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New York, 14 December 2021
"For the developing countries to recover from the effects of the pandemic and achieving the SDGs, we will require a growth rate of at least 8- 9% over the next several decades, and that goal has to be kept in mind as a priority goal for the developing countries" said Ambassador Munir Akram, Permanent Representative of Pakistan to the UN at the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) Briefing on the Outcomes of the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) today at the United Nations.
He said that "the goals of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) comprised three elements economic, social, and environment". In this regard, he appreciated "the adoption of a wide-ranging set of decisions related to mitigation, adaptation, and finance including the "Glasgow Climate Pact"" at the Glasgow conference. He insisted however, that these small steps are not enough to stop climate change and to avert the looming existential threat that is heading our way. He drew attention of the participants to the concerns where the Glasgow Conference fell short of the developing countries' expectation.
He expressed his concern that "the mitigation decisions were focused on future emissions without addressing the historical and past emissions of the developed countries, which are responsible for the climate crisis". He suggested in this regard that "the aim for the additional integration commitments - to be submitted in the more ambitious NDCs in 2025 - should be on the developed countries".
He said that at the Conference, although "We were also able to keep alive the goal of limiting global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees by calling for more ambitious mitigation commitments for 2025", "It is our expectation that those mitigation actions will come mostly from the developed countries, and they will not impede the development path of the developing countries", he said.
"We are glad that adaptation financing will be doubled. We hope that this will form a part of the annual ministerial review up to Chairman check as well" he hoped. On financing, he mentioned that "more than 100 billion will be needed". Going forward, "we will need 1 trillion every year. He hoped that these commitments will be translated into projects in actual, in developing countries and actual commitments to developing countries to implement the projects. Ambassador Munir Akram called it "the only way in which we will be able to make the green transition".
Regarding the principles of Equity, Common but Differentiated Responsibilities and Respective Capabilities (CBDR-RC), he insisted that "should be properly reflected in the operational parts such as mitigation, integration, and adaptation".
Ambassador also shared his observation that there is a gap of trust that arises from the facts on the ground, saying "it is somewhat strange that when we see financing for coal and oil and gas projects in developing countries being cut off coal, is not phased out by the developed countries. They are still drilling for oil and gas in the developed countries".
He insisted that the "concrete decisions are needed on the level, modalities, and implementation of the developed countries' climate finance commitments, without which there can be no constructive progress on climate action".
Ambassador Munir Akram thanked for convening this important briefing on the outcomes of the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) and appreciated the briefers for sharing key takeaways from COP26. He termed the Glasgow Conference was an important step in our fight against climate change.