Stakeholders engagement in the climate negotiations Challenges and opportunities Sebastien Duyck, University of Lapland,

Overview Recent developments (up to and at the COP16) Access to information and Transparency issues Public Participation Review Processes Short term opportunity for improvements Key recommendations

Progress over the past year COP15 a dramatic exercise of democratic denial –Lack of transparency of the main process –Impossibility for many delegates to obtain their accreditation –Exclusion of almost all observers from the last days of the negotiations Constructive discussions through the year between stakeholders and the secretariat Important progress regarding logistical challenges

Particular issues at the COP16 Limits imposed on peaceful actions –Restrictive opportunities for actions Logistical constraints –Multiple venues, most NGO activities located 8 kilometers away from the negotiations General issue of the lack of access to negotiating sessions

Access to Information - Transparency Main issues –Lack of access to many sessions –Tripartite discussions between the secretariat, the host country and civil society Additional Opportunities –Increase use of the webcasts –Publication of official transcripts

Public Participation in the Negotiations Contributions to the session Interventions in the negotiations Submissions of input Freedom of Demonstration Timeframe and flexibility for the organization of peaceful actions No censorship of messages by the Secretariat

Review Processes Rapid and transparent appeal process open to NGOs –With regards to decisions over exclusions/restrictions of stakeholder engagement Legal standing for stakeholders –Implementation of the mechanisms established under the Kyoto Protocol

Short term opportunities for Improvements In-session workshop on stakeholders engagement (June 2011) –Role of civil society in the planning of and during the workshop –SBI needs to take a substantive decision on the basis of the outcomes of the workshop –Need to focus on effective participation at the core of the negotiations, not on the creation of parallel processes Other workshops foreseen in the Cancun Agreements

Participation in the bodies established under the Convention Creation of new bodies foreseen in the Cancun Agreements –Transitional Committee of the Green Climate Fund All meetings open to observers and all relevant information made available, including webcasts of the sessions Procedures for the active participation of members of civil society –Adaptation Committee Include civil society representatives as members of the AC Open the meetings of the AC

Key recommendations for the UNFCCC Open meetings to observers as a general rule Allow for more effective participation through interventions and submissions Review the participation guidelines, in order –to restrict participations only with regards to objective criteria –to respect the freedom of expression of observer organizations Include fully civil society in the workshops and in the bodies established under the Cancun Agreements