URU, Alm.del - 2009-10 - Bilag 117: Anbefalinger fra fælles AWEPA-EU seminar for parlamentarikere i Stockholm den 19.-21. august 2009

African-European Parliamentary Recommendations to the UN FrameworkConvention on Climate Change – Conference of Parties 15These Recommendations were adopted by participants at the EU Presidency Seminar on the Promotionof Parliamentary Dialogue on Climate, Food Security and Development in Stockholm, 19-21 August2009 organised by AWEPA and hosted by the Swedish Parliament. The purpose of these ParliamentaryRecommendations is to form a basis for final Parliamentary Recommendations that will be presentedby the AWEPA African-European Parliamentary Delegation to the UN Framework Convention onClimate Change (UNFCCC) Summit in December 2009, Copenhagen.We, African and European parliamentarians emphasize the importance of reaching a global agreementon Climate Change at the Conference of Parties (COP-15) this December in Copenhagen, Denmark andstress the importance of post COP 15 parliamentary monitoring.The UNFCCC Summit provides a unique opportunity to bridge the gap between commitment and actiontowards needed adaptation and mitigation measures in Africa and Europe. Once agreement is reached inCopenhagen on a new Climate deal, there will be a need for an implementation strategy to realise allcommitments. In this process special attention should be accorded to the role of parliamentarians in thefollowing:- Development of Climate Change-related policies and reform of legislation- Budgetary re-allocations to meet newly-identified needs and opportunities- Awareness raising among communities on new policies and behaviour changes- Monitoring international assistance related to climate, water, food and agricultureAware of and reaffirming the African Union General Assembly Resolution No: Assembly/AU/Dec.257(XIII) adopted at the Thirteenth Ordinary Session on 3rdJuly 2009 on the Decision on the AfricanCommon Position on Climate Change including the Modalities of the Representation of Africa to theWorld Summit on Climate Change and the African Union Executive Council Resolutions:EX.CL/Dec.500(XV) Rev.1 and EX.CL/Dec.502(XV) Rev.1 adopted at the Fifteenth Ordinary session on 1stJuly 2009Noting the AWEPA Action Plan on Climate Change and Food Security adopted 27 August 2008, Nairobi;Noting the IPU Declaration on Climate Change adopted 10 April 2009;Noting the Regional Parliamentary Recommendations on Climate Change and Food Security for WestAfrica, adopted 26 March 2009, Senegal;Noting the Globe Statement from the GLOBE International Legislators’ Forum, Rome, to Leaders of theG8 and Major Economies Forum, 12-13 June 2009.Noting the REPES Declaration on Climate Change adopted on 6 August 2009, PraiaParticipants present at the EU Presidency Seminar on the Promotion of Parliamentary Dialogue onClimate, Food Security and Development, 19-21 August 2009, have agreed on the following points:1. Africa is the least emitter of green house gases and is the most vulnerable to its impacts;

2. European Parliaments must exert pressure on their governments and other developed andemerging emitters to commit to clear and defined emission reduction plans and programmes;3. Adaptation is a prerequisite for development and poverty reduction in developing countries.Adaptation measures thus need proper integration within national development plans, includingthe MDGs – following cross-sectoral debate in national parliaments;4. European parliaments must also urge their governments to state categorically what quantum offunds and practical plans and programmes to support African nations to mitigate the effects ofClimate Change;5. Significantly enhanced adaptation funds which should be easily accessible and user friendlyshould be mobilized to assist African countries. New, rapidly deployed and additional funds areessential and the methodology of greenhouse development rights for fair global burden sharingis recommended. A recommended approach would involve the mobilisation of substantial fundsadditional to ODA to assist vulnerable, low income countries already affected by climate change,supplemented by the replenishment and reform of mechanisms for funding adaptation,including accountability via parliamentary scrutiny of expenditures;6. While developed countries should commit substantial resources to African governments nationalbudgets to support initiatives addressing climate change, African governments shouldmainstream climate change into existing planning and financial systems including support to themost vulnerable segments of the population – women and children - and their parliamentsshould provide necessary oversight and scrutiny;7. The African Union should engage and involve the regional and national parliaments on allmatters pertaining to relationships with the European Union on Climate Change and DisasterRisk Reduction;8. African and European parliamentarians should work together to hold public oversight hearingsthat require relevant ministries to account for their policies and actions regarding ClimateChange including negotiation processes;9. European governments should support African Parliament to hold annual public hearings onClimate Change issues, as part of an overall public outreach and information sharing amonggovernment, parliaments, civil society, the private sector and communities;10. European governments should support proactive and preventive strategies, including anti-corruption measures, to decrease human vulnerability to Climate Change whichdisproportionally affects the poor and vulnerable in particular women and children, to safeguardfood security, to alleviate poverty and to promote sustainable development, including DisasterRisk Reduction as a key component in the response to Climate Change;11. Cross-sectoral parliamentary reviews of all relevant legislation and national policies related toClimate Change mitigation and adaptation should be initiated on a multi-party basis withtargeted donor support for parliamentary capacity to implement recommended measures;12. Parliamentarians are ideally placed to ensure ownership of policy responses at the national andlocal levels. In the face of climate stress, they require sufficient donor support to enable them to

play a key role in leading constituency action and directing global support to the needs of thelocal population;Industrialized countries have a major role to play in Climate Change mitigation and adaptation in Africa.Being the major emitters of greenhouse gasses, developed countries and emerging emitters such asChina, India and Brazil and Mexico, are morally obliged to help African countries reduce theirvulnerability and adapt to Climate Change by making available all technologies, including advanced solarenergy, allowing for Climate Change adaptation and mitigation.We therefore call upon the international community to look beyond COP-15 and work through dialogueto develop and improve global mechanisms and provide adequate financial support to strengthenparliamentary action.Deep cooperation between rich and poor nations is needed to realise an effective response to climatechanges. This can only be achieved through a more sustainable use of our resources, in ways that do notcompromise the ability of future generations to meet their needs.