St. Julian’s, Malta, 22 June 2017/ ACP: The following declaration was adopted yesterday on Wednesday 21 June 2017 at the 33rd
session of the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly (JPA). The JPA
brings together Members of the European Parliament alongside Members of
Parliament from 78 African, Caribbean and Pacific states that have
signed the ACP-EU Partnership Agreement. The JPA is the only forum where
ACP parliamentary representatives can voice their needs and worries
directly to the European Parliament as well as the European Commission.
***
Declaration of the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly on climate change
The
ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly underlines that climate change is a
global phenomenon, which will no doubt continue to have dramatic
effects on our environment, affecting all countries. The ACP-EU Joint
Parliamentary Assembly reaffirms its total commitment to full
implementation of the Paris Agreement on climate change and calls on the
global community to maintain the momentum for ambitious action.
The
Assembly reaffirms its unequivocal support for the Agreement reached at
COP 21 in Paris in 2015. The Assembly therefore profoundly regrets the
decision of the current US Administration to withdraw from the Paris
Agreement. This decision has been met with astonishment, disappointment
and outcry from the international community, which has expressed
continued solidarity and commitment to implement the Paris Agreement in
all its elements. Noting with satisfaction that the business community
and certain States in the USA have on the whole reaffirmed their
commitment to address the effects of climate change, the ACP-EU Joint
Parliamentary Assembly calls upon the Government of the United States to
review its position and re-commit itself to the Paris Agreement. The
Assembly henceforth invites the EU and the ACP states to start
collaborating with American actors who wish to do so on the
implementation of the COP 21 objectives.
The
Assembly emphasises that concerted global action is necessary to combat
greenhouse gas emissions and prevent negative impacts of climate
change. Delivering on the long term goals of the Paris Agreement is
paramount.
The
Assembly stresses that a key objective of the next UN climate
conference in November this year (COP23) should be to maintain momentum
and cohesiveness towards the commitment to implement the Paris Agreement
and, in particular, to address the challenges faced by the most
vulnerable countries, including Small Island Developing States, Least
Developed Countries, land-locked countries and coastal countries.
The
Assembly therefore urges all parties and stakeholders to move forward
with the economy-wide low-carbon transition measures needed to reduce
greenhouse gas emissions and ensure all nations are provided with the
support they need for implementation, so that no one is left behind.
The
Assembly commends Fiji, the incoming president for the 23rd Session of
the Conference of the Parties (COP 23) to the United Nations Convention
on Climate Change (UNFCCC), for the preparations it has so far made and
the leadership it is providing to ensure the success of the conference.
The
Assembly stresses the need to finalise the Paris Agreement work
programme by 2018, which is an indicator of how countries would
implement the Paris Agreement and accelerate climate actions at the
national level, contributing to the global goal. The Assembly calls for
accelerated work on adaptation and access to finance, which are
particularly essential for countries most vulnerable to the impacts of
climate change and with special needs and low capacities.
St Julian’s, Malta, 21 June 2017
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