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 SIERRA STUDENT COALITION INTERNATIONAL CLIMATE POLICY BRIEF Key Stakeholder Groups for the UNFCCC Parties: COP stands for Conference Of Parties. “Parties” refers to individual nations except in one instance (the European Union is a party). Not every country is a party, however. Parties are the only participants that can formally negotiate under the UNFCCC. Under the Kyoto Protocol, Parties were subdivided into three categories based on the equity principle of Common But Differentiated Responsibilities: Annex I Countries: Annex I countries are defined by the UNFCCC as “Parties [that] include the industrialized countries that were members of the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-­‐operation and Development) in 1992, plus countries with economies in transition (the EIT Parties), including the Russian Federation, the Baltic States, and several Central and Eastern European States.” Annex II Countries: Annex II countries are defined as “Parties consist of the OECD members of Annex I, but not the EIT Parties.” These are the most developed countries. Annex II countries are expected to help Non-­‐Annex Countries cover the costs of building clean energy economies through the Green Climate Fund. Non-­‐Annex Countries: Most (not all) non-­‐annex nations are developing economies. Many of these countries are particularly vulnerable to global warming. Others have brown economies and so are allegedly vulnerable to efforts to wean the globe of fossil fuels. Claims by parties that they stand to lose from sustainability initiatives should be treated with skepticism though. In general, economic benefits from fossil fuel exploitation enrich the wealthy and powerful in any given country, while threatening the lives and livelihoods of those who need them most. Non-­‐Annex countries are generally considered to bear less responsibility for global warming than Annex I countries, although some of them, such as China and India, now have high (and increasing) greenhouse gas emissions. Annex II countries are expected to help Non-­‐Annex Countries cover the costs of building clean energy economies through the Green Climate Fund. Based on the tradition of the United Nations, Parties self-­‐organize into negotiating blocs based on region or strategic interests such as development status or vulnerability to climate change. These negotiating blocs are: Least Developed Countries (LDCs): According to the UNFCCC, “the 49 [actually 48] Parties classified as least developed countries (LDCs) by the United Nations are given special consideration under the Convention on account of their limited capacity to respond to climate change and adapt to its adverse effects. Parties are urged to take full account of the special situation of LDCs when considering funding and technology-­‐transfer activities.” 50 F STREET, NW, EIGHTH FLOOR, WASHINGTON, DC 20001 ∙ TEL: (888)564-­‐6772 ∙ FAX: (202)547-­‐6009 ∙ WWW.SSC.ORG Regional Bodies: Traditionally for UN negotiations, countries are grouped into regional bodies: African States, Asian States, Eastern European States, Latin American and the Caribbean States, and Western European and Other States. These distinctions are not particularly important for climate negotiations. The Group of 77 (G77): The G77 was founded in 1964 at the UN Conference on Trade and Development in Geneva. At that time, it had 77 members. Today it has over 130. The intent of the group when it was established was to give developing nations greater negotiating leverage within the UN through co-­‐operation. This continues to be its stated aim. Today though, many of its members, such as China and India, are global powers on their own. Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS): AOSIS is an alliance of 43 small island nations and low-­‐lying nations that are particularly threatened by climate change. Most of them are members of the G77. The European Union (EU): The EU, unlike other groups of nations, is itself a party. It is the only party to the convention that is not a country (it is instead a “regional economic integration organization.”) It does not, however, have a vote separate from those of its 27 member states. The Umbrella Group: There is no official list of countries in the Umbrella Group. It is a shorthand for developed countries that are not part of the EU. It is generally considered to consist of Australia, Canada, Iceland, Japan, New Zealand, Norway, the Russian Federation, Ukraine and the US. According to the UNFCCC, “The Umbrella Group evolved from the JUSSCANNZ (an acronym for Japan, the USA, Switzerland, Canada, Australia, Norway and New Zealand) group, which was active during the Kyoto Protocol negotiations.” The Environmental Integrity Group (EIG): The Environmental Integrity Group was founded in 2000 and includes Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Monaco, South Korea, and Mexico. These countries are rightly concerned about environmental issues (though several other countries that are not members exercise equal or greater care for the environment). The organization is not very high profile. Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC): OPEC was founded in 1960 and is currently headquartered in Vienna Austria. It includes Libya, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Indonesia, Algeria, Nigeria, Ecuador, Angola, and Gabon. OPEC countries produce about 40 percent of the world’s crude oil. In its statement at COP 19, OPEC Secretary General HE Abdalla Salem El-­‐Badri said “climate change is a concern for us all,” and argued that developed countries should provide funds to help OPEC countries build more sustainable economies. None of the OPEC countries are Annex I countries. Other organizations include: Central Asia, the Caucasus, Albania, and Moldova (CACAM), The League of Arab States, and the Agence intergouvernementale de la francophonie. Observer Organizations: Although they cannot formally negotiate under the UNFCCC, Observers to the Conference of Parties play a crucial role in the negotiations by influencing Parties and advocating for specific policies. These observer groups include the United Nation’s various secretariat units and bodies, specialized agencies, etc., and numerous intergovernmental and non-­‐governmental organizations. 50 F STREET, NW, EIGHTH FLOOR, WASHINGTON, DC 20001 ∙ TEL: (888)564-­‐6772 ∙ FAX: (202)547-­‐6009 ∙ WWW.SSC.ORG Secretariat Units and Bodies, Specialized Agencies, and Related Organizations: The UN Secretariat carries out the day-­‐to-­‐day work of the United Nations, it is divided into a number of groups and bodies. A few examples are: The United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP): Founded at the 1972 UN Conference on the Human Environment in Stockholm, Sweden, and headquartered in Nairobi Kenya, UNEP coordinates the United Nation’s environmental activities. The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP): Founded in 1966, the UNDP helps build nations that can withstand crises. It focuses on poverty reduction, democratic governance, crisis prevention and recovery, and environment environment and energy for sustainable development. The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD): Deals with trade and development issues. Believes trade is the primary driver of development. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change: A panel of scientists that compiles research on global warming to inform the policy decisions of the UNFCCC. Inter-­‐Governmental Organizations (IGOs): There are 99 inter-­‐governmental organizations recognized by the United Nations. Intergovernmental organizations are made up of member states. They are distinct from simple groups of states (like the G77). They are also not to be conflated with treaties or with the United Nation’s agencies, bodies or organizations. (Technically you could say that the UN itself and the various parts of its structure are IGOs, but it’s useful to make a distinction here between the UN and non-­‐UN IGOs). A couple of examples major of IGOs are: The International Energy Agency (IEA): Researches energy and works with its 29 member states on energy issues. The Organization for Economic Co-­‐operation and Development (OECD): Is headquartered in Paris, France. It has 34 member countries. Observer States: Two nations are observers rather than parties: The Holy Sea, which has never applied to join the UN, and Palestine, whose application has been blocked by the United States. Non-­‐Governmental Organizations (NGOs): The UNFCCC recognizes 1,598 non-­‐governmental organizations that are also known collectively as Civil Society. Civil Society organizations represent special interests from business, agriculture, environmental groups, indigenous groups, municipal authorities and local governments, academic institutes, labor unions, women and gender groups, and youth groups. For example, the Sierra Club is an accredited NGO and identifies as an Environmental NGO or ENGO. NGO constituencies will often put forward recommendations or interventions that advocate for policy that represents their special interests. 50 F STREET, NW, EIGHTH FLOOR, WASHINGTON, DC 20001 ∙ TEL: (888)564-­‐6772 ∙ FAX: (202)547-­‐6009 ∙ WWW.SSC.ORG Below is a breakdown of the representation of NGOs in Civil Society: Resources: List of Least Developed Countries: http://unctad.org/en/pages/aldc/Least%20Developed%20Countries/UN-­‐
list-­‐of-­‐Least-­‐Developed-­‐Countries.aspx UN Parties and Observers: http://unfccc.int/parties_and_observers/items/2704.php UNFCCC Parties and Observer States With Links to Accompanying Information: http://unfccc.int/parties_and_observers/parties/items/2352.php Website of the G77: http://www.g77.org/ UNFCCC Who’s Who? : http://unfccc.int/essential_background/convention/items/6343.php Website of AOSIS: http://aosis.org/ Website of the European Union: http://europa.eu/index_en.htm OPEC Statement at COP 19: http://www.opec.org/opec_web/en/2670.htm UNFCCC Bodies: http://unfccc.int/bodies/items/6241.php United Nations Structure: http://www.un.org/en/aboutun/structure/ Civil Society Constituency Breakdown: http://unfccc.int/files/documentation/submissions_from_observers/application/pdf/cop19_side_events_cons
tituency_applications.pdf 50 F STREET, NW, EIGHTH FLOOR, WASHINGTON, DC 20001 ∙ TEL: (888)564-­‐6772 ∙ FAX: (202)547-­‐6009 ∙ WWW.SSC.ORG