Closing Statement by Ms. Rabab Fatima at the High-level Meeting of the Landlocked Developing Countries on “Addressing unique climate vulnerability of LLDCs through partnerships.”
Your Excellency Mr. Mokgweetsi Masisi, President of the Republic of Botswana and Global Chair of the Landlocked Developing Countries,
Secretary General of the United Nations, Mr. António Guterres,
His Excellency Mr. Vincent Biruta, Foreign Minister of Rwanda,
His Excellency Mr. Magnus Brunnerour, Federal Minister of Finance of Austria, Co-Chair of the Friends of LLDCs and Co-Chair of the Preparatory Committee of the LLDC3,
Excellencies, Distinguished Colleagues,
This has indeed been an important event as the leaders of the LLDCs met for the first time to discuss and find a common position of the Group in climate change negotiations. I thank you, Mr. President, for your outstanding leadership of the LLDC group, especially here in COP28, and for leading us to what we believe would be a truly transformative 3rd UN Conference on LLDCs. We are grateful to the United Nations Secretary General António Guterres for joining us today and reiterating his commitment to supporting the LLDCs in their efforts to tackle their special climate vulnerabilities. I thank Minister Vincent Biruta for his strong support in steering our preparations for the LLDC3 Conference. I thank Minister Magnus Brunnerour for his country’s continued commitment and support for the LLDCs. I thank our keynote speakers [Ms. Inger Andersen, Executive Director of UNEP,] and Mr. Sonam Wangdi, former LDC Chair in UNFCC for their informative and insightful presentations. I also thank the other leaders who joined us today, for their important contribution and support.
Excellencies,
We have had very productive discussions today, which enriched us with many new ideas and important guidance. Clearly, urgent measures are needed to address the climate vulnerabilities of LLDCs, build their resilience against shocks, and put them strongly on course to achieve the SDGs. Allow me to briefly highlight some key take-aways of today’s discussions and share my own reflections on how to carry forward this agenda:
First: the UN Convention on Climate Change in its article 4.8 gave special focus to land-locked and transit countries along with other vulnerable countries. The Convention also decided to give special priority to countries with arid and semi-arid areas; areas prone to natural disasters, drought, and desertification; and fragile ecosystems, including mountainous ecosystems. These conditions are prevalent in many LLDCs. We need immediate measures at all levels to fulfill the promises of the Convention. COP-28 and the upcoming 3rd UN Conference on the LLDCs to be held in Kigali next year offer important opportunities to mobilize further political support and resources in this regard.
Second: achieving the Paris target to limit global warming by 1.5°C requires rapid greenhouse gas emissions reductions across all sectors, particularly by major emitters. As LLDCs move to higher levels of development, it is imperative that their transition is supported through enhanced financial and technological support to harness their full potentials in renewable energy. This will help ensure that their contribution to GHGs remains low.
Third: the LLDCs seriously lack critical infrastructure. And their needs for sustainable infrastructure continue to grow. They require tailored support to enhance investment in climate-resilient infrastructure to overcome this challenge in a sustainable manner.
Finally: developed countries must fulfill their commitment to collectively mobilize $100 billion each year and double the adaptation finance by 2025. We earnestly hope COP28 will help establish an ambitious post-2025 global climate finance benchmark benefitting the most vulnerable countries including LLDCs. As we move towards operationalizing the Loss and Damage Fund, it is also important to prioritize LLDCs’ access to it, taking into account their unique vulnerabilities.
Excellencies,
The 3rd UN Conference for the LLDCs provides us with a once-in-a-decade opportunity to address the unique climate vulnerabilities of the LLDCs and make this issue a top priority for the next POA. As we continue to build momentum for the Conference, I would like to express my gratitude again to President Masisi for his strong leadership. I wish to thank once again, the UN Secretary General for his commitment to making the LLDC3 Conference a success. Rest assured, my team and I will be with you at every step of the way to realize our shared goals.
I thank you.