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UNLDC IV UN-OHRLLS THE FOURTH UNITED NATIONS CONFERENCE ON THE LEAST DEVELOPED COUNTRIES PRE-CONFERENCE EVENT Reducing vulnerability due to Climate Change, Climate Variability and Extremes, Land Degradation and Biodiversity Loss: Environmental and Developmental Challenges and Opportunities for LDCs Concept Note 28 February 2011, United Nations Conference Room 7, New Lawn Building New York, USA. Introduction The Brussels Programme of Action (BPoA) for the Least Developed Countries (LDCs) for the decade 2001-2010 was adopted at the Third United Nations Conference for Least Developed Countries held in 2001 and endorsed by the General Assembly in its resolution 55/279. The overarching goal of the Brussels Programme of Action (BPoA) for the Least Developed Countries for the decade 2001 – 2010 was “to make substantial progress towards halving the proportion of people living in extreme poverty and suffering from hunger by 2015 was based on mutual commitments of the LDCs and their development partners and articulates their policies and measures by the LDCs in seven 1 interlinked commitments. One of the seven commitments of the BPoA was reducing vulnerability and protecting the environment. As this development decade for the LDCs draws to a close, it is important to review the progress that has been made in addressing the commitment on reducing vulnerability and protecting the environment, identify the major constraints, take stock of emerging issues that need to be addressed in the future; and identify priorities for a renewed partnership in their support. A major challenge that emerged over the decade in protecting the environment and reducing vulnerability is climate change. Although the LDCs contribute a very limited proportion of the total greenhouse gas emissions, they are among the most vulnerable to climate change in the world. Climate change is exacerbating desertification, land degradation, and loss of biodiversity, forests and other natural habitats. Climate change has also led to increased food insecurity; increased energy constraints; rising sea level, and degrading coastal livelihoods, infrastructure and environment. Such major impacts threaten economic growth as well as achievement of the Millennium Development Goals and sustainable development in the LDCs. Yet they have the least potential to adapt and mitigate to the impacts. The Green New Deal offers an opportunity for least developed countries a renewed emphasis to address sustainable development. Green development gives them a new frontier to get ODA, FDI, trade and technical assistance that fosters economic development that is truly sustainable thereby avoiding the mistakes of the Developed Countries and other high polluting developing countries. The outcome of the sixteenth session of the Conference of the Parties to the Framework of the Convention on Climate Change that took place in Cancun, Mexico in December 2010 (COP16) made decisions that have a particular relevance for LDCs particularly in prioritizing them for adaptation funding under the ‘fast start finance’, the creation of the Green Climate Fund, and extension of the mandate of LDC expert group, initiation of a process for LDCs to prepare and implement medium and long term adaptation plans, among many other decisions, marked some progress. As the LDCs and their partners prepare to enter into a new partnership - the New TenYear Programme of Action on LDCs - to be adopted at the forthcoming Fourth UN Conference on LDCs in Istanbul, Turkey in May 2011, it is important to identify priority areas of effective international support that can successfully support LDCs to manage climate change and harness green deal opportunities. The meeting aims to provide an opportunity for different stakeholders, the UN system, LDC Parties, Civil Society, and Donor community to share information on progress in addressing climate change and other environmental challenges in LDCs over the last 10 years. The Meeting is expected to come up with concrete ideas and recommendations on deliverables in the area of Reducing vulnerability due to Climate Change, Climate Variability and Extremes, Land Degradation and Biodiversity Loss for LDCs, which will feed into the draft outcome document of the Fourth UN Conference on LDCs. 2 Issues to be discussed: 1. Review the major challenges that Climate Change, Climate Variability and Extremes, Land Degradation and Biodiversity Loss pose to development of LDCs, and the opportunities presented; 2. Identify priority actions and measures needed to adequately address the Climate Change, Climate Variability and Extremes, Land Degradation and Biodiversity Loss challenge – clearly specifying those to be undertaken by LDCs and those by the development partners, 3. Identify priority actions by LDCs and development partners that leverage on the opportunities presented by efforts to address Climate Change, Climate Variability and Extremes, Land Degradation and Biodiversity Loss including the green deal and green industry. Contacts Communication on the meeting should be addressed to: UN OHRLLS Ms. Gladys Mutangadura UN Office of the High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States. DC1 Blg- Room1214, NY 10017. Tel : 212-963-3316 Cell: 917 238 4436 fax: 917-367-3415 Email: [email protected] Mr. Peter Kenilorea UN Office of the High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States. DC1 Blg- Room1208, NY 10017 Tel: +1 212 963 9460 fax: 917-367-3415 Email: [email protected] UNFCCC Mr. Paul V. Desanker Team Leader, Least Developed Countries Unit UNFCCC Secretariat Martin-Luther-King Strasse 8 D-53175 Bonn, Germany E-mail: [email protected] Tel: +49 228 815 1362 Fax: +49 228 815 1999 3