STATEMENT ON BEHALF OF THE GROUP OF 77 AND CHINA BY MS. CAROLA IñIGUEZ, UNDERSECRETARY OF MULTILATERAL AFFAIRS OF ECUADOR, AT THE OPENING PLENARY OF THE THIRD PART OF THE FIRST SESSION OF THE AD HOC WORKING GROUP ON THE PARIS AGREEMENT (APA 1-3) (Bonn, Germany, 8 May 2017)

Distinguished Co-Chairs,

Ecuador has the honour to deliver this statement on behalf of the Group of 77 and China.

1. The Paris Agreement adopted under the UNFCCC is the collective achievement of all Parties, which seeks to enhance the implementation of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, in accordance with its principles and provisions, in particular equity and common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities, in the light of different national circumstances, and the right to development, in the context of sustainable development and efforts to eradicate poverty. The global effort to fight climate change is an irreversible process that cannot be postponed. We reiterate that the implementation of the Paris Agreement will reflect equity and the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities, in the light of different national circumstances.

2. As we continue the work to develop and agree on the set of decisions for the implementation of the Paris Agreement's various provisions, we reiterate the importance of preserving the delicate balance of all the issues that was achieved in Paris at COP21 and in Marrakesh at COP22. These outcomes are not to be renegotiated nor reinterpreted, as the process under the Paris Agreement is irreversible. We stress the importance of moving from conceptual discussions to textual negotiations by COP23 while maintaining the balance struck in the Paris Agreement between mitigation, adaptation and means of implementation.

3. The work of APA should be Party-driven and undertaken in a transparent, inclusive, balanced and coherent manner. All elements of the Paris Agreement, including mitigation, adaptation, finance, technology development and transfer, capacity building, transparency of actions and support, and the mechanism to facilitate the implementation and promotion of compliance, must advance. There must be the appropriate coordination to generate synergies while carefully analyzing overlaps with different bodies, in particular the SBSTA and SBI.

4. The G77 and China recognizes that Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) are a key vehicle to deliver enhanced action under the Paris Agreement and to achieve the Agreement's long-term goals on all issues, including mitigation, adaptation and means of implementation in support to developing countries. National determination is a fundamental characteristic of NDCs. Appropriate and further guidance on features, information and accounting for NDCs as well as further guidance in relation to the adaptation communication, including, inter alia, as a component of NDCs, is welcomed; in this regard, we urge developed country Parties to provide finance, technology development and transfer and capacity building support to developing country Parties for the preparation, communication and implementation of their NDCs.

5. The Group highlights the importance of adaptation. The Group further highlights the importance of achieving the global goal on adaptation, especially since climate change is adversely impacting our countries. Further guidance in relation to the adaptation communication would therefore enhance adaptation action and support and also be an essential input to the global stocktake and as an opportunity to balance the profile of adaptation with mitigation while implementing the Paris Agreement. Such guidance must reflect the country-driven nature of adaptation and aim to enhance the adaptive capacity, reduce vulnerability and increase resilience without creating additional burdens on developing countries. In this regard, we urge developed countries to provide adequate support to developing countries in meeting the cost of their adaptation actions.

6. The Group recognizes the importance of the work on the modalities, procedures and guidelines for the transparency framework for actions and support, given the imminent timeline of 2018, for this work to be considered by the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Paris Agreement (CMA). This technical work needs to be Party driven, balanced and guided by the principles of the enhanced transparency framework, which should build on the existing arrangements under the Convention. Flexibility for developing countries in light of their capacities must be discussed as part of the enhanced transparency framework, including reporting, technical expert review, and facilitative multilateral consideration Complying with the set timeline will send a positive signal to the international community that work is progressing.

7. The Group believes that sources of input and modalities of the Global Stocktake should be comprehensive and facilitative, considering mitigation, adaptation and the means of implementation and support, in light of equity and the best available science. Further discussion on the linkage between actions and support in the modalities of the Global Stocktake is important for reaching a common understanding and for providing a strong basis for addressing its design.

8. The Group reaffirms that the Committee to facilitate implementation and promote compliance must be facilitative in nature and function in a transparent, non-adversarial and non-punitive manner. National capabilities and circumstances of Parties should be reflected and the adequate participation of Parties concerned is important for its effective operation.

9. On Response Measures, the Group reaffirm the importance of giving full consideration to identifying the necessary actions to meet the specific needs and concerns of developing country Parties arising from the impact of the implementation of response measures and avoid the negative economic and social consequences of response measures on developing countries. In this regard, we look forward to enhanced actions through strengthening institutional arrangements and the establishment of a cooperative mechanism to address the adverse impacts of the implementation of response measures on developing countries. The Group welcomes the first technical expert group meeting on the impact of implementation of response measures and looks forward to the inputs and recommendations from the experts to support the work of the improved forum. We should provide sufficient space and time for TEG members to make their contributions, which will allow the improved forum to achieve concrete outcomes as envisaged by parties. The Group also emphasizes the importance of working on the modalities, functions and work programs for the forum under the Paris Agreement.

Distinguished Co-Chairs,

10. The Group of 77 and China stresses the importance of developed countries to take the lead in accordance with their historical responsibilities including by reducing their emissions and providing support to developing countries. We recall the importance on honoring their commitment to undertake pre-2020 action, particularly by ratifying the Doha Amendment to the Kyoto Protocol by the end of this year so that it can enter into force, and ensure support, including finance for adaptation action, as an urgent priority for developing countries.

11. The Group emphasizes the importance of developed countries to provide new and additional climate finance, including the goal of mobilizing $100 billion annually by 2020 from all sources to address the needs of developing countries; technology development and transfer; cooperation; participatory, country-driven and cross-cutting capacity building; and all the needed support and means of implementation for developing countries, which have ambition to improve performance over time but currently lack capacities to do so. We emphasize the need for further clarity and robust methodologies to track and account for the provision of finance by developed countries. We also stress the importance that the Adaptation Fund definitively serve the Paris Agreement as of 2018.

12. On accounting of financial resources, the Group reaffirms that the modalities for accounting of financial resources by developed country Parties to developing country Parties, mobilized through public interventions, in accordance with Article 9, paragraph 7, of the Paris Agreement, must aim to provide transparency and consistency. The reported information must also be comparable and verifiable. No developing countries are to be excluded from receiving financial support for their enhanced climate change actions whether they have or have not ratified the Paris Agreement.

13. Direct access of all developing country parties of the Convention and the Paris Agreement to means of implementation including finance, technology transfer and capacity building provided by developed country parties through relevant multilateral entities should be simplified and granted to ensure proper implementation of climate action plans and the achievement of the objectives of the Convention and the purpose of the Paris Agreement.

14. The G77 and China reaffirms its full support to you, Co-Chairs, and will continue to engage in this ongoing process constructively.

Thank you.