At COP19 (November 2013) in Warsaw,
Poland, the COP established the Warsaw International Mechanism for Loss and Damage associated with Climate
Change Impacts (L&D Mechanism), to address loss and damage associated with impacts of climate change,
including extreme events and slow onset events, in developing countries that are particularly vulnerable to
the adverse effects of climate change.
COP19 also established an Executive
Committee to guide the implementation of the L&D Mechanism under the guidance of the
COP. The Executive Committee is accountable to and reports annually to the COP.
For information on the Executive Committee, please click here.
For further information and chronology of the work on loss and damage, please click here.
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Functions of the L&D Mechanism
The L&D Mechanism fulfils the role under the Convention of promoting implementation of approaches to
address loss and damage associated with the adverse effects of climate change, pursuant to decision
3/CP.18, in a comprehensive, integrated and coherent manner by undertaking, inter alia, the
following functions:
1. Enhancing knowledge and understanding of comprehensive risk management approaches to address
loss and damage associated with the adverse effects of climate change, including slow onset impacts, by
facilitating and promoting:
- Action to address gaps in the understanding of and expertise in approaches to address loss and damage
associated with the adverse effects of climate change, including, inter alia, the areas outlined
in , paragraph 7(a);
- Collection, sharing, management and use of relevant data and information, including
gender-disaggregated data;
- Provision of overviews of best practices, challenges, experiences and lessons learned in undertaking
approaches to address loss and damage.
2. Strengthening dialogue, coordination, coherence and synergies among relevant stakeholders
by:
- Providing leadership and coordination and, as and where appropriate, oversight under the Convention, on
the assessment and implementation of approaches to address loss and damage associated with the impacts of
climate change from extreme events and slow onset events associated with the adverse effects of climate
change;
- Fostering dialogue, coordination, coherence and synergies among all relevant stakeholders,
institutions, bodies, processes and initiatives outside the Convention, with a view to promoting
cooperation and collaboration across relevant work and activities at all levels.
3. Enhancing action and support, including finance, technology and capacity-building, to address
loss and damage associated with the adverse effects of climate change, so as to enable countries to
undertake actions pursuant to decision 3/CP.18,
paragraph 6, including by:
- Providing technical support and guidance on approaches to address loss and damage associated with
climate change impacts, including extreme events and slow onset events;
- Providing information and recommendations for consideration by the Conference of the Parties when
providing guidance relevant to reducing the risks of loss and damage and, where necessary, addressing loss
and damage, including to the operating entities of the financial mechanism of the Convention, as
appropriate;
- Facilitating the mobilization and securing of expertise, and enhancement of support, including finance,
technology and capacity-building, to strengthen existing approaches and, where necessary, facilitate the
development and implementation of additional approaches to address loss and damage associated with climate
change impacts, including extreme weather events and slow onset events.
In exercising the above functions, the L&D Mechanism will, inter alia:
- Facilitate support of actions to address loss and damage;
- Improve coordination of the relevant work of existing bodies under the Convention;
- Convene meetings of relevant experts and stakeholders;
- Promote the development of, and compile, analyse, synthesize and review information;
- Provide technical guidance and support;
- Make recommendations, as appropriate, on how to enhance engagement, actions and coherence under and
outside the Convention, including on how to mobilize resources and expertise at different levels.
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The COP will review the L&D Mechanism, including its structure, mandate and effectiveness, at
COP22 (November–December 2016), with a view to adopting an appropriate decision on the outcome of
this review.
For further details on the L&D Mechanism, please refer to decision
2/CP.19.
Frequently asked questions
on the L&D Mechanism
