The highly anticipated 22nd Conference of the Parties (COP22) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) will be held on the 7th to 18th November 2016 at the ethnically diverse, cultural and traditional city of Marrakesh, Morocco. COP22 offers a unique platform that provides nations with the chance to build on the landmark agreement secured at COP21 in Paris last December 2015. As an outcome of the COP21 Paris climate conference, 195 countries adopted the first-ever universal, legally binding climate deal, also known as the Paris Agreement. Up to date, there is a total of 197 Parties to the Convention (196 States and 1 regional economic integration organisation, the European Union) including Palestine who joined in March 2016.

The ongoing Post-COP21 Agenda debate imminently highlights the importance of achieving the main climate objective, which is keeping the rise in global average temperature below 2 degrees Celsius, and the main Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including poverty eradication of 2030. It is believed that COP22 will be the action conference to realise the target of decarbonisation, as emphasised by the Moroccan foreign minister, Salaheddine Mezouar:

“COP22 has to be a COP of operation. Paris is a moment of strong negotiation but also one moment when resolutions were taken. Today our concern is naturally going to be direct our action to implementation and operation because, with the operation, this world commitment is going to become concrete.”

According to the World Resources Institute, the agenda for the Post Paris: Key Tasks to Complete Before the First Meeting of the Parties to the Paris Agreement for COP22 include:

• Identify how Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) assessments can inform the Global Stockade;
• Review the Warsaw International Mechanism (WIM);
• Initiate work on identifying information to be provided on public finance provided, mobilised and intended; and,
• Adopt terms of reference for the Paris Committee on Capacity Building (PCCB).

The accountability and success of the historic universal agreement on climate change are highly dependent on how each of the participating countries delivers on their aforementioned plans and promises. COP22 is a crucial stepping stone for parties to begin preparations for entry force of the Paris Agreement and realise the climate target as well as SDGs.

Written by: Jasmin Irisha Jim Ilham
Edited by: Choy Moon Moon