SOLOMON ISLANDS LEAD DISCUSSIONS ON GLOBAL STOCKTAKE AT COP23

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SI High Commissioner to Australia, H.E Collin Beck (Photo from Twitter)

BY GEORGINA KEKEA
Bonn, Germany

SOLOMON Islands is leading discussions on behalf of Least Developed Countries (LDCs) on the 'Global stocktake'.  This was revealed by the lead negotiator of the Solomon Islands delegation to the COP23, High Commissioner to Australia, Collin Beck.

High Commissioner Beck said Solomon Islands is the co-ordinator for discussions on the Global stocktake a term that refers to a five yearly review of 'impact change actions' by countries.

Under the Paris Agreement, every country must present a climate action plan in five-yearly cycles.  

Commissioner Beck said Solomon Islands is coordinating the discussions on Global stocktake to ensure that every country step up to do their fair share in containing the emission of CO2. 

‘The challenge now is for us to make sure that we live up to the spirit of the Paris Agreement which we’ve agreed to’. 

Commissioner Beck said this is why it is very important for Solomon Islands to be in every discussions where negotiations are taking place. High Commissioner Beck said so far regarding negotiations on the preparation for ‘global stocktake’, discussions are not on the same pace and speed and they are hoping that by next week when the COP23 draws to an end, there should be some tangible outcomes which will give a clear path of countries positions.  

Commissioner Beck said, 'like the ‘Drua’ (canoe) we are all in this together'.  

The Drua (Photo by UNFCCC)
"Whether you are sitting in the front, the middle or the back, once it sank, we will all go down with it.  Another analogy is on the plane.  We have business class, economy and all that but once the plane crashes, it doesn’t care whether you are in the business class, first class or economy class.  We will all die.  So we only have one planet so the cooperation which everyone is trying to see is that, we all must do something". 

Commissioner Beck said even though countries will resist certain issues and will not want to participate in certain dialogues, there must be a workable framework by the year 2018. 

He said it is not easy to negotiate with developed countries on certain issues like coal mine for instance, but this is where the Paris Agreement come in and these countries are obliged to keep their word.


ENDS///

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