. /.  WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION   
WT/CTE/GEN/22 
11 November 2011 
 (11-5841) 
Committee on Trade and Environment Original:   English 
  
 
UNITED NATIONS FRAMEWORK CONVENTION ON  
CLIMATE CHANGE (UNFCCC) BRIEFING  
  
Briefing by UNFCCC ahead of the Regular Session of the  
Committee on Trade and Environment (CTE) of 14 November 2011  
 
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 A. P
ANAMA SESSIONS  
1. The sessions of the Ad hoc Working Groups (AWGs) in Panama1 ended with good progress 
on drafting decision texts on as many of the aspects relevant to the Cancún Agreements and the Bali Action Plan.  With these, Parties can start the negotia tions in Durban with a clearer idea of what is 
possible to get agreements on and dedicate more  resources to resolve the remaining political 
questions. 
2. Parties have engaged and take n ownership of the draft texts going into Durban, and have 
expressed greater confidence in the negotiating process. 
3. The South African Presidency was present and very active during the sessions in Panama, 
holding inclusive and transparent consultations, including on the legal form. Parties encouraged 
South Africa to continue to provide a forum to  address difficult cross-cutting issues between the 
Convention and the Kyoto Protocol, in order to help catalyze progress in the formal negotiating 
process. 
1. Under the AWG-KP 
4. There is a strong desire by Parties to concl ude the negotiations on the Kyoto Protocol in 
Durban. To this end, a new iteration of the Chair's proposal of the Kyoto text has been forwarded to 
Durban. 
5. Many technical issues have been concluded and political decisions are necessary.  The most 
critical of these is in relation to the second commitment period and the linkage between the outcomes 
under the two AWGs. 
2. Under the Convention 
6. Parties advanced on draft decision texts on the modalities and activities of the new Adaptation 
Committee and in regards to the selection of a host institution for the Climate Technology Centre and 
Network (CTCN). 
                                                      
1 Resumed sixteenth session of the Ad Hoc Working Group on Further Commitments for Annex I 
Parties under the Kyoto Protocol (AWG-KP 16-3); Ad Hoc Working Group on Long-term Cooperative Action 
under the Convention at the third part of its fourteenth session (AWG-LCA 14-3). WT/CTE/GEN/22 
Page 2  
 
  7. On developing country action on adaptation and mitigation, there was pr ogress towards better 
understanding of the current status of committed fu nds on fast-start finance (US$ 27-28 billion) and 
how they are being disbursed.   
8. Governments have also put on the table their ideas for long-term finance. These differ, but 
Parties are now discussing this in a more concrete a nd specific way.  On the other hand, consolidated 
text emerged on the new Standing Committee designed to help the Conference of the Parties (COP) 
exercise its oversight function over climate finance. 
9. Regarding the elements of an emerging m itigation framework, there was good progress on the 
preparation of guidance on how reporting on emissions  and mitigation actions will be enhanced and 
how the new verification processes established last  year in Cancún will operate in practice. 
10. Clarity is emerging on the functions of the regist ry to record nationally appropriate mitigation 
actions (so-called NAMAs) by developing country Pa rties and the initial steps to make it operational. 
11. In Panama, Parties made progress on "how" the review of the adequacy of the long-term 
global goal set under the Cancún Agreements will be  done. This included discussions on a possible 
expert body supported by a technical unit. This bod y would also receive updates on the latest climate 
change science and its assessments.   
12. Other aspects of the discussions on shared vision included references to equity and trade, as 
well as discussions relating to economic and social consequences of response measures. 
13. Panama resulted in a better understanding of the options on an agreement on a new legal 
instrument and on what steps could be taken in  Durban towards the ob jective of reaching an 
agreement on a new legal instrument.  This issue is an important aspect for building a foundation for a 
deal in Durban addressing the nexus of issues around mitigation in the context of the Kyoto Protocol 
and in the broader context of the Convention. 
B. N
EXT STEPS - PREPARATIONS FOR DURBAN  
14. Right now, the preparations for Durban are underway.  The incoming Presidency organized 
the informal pre-COP ministerial consulta tions in Cape Town on 20-21 October 2011. 
15. Parties are also discussing the issue of mitiga tion as it relates to the linkages between the 
Convention and the Kyoto Protocol.  In Durban, it is  expected that the draft negotiating texts from the 
sessions in Panama will materialize into agreem ents on the various issues under discussion.   
16. Relevant documentation prepared during the sessions in Panama and other inter-sessional 
documentation for Durban is available at:  
 http://unfccc.int/bodies/awg-lca/items/6189.php  
 http://unfccc.int/bodies/awg-lca/items/6223.php  
 "http://unfccc.int/documentation/documents/adva nced_search/items/3594.php?rec=j&priref=6000
06550#beg " 
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