Tuilaepa Dr. Sa’ilele Malielegaoi

Prime Minister of Samoa

Remarks on behalf of ACP Group at the ACP-EU Ministerial working session on Climate Change

It is with great pleasure that I welcome you to this ACP/EU Ministerial working lunch ably supported by our partner – The European Union. 

For ACP Member States, the adverse impacts of climate change are becoming increasingly evident and more severe, thereby requiring urgent and adequate action.

The ACP/EU Partnership Agreement provides a political framework for ACP countries to seek concrete solution to the pressing challenges of climate change in addition to other areas of cooperation. It is in recognition of the need for collective action to address climate change challenges that the Joint ACP-EU Council of Ministers issued a Joint declaration on Climate Change in Lome, on 1 June 2018.

This Joint declaration stressed among others that the agreed rule book for the implementation of the Paris Agreement  should

• Be robust and comprehensive, and preserve the integrity of the Paris Agreement; 

• Cover all aspects of mitigation, adaptation and the means of implementation and support in a tailored and balanced manner, in accordance with the mandate of the Paris Agreement; 

• Be applicable to all Parties; and 

• Provide a common transparency framework for tracking progress, with built-in flexibility to take into account different capacities and build upon collective experience.

These are some of the expectations from COP24 by the ACP countries.

We appreciate the growing global momentum to accelerate the transition to low greenhouse gas emissions development and climate resilient economies, and support the continued efforts of the ACP and EU countries in this regard, including regional, national, and non-state actors. 

Limiting warming to 1.5 degree Celsius implies changes on an unprecedented scale. It means deep emission reductions in all sectors, the use of a wide range of technologies, behavioural changes, and a significant increase of investment in low carbon options.

The enhanced international cooperation on the mitigation of, and adaptation to Climate Change, inter alia through the NDC Partnership is also recognised as a step in the right direction. 

Climate finance is particularly important for the ACP Group, given the significant amount of financial, technical, technological and capacity building support that is needed to allow all ACP countries especially SIDS, LDCs and Landlocked Developing  countries in Africa, to adapt to the adverse impacts of climate change. 

The ACP Group of States believes that, an equitable and efficient implementation of the Paris Agreement shall contribute in the long term to reducing the adverse impacts of climate change and protects the planet earth for the future generation. 

Finally, I wish to share with you the launching of the Pacific Small Islands Developing States Declaration on Climate Change at the Pacific Pavilion this afternoon, which underscores the importance of and prioritisation of climate change for all SIDS including the Pacific ACPs.

Thank you