Note on:

The signing ceremony of the Paris Agreement in New York on 22 nd April

Why there is no need to rush into signing
A. Background
1. The UN Secretary-General is convening a high-level signature ceremony
in New York for the Paris Agreement (PA) on 22 nd April 2016, as mandated
by the decision in Paris of the 21st meeting of the Conference of Parties to
the UNFCCC (decision 1/CP.21, para 3)
2. Although the UNSG is inviting Parties to the New York event, according to
the COP 21 decision, Parties have one yearfrom 22nd April 2016 to 21
April 2017 to sign the Agreement and deposit their respective instruments
of ratification, acceptance, approval or accession, where appropriate. (See
paras 2 and 4 of decision 1/CP.21). Thereafter, the PA is open for accession
from the day following the date on which it is closed for signature. (See
Article 20, PA).
3. There are many reasons why it would be prudent on the part of
developing countries not to be rushed into signing the PA on 22 nd
April this year but to wait a little while for the reasons set out
below.
4. The signing of the PA without depositing the necessary instruments of
ratification, acceptance, approval or accession indicates (under the Vienna
Convention on the Law of Treaties) that a Party is giving political support
to the PA and is willing to continue its engagement towards ratifying the
treaty in accordance with its domestic processes. The Party, by signing,
even if it has not ratified the PA, agrees to act in good faith not to defeat
the object and purpose of the treaty while the treaty is pending entry into
force.
5. The PA will enter into force on the 30th day after the date on which at least
55 Parties to the Convention, accounting in total for at least an estimated
55% of the total global greenhouse gas emissions have deposited their
instruments of ratification, acceptance, approval or accession.
6. During the negotiations for the PA, the understanding of Parties was that
the Agreement is expected to be effective in 2020.
B. Reasons to wait before signing the PA
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There are several reasons to wait before signing the PA. They are set out as
follows:
1. Holding off to signing of PA to secure the leverage needed in the
negotiations
If developing countries rush into signing the PA, thus indicating their
readiness to give effect to the treaty through their domestic ratification
process, they lose the political leverage in the current negotiations to get
developed countries to meet their existing commitments in the pre-2020
timeframe and in securing the positions and flexibilities needed by
developing countries in the negotiations that are outstanding and pending
in relation to the PA.
Not signing now keeps the pressure up on developed countries to deliver
on their promises and to leverage the outcomes and positions that are vital
for developing countries in meeting their obligations under the PA.
Some of the most important issues that are vital for developed countries to
deliver on this year are set out below in further detail.
2. Ensuring the fulfilment by developed countries of their existing
commitments under the decisions of the Convention and the Kyoto
Protocol in the pre-2020 time period
Several preconditions were established by developing countries for developed
countries during the negotiations for the PA under the mandate in Durban which
have yet to be met. This relates to commitments under the Bali Roadmap that
remain unfulfilled in the pre-2020 timeframe and include the following:
(i)

Many developed countries have yet to ratify the Doha Amendment,

which establishes the second commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol
(KP). As of 7 March 2016, only 61 countries have ratified the Doha
Amendment, made up of mostly developing countries. Many developed
countries, including the European Union, have yet to ratify and
implement the Doha Amendment, which commits developed countries
who are Parties to the Protocol, to undertake the second commitment
period.
In fact, the COP 21 decision on enhancing action prior to 2020 urges all
Parties to the KP to ratify and implement the Doha Amendment (see
para 106, para (a)).

(ii)

In relation to financial resources from developed to developing

countries, in Cancun in 2010, Parties had agreed that developed
countries will mobiliseUSD 100 billion per year by 2020 in finance for
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developing countries. However, developed countries have yet to deliver

on this commitment, with only USD 6.8 billion committed to the Green
Climate Fund this year.
Through the COP 21 decision (para 115), it was agreed that developed
countries enhance the provision of urgent and adequate finance,
technology and capacity-building support in order to enhance the level of
ambition pre-2020 actions by Parties and developed countries were
strongly urged to scale up their level of financial support, with a
concrete roadmap to achieve the goal of jointly providing USD
100 billion annually by 2020 for mitigation and adaptation while
significantly increasing adaptation finance from current levels and to
further provide appropriate technology and capacity-building support.
Whether developed countries will provide a concrete roadmap on the
provision of the USD 100 billion annually by 2020 will be an important
indicator to gauge if their commitments will be honoured. This is linked
to the assessment of progress at COP 22 this year which is set out
below.
(iii)

Assessing progress on implementing the Bali Roadmap at COP 22

In Paris, Parties agreed that at COP 22 (this year), there will be a
facilitative dialogueto assess the progress in implementing the
decisions reached under the Convention and the KP (Bali Roadmap) and
to identify relevant opportunities to enhance the provision of financial
resources, including for technology development and transfer, and
capacity-building support, with a view to identifying ways to enhance the
ambition of mitigation efforts by all Parties, including identifying
relevant opportunities to enhance the provision and mobilization of
support and enabling environments.(See paragraph 116 of decision
1/CP 21)
This facilitative dialogue presents an important opportunity to
assess progress on whether the existing commitments of
developed countries are being fulfilled, as agreed to under the
Durban mandate.
If there is reluctance on the part of developed countries to honour their
pre-2020 commitment, there will be considerable doubt as to whether
they will meet their obligations under the PA.
Hence, what happens at COP 22 in relation to the pre-2020
commitments of developed countries is an important barometer in
assessing the approach developing countries should take as regards the
PA and its entry into force.
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(iv)

In relation to the Green Climate Fund (GCF), which is a vital entity for
developing countries to implement their climate action plans and
responses, it is critical for countries to observe the fulfillment of the
GCFs approval of projects for funding this year. The approval of funding
proposals are now on hold for completing remaining policy discussions
within the GCF Board, in order to meet US$2.5 billion in disbursements
this year. There is need to obtain clarity on the type of financing that
will be available, the balance between loans versus grants, the balance
between funding for adaptation versus mitigation, as well as the process
of the replenishment of the GCF's funds which is tentatively targeted to
take place by June 2017.
If this entity is not able to respond sufficiently to the needs of developing
countries for the implementation of their current plans and actions, it
will be even harder for many developing countries to implement their
nationally determined contributions under the PA post 2020.

