http://thepeninsulaqatar.com/qatar/228967-al-attiyah-chairs-climate-meet-in-bonn.html

 

The Bureau meeting of COP18/CMP8 commenced here yesterday, chaired by President of COP18 H E Abdullah bin Hamad Al Attiyah, who is also Chairman of Administrative Control and Transparency Authority (ACTA) of Qatar.

 

The meeting was attended by Christina Figueres, Executive Director of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.

In his keynote speech, Al Attiyah expressed pleasure on the achievements of the COP18, UN climate change conference in Doha late last year. The Qatari presidency was able to deliver historic outcomes of the COP and CMP in Doha, thanks to generous efforts and the firm commitment from all parties and Bureau members which contributed to successful Doha outcomes, he said.

"Today's meeting gives me the pleasant opportunity to convey my appreciation for generous efforts and the firm commitment you all have shown during the conference, which contributed to  successful Doha outcomes.

"Doha has opened up a new gateway to stronger ambition and greater action and which is why we called the package the Doha Climate Gateway. 

"Now  governments must move quickly through the Doha Climate Gateway to push forward with the solutions to climate change at the national and international levels,"  Al Attiyah said.

"The ratification process of the Doha amendment is under way. Work will need to move ahead in areas such as finance, adaptation, technology and review mechanisms. The task ahead requires working collectively within the process established under the Convention... This is the party-driven process you all kept in Doha.

"As you may recall, the COP requested the president to appoint co-chairs for the work-programme on Long-Term Finance and the work programme on REDD-Plus, as per the resolutions of the Doha 2012 COP18/CMP8 last Novermber."

The meeting was attended by Qatar's Ambassador to Germany  Abdulrahman bin Mohammed Al Khulaifi and Al Attiyah's delegation. 

The Bureau of the COP consists of representatives from the five UN regions and Small Island Developing States and supports the COP through organisation of COP sessions, provides advice on ongoing activities between sessions and assists the secretariat in its functions.