MR. PRESIDENT,

THE PHILIPPINES, IN ITS INCUMBENCY AS PRESIDENT OF THE CLIMATE VULNERABLE FORUM, IS IN UNITY WITH THE GLOBAL COMMUNITY IN URGENTLY PURSUING ITS NATIONAL ACTION WHILE CALLING FOR GLOBAL COMMITMENTS TO RESPOND TO THE NEEDS OF THE MOST VULNERABLE COUNTRIES.

AS EMBODIED IN THE MANILA COMMUNIQUE, THE PHILIPPINES BEING SUPPORTED BY 112 NATIONS SHALL SUSTAIN ITS COMMITMENT TO UNDERTAKE ACTIONS THAT WILL FAST-TRACK ADVANCEMENT TOWARDS THE GOAL OF LIMITING THE GLOBAL WARMING AVERAGE TEMPERATURE BELOW 1.5-DEGREES CELSIUS.

IT IS ENCOURAGING TO KNOW THAT THIS 21ST SESSION OF THE CONFERENCE OF PARTIES HERE IN PARIS HAS PROVIDED FURTHER VENUE FOR OTHER STATES, CIVIL SOCIETY AND YOUTH GROUPS TO DECLARE SUPPORT TO THIS AMBITIOUS 1.5OC LIMIT.

DESPITE THE PARTICULAR OUTCOME OF THE NEGOTIATIONS THAT WEAKENS THE REVIEW OF THE 2-DEGREES GOAL, THE CLIMATE VULNERABILITY FORUM SUSTAINS ITS MOMENTUM TO HAVE ADDITIONAL COUNTRIES SHOW THEIR SOLIDARITY AND SUPPORT WITH THE FORUM AS REFLECTED IN THEIR STATEMENTS AT COP 21 WHICH CALLED FOR THE PARIS AGREEMENT “TO SET OUT A CLEAR DIRECTION OF TRAVEL, WITH COLLECTIVELY AGREED AMBITIOUS TARGETS BUILT AROUND THE 1.5C LONG TERM TEMPERATURE GOAL.”

INDEED, THIS CLIMATE CRISIS AFFECTS US ALL – DEVELOPED, DEVELOPING AND LEAST DEVELOPED COUNTRIES. AND THIS CRISIS HAS PROVIDED US THE OPPORTUNITY AND THE BASIS OF UNITY TO RESPOND TO THESE CHALLENGES AND TO COLLECTIVELY TAKE ON THE FOLLOWING AGREED ACTIONS HERE IN PARIS NOW AND BEYOND:
FIRST, TO STRENGTHEN OUR LEADERSHIP IN TAKING NATIONAL CLIMATE ACTIONS TO ENSURE PROGRESS TOWARDS THE GOAL OF STAYING BELOW 1.5°C, UPSCALING OUR OWN MITIGATION ACTIONS AND ACCELERATING OUR CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT FOR ADAPTATION.
SECOND, TO WORK IN SOLIDARITY WITH DEVELOPED COUNTRIES TO PUT IN PLACE ACTIONS ON LOSS AND DAMAGE CONSISTENT WITH THE WARSAW INTERNATIONAL MECHANISM TO ENSURE DEVELOPING COUNTRIES ARE ENABLED TO MANAGE CLIMATE RISKS.
AND LASTLY, TO CALL FOR THE GLOBAL COMMUNITY TO HASTEN MEANS BY WHICH VULNERABLE COUNTRIES ARE ABLE TO ACCESS PREDICTABLE, AND SCALED-UP CLIMATE FINANCE, WHILE DIRECTING OUR OWN RESOURCES AND CAPACITIES TOWARDS CLIMATE ACTIONS.

MR. PRESIDENT

THE PHILIPPINE DELEGATION IS SERIOUSLY CONCERNED ABOUT THE FACT THAT THERE IS NOT ENOUGH PROVISION IN THE DRAFT PARIS AGREEMENT THAT PROVIDES FOR ADAPTATION FINANCE FOR THE DEVELOPING COUNTRIES MOST VULNERABLE TO THE ADVERSE EFFECTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE. IN THE CURRENT DRAFT AGREEMENT, SPECIFICALLY IN ARTICLE 6, THERE IS NO REFERENCE TO THE AMOUNT OF FINANCE NEEDED FOR ADAPTATION.

MY DELEGATION HEREBY FURTHER INTERVENES TO ENSURE CLEAR REFERENCE TO A COLLECTIVE TARGET FOR ADAPTATION WITH A SOLID QUALITATIVE AND QUANTITATIVE GOAL FOR TARGET SETTING AND PROGRESSION, AND FOR REVIEW EVERY FIVE YEARS. THIS COLLECTIVE TARGET AS WELL AS THE PRE-2020 INTERIM AND MIDTERM ADAPTATION PLEDGES SHOULD BE PUBLIC, GRANT-BASED AND CONCRETELY ANCHORED ON COUNTRY ADAPTATION NEEDS.

AS STATED IN THE PHILIPPINES’ INDC, IMPLEMENTATION OF BOTH NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT TARGETS AND MITIGATION INITIATIVES NECESSITATE THE CONTINUOUS DEVELOPMENT AND STRENGTHENING OF THE COUNTRY’S CAPABILITIES AND CAPACITIES. TECHNOLOGY TRANSFERS AND INNOVATIONS ARE NEEDED TO SUPPORT ADAPTATION AND MINIMIZATION OF LOSS-AND-DAMAGES AS WELL AS ENHANCED CAPACITY FOR MITIGATION. THUS, FULL IMPLEMENTATION OF OUR CONTRIBUTION TO GLOBAL ACTION REQUIRES SUPPORT IN THE FORM OF ADEQUATE, PREDICTABLE AND SUSTAINABLE FINANCING.

THANK YOU, MR. PRESIDENT.