The European Union and the 79 ACP (African, Caribbean, Pacific) countries reaffirmed their “strong and steadfast commitment” on Thursday 18 May to full implementation of the Paris climate agreement and jointly urged all the countries of the world to keep up the momentum created by COP 21, at which the universal agreement was adopted, to ensure the success of COP 23.
The call was launched at a United Nations climate change conference in Bonn ahead of the summit meetings of the G7 (Taormina, 26-27 May) and G20 (Hamburg, 7-8 July). According to the UN, preparations for COP 23 have made good progress and are well on track. COP 23 will be chaired by Fiji, a small island state and a member of the ACP group, in Bonn from 6 to 17 November.
The ACP countries and the EU have agreed to step up their cooperation on the effective implementation of the provisions of the Paris Agreement and promotion of low-carbon and climate-resilient development.
“Our joint commitment to this Agreement today is as in Paris: irreversible and non-negotiable” stated Climate Action and Energy Commissioner Miguel Arias Cañete in a press release. Of the €800 million from the 11th European Development Fund (2014-2020), allocated by the EU to the Pacific region of the ACP group, around half has been earmarked for climate action. The EU will also provide €3 million to support Fiji’s COP23 Presidency. (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)