QNA

BONN CHAIRMAN of the Administrative Control and Transparency Authority HE Abdullah bin Hamad al Attiyah participated in the Ministerial Conference on Climate Change which began in Bonn, Germany on Friday.

Addressing the gathering, Attiyah thanked COP17 President Koana Mashabane for convening the meeting before the formal discussions that would commence on May 14 for careful evaluation of the negotiations in Durban and the success that was achieved there.

“It was a historic achievement, the first time we have witnessed the commitment of all parties to collectively take action to address the climate change challenge,” he noted.

He said he looked forward to working closely with Mashabane to build on the momentum and positive spirit that was achieved around the outcomes of Durban.

“We look forward to conducting a meeting between our two negotiating teams to enhance cooperation during the transition period between Durban and Doha,” he said.

Attiyah said he was looking forward to hosting all parties and chairs of various bodies in Doha at the end of the year and providing the ideal environment for building on the positive outcomes of the discussions that were held in Cancun and Durban.

He said: “We all recognise that climate change is a global problem that transcends beyond our national borders, and therefore the only way to address this problem is a collective and strong international response.

“As incoming president I am here to listen to all of you.

My team and I give you the assurance that we will conduct open, transparent and inclusive consultations throughout the year. My team is accessible to every delegation. Ambassador Khalid al Khater is here and will be engaging with your respective delegations in the run up to Doha.” Attiyah admitted that there was a lot of work to be done in the lead up to the conference in Doha and said he looked forward to a successful conference and strengthened actions on climate change.

“Those who have been engaged in the process for some time will know that a holistic approach is needed since many issues are interdependent.

For this reason I urge parties to engage constructively and proactively to complete work in the lead up to our conference in Doha,” he urged.