What is the nature of the Bangkok meeting and how significant is it?

The UN Climate Change Talks – Bangkok, 2009 (28 September–9 October), is part of a series of five major negotiating sessions under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) leading up to the UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen in December at which negotiating text is being prepared. Countries agreed in 2007 to launch a two year negotiating process, to culminate in an ambitious and effective international climate change deal at the end of 2009. With very little negotiating time remaining before Copenhagen – only 15 days – the meeting is highly significant. 

What are the expected outcomes?

The expected outcomes are a consolidated and shortened negotiating text under the UNFCCC and its Kyoto Protocol. The Chairs of the two negotiating groups working on the Copenhagen outcome will present Chairs’ summaries at the end of the meeting, also capturing the results of the Bonn informal consultations held in August. The Bonn and Bangkok sessions can therefore be seen as a combined three-week negotiating session, followed by a final pre-Copenhagen session in Barcelona (2–6 November 2009).

How many people will attend the Bangkok meeting?

Around two and half thousand participants are expected to attend, including government delegates, representatives from business and industry, environmental organisations and research institutions. Due to the limited capacity of the conference venue, the United Nations Conference Centre (UNCC) in Bangkok, more people will not be able to attend.

What sort of side events and press activities will there be?

There will be no side events in Bangkok, but a number of press activities will take place. The UN Climate Change Secretariat will brief the media at the beginning and end of the meeting and there will be a number of press conferences by governments, intergovernmental organisations and NGOs. A media workshop for developing country journalists will be held the second week of the conference, which will be partly open to all journalists accredited to the conference (e.g. an update of the negotiations by the UNFCCC Executive Secretary on 5 October).

What media facilities will there be?

A working area for press with space for approximately 50 journalists will be available, complete with desks and WLAN. Press conferences will take place in a dedicated press briefing room which seats approximately 100 journalists. Fact sheets and other material will be distributed at a media counter. All plenary meetings and press conferences will be web cast live from the web site. Selected media workshop sessions will be made available on demand.