I would like to thank you, the Executive Secretary and the secretariat of the UNFCCC for all their hard work in preparing these documents. We have a packed agenda so I would like to start out with the assurances that the Group of 77 and China will do all we can to work efficiently to get through all of the items on the agenda.  We are looking forward to working in the spirit of openness, transparency and cooperation to make this meeting successful.

Mr. Chairman, of the highest priority to the Group is the full implementation of the Convention which requires actual implementation of measures that reduce emissions of green house gases and measures that strengthen the capacity of states to adapt to the consequences of past actions. The longer we debate these issues the levels of emissions are increasing as are the costs of adaptation.

In this context Mr. Chairman, the Group would like to highlight that it is imperative that the Adaptation Fund become fully operationalized with sufficient and predictable resources, as without this developing countries will not be able to fully meet our objectives. It is likewise imperative that the authority of the COP/MOP and the integrity of the principles with which the Adaption Fund was based in particular the principle of direct access.

This session will continue to address the implementation of Article 4.8 of the Convention, decisions 5/CP.7 and 1/CP.10.  We welcome the holding of the round table in this meeting to address this important issue of resilience to climate change and the impact of response measures.  The session will also hold, for the first time, contact group consultations on the implementation of Article 3.14 of the Kyoto protocol.  This is an important issue where we have a decision that is pending implementation for a long time.  We hope that this session will provide better clarity on the ways of moving forward in addressing the concerns of developing countries arising from the implementation of response measures.

Mr. Chairman, this 29th session of the SBI is a crucial session regarding national communication from non-Annex I Parties. The Group of 77 and China attaches great importance to the role of the Consultative Group of Experts (CGE) and we do expect that this group will be reinstated at this session, with a mandate that allows it to address the needs of developing countries on receiving technical advice and support. Regarding the provision of financial support, the Group of 77 and China has repeatedly flagged that it is unacceptable that the agreed full costs incurred by developing country Parties in preparing their national communications be deducted from national or group allocations under the GEF Resource Allocation Framework (RAF). Deliberations here in Poznan shall provide clear guidance on this matter to the GEF in order to redress this situation.

The IPCC 4th Assessment Report highlighted the irrefutable scientific evidence that climate change is already happening. The member states of the G77 and China are currently feeling the effects of climate change and have already spent and allocated significant amounts from their national budgets for adaptation. Allow me to put this in the context that the developing countries that are most affected and are least able to respond are already paying for the cost of climate change… a cost that should be borne by the countries that cause this problem in the first place. So the focus for developing countries now is to attempt to adapt to climate change while allowing room for our sustainable development.

It is therefore important that we look carefully at this session at the review of the financial mechanism that would allow us to move foreward in the Bali Action Plan process.

We have done our part, we are doing our part it is time that developed countries take the action that these scientific reports have been calling for; this is no time for delays.

I thank you Mr. Chairman.