In 2015, France will be hosting and presiding the 21st Session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP21/CMP11), otherwise known as “Paris 2015” from November 30th to December 11th. COP21 will be a crucial conference, as it needs to achieve a new international agreement on the climate, applicable to all countries, with the aim of keeping global warming below 2°C. France will therefore be playing a leading international role to ensure points of view converge and to facilitate the search for consensus by the United Nations, as well as within the European Union, which has a major role in climate negotiations.
What is a COP? What is a CMP?
The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, or “UNFCCC”, was adopted during the Rio de Janeiro Earth Summit in 1992. It entered into force on 21 March 1994 and has been ratified by 196 States, which constitute the “Parties” to the Convention – its stakeholders.
This Framework Convention is a universal convention of principle, acknowledging the existence of anthropogenic (human-induced) climate change and giving industrialized countries the major part of responsibility for combating it.
The Conference of the Parties (COP), made up of all “States Parties”, is the Convention’s supreme decision-making body. It meets every year in a global session where decisions are made to meet goals for combating climate change. Decisions can only be made unanimously by the States Parties or by consensus. The COP held in Paris will be the 21st, hence the name “COP21”.
Where is the COP21 holding on?
In order to prepare this United Nations Conference under the best conditions, France has chosen to hold it on the Paris-Le Bourget site. In terms of logistics, this site has the best reception and capacity and accessibility for official delegations, for civil society and for the media, which are a key part of the Conference’s success.
France is also ensuring optimal conditions for the participation of civil society, by according them a dedicated space on the Paris-Le Bourget site. The civil society space will be accessible without accreditation, unlike the official negotiating areas which are governed by United Nations security and access rules.
The dedicated Civil Society area at the 2015 Paris Climate Conference: a place for debate and knowledge
The civil society relations team of the Secretariat-General in charge of preparing for and organizing COP21 produced, in December 2014, a consultation in French and English aimed at all representatives of the civil society constituencies. It wanted their opinions and recommendations concerning the creation of a dedicated civil society area at the Paris-Le Bourget Conference venue during the COP21, from 30 November to 11 December 2015.
The consultation was closed in January 2015 and was a first in the history of COP Conference preparations. It enabled the team to receive suggestions from the nine constituencies very early on, concerning the form of the dedicated civil society area, its overall organization and programming.
117 organizations, including numerous international groupings and coalitions from around the world, responded, with a dominant proportion from environmental and international solidarity NGOs and from businesses.
The major lessons of the civil society consultation for the dedicated space at Paris-Le Bourget
Above all, the civil society area is seen as an international space for debates and exchanges linked to the ecological transition on the one hand and the discovery of solutions to address climate disruption, provided by civil society, on the other.
As far as the general public was concerned, respondents were particularly committed to the area being suited to the younger generations, through exhibitions, trails and educational workshops.
Almost all respondents wished to be able to present their activities to visitors. They therefore hope to have space for stands, as well as conference rooms of various sizes in order to organize debates and foster dialogue between all parties concerning everyday themes (habitat, mobility, education, green growth, the circular economy and innovation). The theme of international solidarity was also mentioned on many occasions.
Civil society representatives attach great importance to interactions between the negotiating area and the civil society area, particularly as access to information on the progress of negotiations throughout the two weeks of the Conference is a key expectation. The media, including bloggers and community media, would also like to have a full presence in the civil society area.
Lastly, the cultural and interactive dimension was mentioned regularly as a criterion for success, openness and exemplarity.
In the coming weeks, information concerning the terms of the organization and programming of the dedicated civil society area will be available for all to consult on this website.
SOME MESSAGES
Laurent Fabius, minister of Foreign Affairs and International Development, next COP21/CMP11 president’s message
Ségolène Royal, minister of Ecology, Sustainable Development and Energy’s message
Christiana Figueres, Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)’s message
What is a COP? What is a CMP?
The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, or “UNFCCC”, was adopted during the Rio de Janeiro Earth Summit in 1992 (lien vers la frise). It entered into force on 21 March 1994 and has been ratified by 196 States, which constitute the “Parties” to the Convention – its stakeholders.
This Framework Convention is a universal convention of principle, acknowledging the existence of anthropogenic (human-induced) climate change and giving industrialized countries the major part of responsibility for combating it.
The Conference of the Parties (COP), made up of all “States Parties”, is the Convention’s supreme decision-making body. It meets every year in a global session where decisions are made to meet goals for combating climate change. Decisions can only be made unanimously by the States Parties or by consensus. The COP held in Paris will be the 21st, hence the name “COP21”.
Three words to talk about COP21/CMP11 by:
– Annick Girardin, minister of State for Development and Francophony,
– Laurence Tubiana, Ambassador responsible for climate change negotiations,
– Nicolas Hulot, special envoy for Earth protection
Click here to the COP21 official website.