Pakistan reelected vice president for COP26 on UN climate change

Pakistan highlighted its core initiatives to mitigate climate change risks.

(APP) – After receiving global recognition for significant environmental conservation initiatives at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) 25th Conference of Parties (COP-25) in Madrid, Spain, Pakistan was reelected as vice president for the next COP-26 and member to key committees at climate change negotiations.

In an exclusive online conversation with the Advisor to the Prime Minister on Climate Change Malik Amin Aslam Sunday said it was a big achievement at COP25 for Pakistan as it just got elected to top positions at climate change negotiations which just finished in Madrid.

Pakistan highlighted its core initiatives to mitigate climate change risks despite being a developing country with higher vulnerability due to environmental degradation and limited available resources under the leadership of the Adviser who was heading the team.

Besides, achieving the position of Vice President of climate COP, Pakistan was also made member to six important committees including member of CDM Executive Board, member of Adaption Committe, member of Technology Executive Committe, member of Paris Agreement Compliance Committe, member of Adaptation Fund Board, member of Warsaw International Mechanism (WIM) (Loss/Damage), he told APP.

To a question, he said, “COP-26 is a very important conference as it will officially initiate the Paris Agreement commitments. Moreover, the membership of the WIM on Loss and Damage is also critical – as it will hopefully get materialized next year.”

It may be mentioned here that the 26th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 26) to the UNFCCC was expected to take place from 9-19 November 2020, in Glasgow, Scotland, UK.

Moreover, the 10 Billion Tree Tsunami project and Ecosystem Restoration Fund had bagged global recognition at the COP-25.

What is the Conference of the Parties?

The COP is the supreme decision-making body of the Convention. All States that are Parties to the Convention are represented at the COP, at which they review the implementation of the Convention and any other legal instruments that the COP adopts and take decisions necessary to promote the effective implementation of the Convention, including institutional and administrative arrangements.

Background on the COP

A key task for the COP is to review the national communications and emission inventories submitted by Parties. Based on this information, the COP assesses the effects of the measures taken by Parties and the progress made in achieving the ultimate objective of the Convention.

The COP meets every year, unless the Parties decide otherwise. The first COP meeting was held in Berlin, Germany in March, 1995. The COP meets in Bonn, the seat of the secretariat, unless a Party offers to host the session. Just as the COP Presidency rotates among the five recognized UN regions - that is, Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean, Central and Eastern Europe and Western Europe and Others – there is a tendency for the venue of the COP to also shift among these groups.