3 November 1999

ENGLISH ONLY

SUBSIDIARY BODY FOR SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNOLOGICAL ADVICE

Eleventh session

Bonn, 25 October - 5 November 1999

Item 3 of the provisional agenda

SUBSIDIARY BODY FOR IMPLEMENTATION

Eleventh session

Bonn, 25 October - 5 November 1999

Item 3 of the provisional agenda

CONVENTION (DECISION 3/CP.3 AND ARTICLES 2.3 AND 3.14 OF

• A submission has been received from Chile, on behalf also of Argentina, Bolivia, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay and Uruguay, in connection with agenda item 3 of the subsidiary bodies at their eleventh sessions.
  
  
• In accordance with the procedure for miscellaneous documents, this submission⁽¹⁾ is attached and is reproduced in the language in which it was received and without formal editing.

  CHILE, ON BEHALF ALSO OF ARGENTINA, BOLIVIA, COSTA RICA,

  THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC, ECUADOR, EL SALVADOR,

  GUATEMALA, HONDURAS, MEXICO, NICARAGUA, PANAMA,

  PARAGUAY AND URUGUAY

  
  
  

  IMPLEMENTATION OF ARTICLES 4.8 AND 4.9 OF THE CONVENTION

  
  
  

  The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) has recognized that small island countries, countries with low-lying coastal areas, countries with arid and semi-arid areas, forested areas and areas liable to forest decay, countries with areas prone to natural disasters, countries with areas liable to drought, and desertification, countries with areas of high urban atmospheric pollution, countries with areas with fragile ecosystems, including mountainous ecosystems, and land-locked and transit countries are particularly vulnerable to adverse effects of climate change.

  
  
  

  Article 4.4 of the Convention states that "the developed countries and other developed parties included in the Annex II shall also assist the developing country Parties that are particularly vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate change in meeting costs of adaptation to those adverse effects."

  
  
  

  Lately, many developing countries have been hit more frequently by extreme climate change related events (Hurricanes, droughts, floods, etc.) therefore require immediate assistance to be able to respond with adequate measures for adaptation against negative impacts to those effects.

  
  
  

  There is a direct relationship between poverty conditions of those country Parties, and their lack of financial and technical capacity to response to the adverse effects of climate change.

  
  
  

  Articles 4.8 and 4.9 of the UNFCCC have identified a number of situations of particular vulnerability that affects developing countries with respect to the adverse effects of climate change and/ or the impact of the implementation of response measures.

  
  
  

  Some of the subscribing Parties have been severely hit by extreme climate related events that have jeopardized their development process.

  
  
  

  While recognizing that all aspects included in Articles 4.8 and 4.9 of the Convention are equally important, the subscribing Parties support the following views:

  
  
  

  1/ Issues related to specific needs and concerns of developing countries arising from the adverse effects of climate change call for an analytical framework which is different from the one required to cope with issues related to the impact of the implementation of response measures.

  
  
  

  2/ Climate related disasters that have taken a heavy toll in human lives confer a sense of urgency to the consideration of possible adverse effects of climate change, and timely action in this respect, including actions related to funding, insurance and the transfer of technology, should be given priority.

  
  
  

  3/ Furthermore, and in order to help the full implementation of the Buenos Aires Program of Action, it is essential that during the next inter sessional period two workshops on this matter are held and that their results have a direct relation with the work of the Subsidiary Bodies. These events will help strengthening the process and the debate regarding this item of the agenda, which is of paramount importance for the above group of countries, and particularly for those that are most vulnerable to the effects of climate change.

  
  
  
  
  

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  1. In order to make this submission available on electronic systems, including the World Wide Web, it has been electronically imported. The secretariat has made every effort to ensure the correct reproduction of the text as submitted.