There is this overwhelming vibe being in the main plenary hall. You see, the COP22 venue is massive, and it takes time to familiarise yourself in the area.

COP22 is also known as the COP of Action, after the landmark achievement of Paris Agreement in COP21 last year. Never before in the history of COP that an agreement is being ratified so quickly as compared to the Paris Agreement. You can check the status of ratification here, here and here.

COP22 marks the first session of the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Paris Agreement (CMA1), besides CMP12.

Informal consultations on the first session of CMA1 convened on the 8th November 2016 at the main plenary hall, Marrakech (no seriously, that’s the name of the plenary hall). According to the World Resources Institute, CMA1 will be a key moment in not only becoming the Agreement’s governing body with authority over all substantive, procedural, administrative and operational manners, but also determining the process in doing so.

It was my first time attending a big informal consultation session and I was amazed. Being a first time COP goer, there is just so much things to take in, but this session was definitely my highlight thus far.

The fact that the first session of CMA1 alleviates the excitement. As I stepped in the hall 10 minutes late, they were arguing on whether or not that footnote should remain or omitted in the draft. The agenda then followed by discussion on organisational matters with work of CMA1, with countries requesting for clarity and justification on the terms “reconvene”, “adjourn” or “suspend” within the timeframe of 2017 or 2018.It is interesting to see how negotiators from each countries negotiate and each countries’ stand on a particular issue. I am trying so hard to describe my feelings in words but I truly can’t assign the correct words to it. All I know is, six months ago when I was selected to be part of the Malaysian Youth Delegation, I imagined myself attending this sort of sessions. Now that I’m here, it feels surreal, really.

To read the Proposal by the President for the informal session, click here.

Written by Jasmin Irisha Jim Ilham
Edited by Shakirin Shahrul Jamal (Shak)