated in the platforms of the COP 21 in Paris of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
Additionally, CSOs have important roles in climate governance. Climate change impacts everyone and every corner of the world such as development, living, environment and other socio-economic activities. While COP21 is to adopt a new Global Climate Agreement, it is significant that CSOs share collective perspectives as inputs for this agreement.
In 2015 COP21, also known as the 2015 Paris Climate Conference, will be crucial which requires all member states including Cambodia to endorse and sign a new Global Climate Agreement for more ambitious action. The new agreement will be implemented from 2020.
In Year 2015, the world has been marked as the crucial year for sustainable development. A new set of development agenda – Sustainable Development Goals or SDGs – is to be adopted guiding the world to a sustainable pathway. An agreement to cope with climate change with meaningful commitments from countries is expected toward the end of the year.