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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 Capacity Building Subsidiary Body for Implementation, Session 11 Bonn, Germany, October 26, 1999

Thank you, Mr. Chairman,

The U.S. welcomes the efforts of the G-77/China in their paper on capacity building and the work done by AOSIS and others during the UNGASS on Small Island Developing States. These efforts contain much with which we can agree, and a strong foundation upon which we can build as we develop a well-coordinated and targeted response to the needs for capacity.

The U.S. believes that developing the capacity to understand and effectively respond to the threats posed to sustainable development by climate change is one of the central challenges facing every nation. We recognize that a lack of technical and institutional capacity can limit Parties' ability to address the problem of climate change. Economies in transition and developing countries, especially the least developed countries, have particular need in this regard because their vulnerability to the adverse effects of climate change is exacerbated by a lack of access to the information, technologies, and financial resources that comprise an appropriate response.

Institutional and technical capacity are essential to addressing climate change because the issues and the proposed responses are so complex. There is a tremendous need to build broad understanding of climate issues among policy makers, government officials, scientists, business leaders, and the general public to ensure that decisions negotiated in international forums represent the interests of all participating parties and constituents. The need for awareness raising and education will continue and evolve for many years as capacity is created to identify, design, and implement market-based and other approaches to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. In addition, successful adaptation to the effects of climate change will require knowledge of the possible consequences resulting from climate change and a clear understanding of options for response.

The U.S. believes that an integrated approach to all forms of capacity building is needed in order to address the situation appropriately. Rather than automatically creating new processes for capacity building, such an approach should first focus on improving coordination and effectiveness of existing efforts, and promoting participation of a wide range of actors and constituencies, including governments, international organizations, civil society, and the private sector. Such an approach should also recognize the responsibility of individual Parties to promote conditions that are conducive to the development of technical capacity and to identify and remove barriers to investment.

First, the U.S. believes strongly that developing countries and economies in transition are in the best position to identify their capacity building needs, and we welcome the use of a wide range of information gathering tools to accomplish this task. We agree with our G-77/China colleagues that there is no "one size fits all" solution to meeting developing countries' capacity building needs, and ultimately each country must identify and prioritize its own needs.

Second, the U.S. considers it equally important to avoid the duplication of efforts, and supports the compilation of data on already existing capacity building programs from Parties, international governmental organizations and donors. In addition, we believe it will be helpful to focus on the experiences of developing countries and economies in transition regarding lessons learned in previous capacity building efforts.

Third, we call upon the Secretariat at SBSTA-12 to report on the results derived from its information gathering efforts, its compilation of data on existing programs, and any additional submissions from Parties. This information will be essential to focus our discussion on additional capacity building actions, and to ensure their responsiveness to Parties' concerns. We anticipate that this discussion will enable us to begin the process of crafting a draft decision on capacity building in time for COP-6.

Moreover, we note the important aspects of capacity building efforts being discussed in other UNFCCC sessions. We must strive to avoid duplication of the discussions in these other fora, and instead be informed by them.

We hope we can leave COP-5 with a clear process to gather the needed information and work together during the period between COP-5 and COP-6 to develop an effective and meaningful course of action.

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