3. Tasks pending in preparation for the Paris Agreement

There are several critical tasks that are pending in preparation for the PA which
will be addressed at COP 22 end of this year.Some of the key tasks and issues
that are critical for developing countries in advancing their commitments under
the PA are as set out below.
(i)

The Ad Hoc Working Group on the Paris Agreement (APA) is to be

established and will hold its first meeting in May this year in
conjunction with the other Subsidiary Bodies and among its tasks is to
prepare for the entry into force of the PA. (See paras 7-11 of decision
1/CP 21).
One of the first matters to be addressed is the election of officers to
the APA. This will involve political negotiations among developed and
developing countries as well as among developing countries and their
respective groupings. Hence, it would be prudent to take stock of and
assess how this body will advance the interests of developing countries,
learning from the experience of the Ad Hoc Working Group on the
Durban Platform (ADP) (which was tasked to deliver the PA) where
there was much unhappiness with some of the Co-chairs in the conduct
of their work, which unfairly disadvantaged developing countries.

(ii)

COP 21 also decided that Warsaw International Mechanism for Loss

and Damage (WIMLD)is to continue, following its review in 2016. (See
para 48). Unfortunately, to the detriment of developing countries,
through the insistence of developed countries, especially the US and the
EU, it was agreed in Paris (through para 52 of the COP decision) that
the Loss and Damage provision of the PA does not involve or provide a
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basis for any liability or compensation. This agreement was reached

among the developed countries and some LDCs and Small Island States.
Given this major loss to developing countries, it will be vital to review
the workings of the WIMLD this year, to assess and take stock of
whether the Loss and Damage Mechanism is able to respond to the
needs of developing countries or if it is a token Mechanism. Hence, at
COP 22, it will be important focus on the usefulness of the Mechanism
to developing countries and assess if developed countries will allow
meaningful outcomes on Loss and Damage under the PA, including as to
how developing countries can secure financial, technological and
capacity-building support for this very important element of the PA.
(iii) Process for identifying information on financial support to be
provided by developed country Parties
On finance, under Article 9(5) of the PA, developed countries are to
biennially communicate indicative quantitative and qualitative
information on the provision of financial support and mobilization of
financial resources and the projected levels of public financial
resources to be provided to developing countries.
At COP 22 this year, a process to identify the information
provided by developed countries in relation to their biennial
communication is to be initiated.
It will be critical to gauge how developed countries engage in relation to
this at the end of this year, in order to assess their commitments to
developing countries in the provision and mobilization of financial
resources.
(iv)

Elaboration of the technology framework and assessment of the

effectiveness of the Technology Mechanism
In Paris, developing countries fought hard to have commitments for
developed countries to effectively transfer technology to developing
countries. However, the final outcome was not as robust as was
advanced by developing countries, given the strong resistance of
developed countries in this regard.
However, in the COP 21 decision, the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and
Technological Advice (SBSTA) has been tasked to elaborate the
technology framework under the PA at its session in May this year and
to report its findings to the COP. Whether the technology framework will
deliver meaningful outcomes for developing countries remains to be
seen and will be a hard struggle for developing countries, given the
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resistance of developed countries to be serious about effective and

meaningful technology transfer.
Further, at Paris, Parties agreed that the Subsidiary Body for
Implementation (SBI) will initiate in May this year, the elaboration of
the scope of and modalities for the periodic assessment of the
effectiveness of and adequacy of support provided to the Technology
Mechanism in supporting the implementation of the PA.
This will be another measure of whether there will be any meaningful
assessment of the Technology Mechanism to developing countries.
(v)

The Paris Committee on Capacity-building

COP 21 also agreed that the Paris Committee on Capacity-building
(PCCB) be established. This was a hard fight by developing countries to
get an effective institution to address the various problems developing
countries face in relation to their capacity needs. The PCCBs work plan
for 2016-2020 is to be developed and the SBI is to also assist in
organizing its annual in-session meetings. (See paras 74 and 77).
Much remains to be done in to evolve this institution into one that works
for developing countries as they prepare to take on the undertakings
under the PA.

4. Securing the conditions for the implementation of their intended

nationally determined contributions (INDCs) under the Paris
Agreement
Many developing countries have submitted their INDCs prior to the
agreement reached in Paris. All Parties under the PA have agreed to
undertake and communicate their INDCs. Most of the INDCs of developing
countries are conditional on the provision of finance, technology transfer
and capacity-building support.
If these enablers of actions in developing countries are not in place prior
to the coming into effect of the PA as set out above, it will be very hard for
developing countries to keep to their commitments. Pressure would be
brought to bear on developing countries for their non-implementation of
their actions as set out in their INDCs.
Hence, it is important for developing countries to have confidence that
they can implement their NDCs with the enabling factors put in place,
prior to them signing the PA.

Conclusion:
Given the reasons above, it will be more advantageous to developing countries to
wait this year and not rush into signing of the PA. Otherwise, as indicated above,
we lose the political leverage that is critical to secure the necessary conditions
that will enable developing countries to meet their obligations under the PA.