The State Department web site below is a permanent electronic archive of information released prior to January 20, 2001.  Please see www.state.gov for material released since President George W. Bush took office on that date.  This site is not updated so external links may no longer function.  Contact us with any questions about finding information. NOTE: External links to other Internet sites should not be construed as an endorsement of the views contained therein.

U.S. Delegation to the Fifth Session of the Conference of the Parties to the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP-5) U.S. Statement on Articles 4.8 and 4.9 Joint Meeting of the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice and the Subsidiary Body for Implementation, Session 11 Bonn, Germany, October 26, 1999

Thank you, Mr. Chairman,

We appreciate the efforts made by the Secretariat at organizing the Workshop on 4.8/4.9 held here in Bonn one month ago.

Regarding the adverse effects of climate change on water resources, agriculture and food security, economic activities and health, as well as on coastal zones, we note the broad-based consensus at the workshop that more information is needed on the nature and magnitude of the effects, in particular on least developed countries. Information gaps center around uncertainties related to national and regional impacts to reducing the vulnerability of natural ecosystems and semi-managed resources, as well as to potential consequences on livelihood security.

Specifically, the workshop reached consensus on the need to:

a. further develop methods for sensitivity, vulnerability and adaptation assessment;
b. accelerate capacity-building in environmental management and conducting integrated assessment;
c. disseminate examples of useful strategies to reduce vulnerability;
d. monitor and systematically observe of climate change impacts in developing countries in order to facilitate timely adaptation; and
e. identify adaptation measures and facilitate timely adaptation where near-term climate change impacts are well understood, and adaptation measures are feasible.

The Convention itself has singled out the least developed countries in Articles 4.8/4.9 as a vulnerable group, and has requested the Parties to take full account of the specific needs and special situations of the least developed countries in their actions with regard to funding and transfer of technology. We strongly support the need to give highest priority to the least developed countries.

At the same time, Mr. Chairman, we note that the workshop failed to reach any meaningful consensus on the issue of impacts of response measures. In fact, as a straightforward reading of the workshop report suggests, there was quite a wide gap in views. A number of the experts pointed to the great uncertainties about the magnitude of any potential impacts associated with response measures. Some suggested that the inclusion of sinks and multiple GHG's, as well as the nature of domestic macroeconomic policies could significantly affect the magnitude of any potential losses incurred by oil producing nations. Other experts noted that policies adopted within the Protocol itself, e.g., the Kyoto mechanisms, would also affect the extent of any potential losses and, further, that such losses would need to be considered in the context of the efforts made by oil-producing nations to diversify their economies as well as the benefits to developing nations of measures taken to mitigate climate change. Overall, the potential impacts from response measures, if any, could be so small that it might not be possible to measure them against a background of normal fluctuations in oil markets.

All in all, Mr. Chairman, our view is that we need to avoid putting the cart before the horse. Particularly since the impacts of response measures, if any, would not be realized for some time, we believe that further analysis is needed before we have any confidence that we are dealing with a significant economic issue. As we have indicated before, the burden of proof rests with those who believe such a problem may exist. As the workshop report noted, such information could be provided through national communications.

[end of document]

|| Climate Change |
Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs |
U.S. Department of State | Disclaimers ||