Ambassador Dr. John Ashe addressing the United Nations View photo »

After two weeks of intense negotiations which culminated in an all night, marathon negotiating session, the approximately 10,000 delegates and other representatives attending the eleventh meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention on Climate Change and the first Meeting of Parties to the Kyoto Protocol, adopted more than forty decisions at 6:15 am on Saturday morning that will strengthen global efforts to fight climate change.

"I believe that Parties to both the Convention and its Protocol from small island developing States such as ours can now say with some conviction that with the progress made at this meeting, particularly in the area of adaptation, the international community is beginning to take seriously what we have been saying for quite sometime now: There is a clear and compelling case for action in those countries that are particularly vulnerable to climate change, and something needs to be done right now to address this vulnerability," said Ambassador Dr. John Ashe, who headed Antigua and Barbuda's delegation to the High level segment of the Montreal meeting in the absence of the Honourable Wilmoth Daniel, Minister of Works, Transportation and Environment, who was busy with parliamentary duties.

Of particular importance, Ambassador Ashe noted was the decision by the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol to outline the path to future international action on climate Change, when the current commitments embodied in that agreement expire in 2012. "With the decisions taken at this meeting "the process for future commitments beyond 2012 got underway. Agreement has also been reached on launching a dialogue on strategic approaches for long-term global cooperative action to address climate," said Ambassador Ashe.

Ambassador Ashe said he was particularly pleased with the decisions taken to strengthen the clean development mechanism of the Kyoto Protocol. Under this unique mechanism, developed countries can invest in sustainable development projects in developing countries aimed at improving the quality of life for their citizens in the developing countries while also allowing developed nations to earn emission allowances. "Having served as the first Chairman of the Executive Board of this mechanism, I felt a certain sense of pride in witnessing the evolution of this mechanism," said the Ambassador.

Parties also took decisions on the compliance regime for the Kyoto Protocol, and a compliance committee with its enforcement and facilitative branches was elected. Here again Antigua and Barbuda will play a role. Mr. Ato Lewis, an Environment Officer within the Environment Division, was elected by the Conference to serve for a four (4) year term as an Alternate from the Latin American and Caribbean region on the Facilitative Branch of the Compliance Committee. The facilitative branch shall be responsible for providing advice and facilitation to Parties in implementing the Protocol, and for promoting compliance by Parties with their commitments under the Protocol.

"I regard the decision to establish a compliance regime as a key one, since it ensures that the Parties to the Protocol have a clear accountability regime in meeting their emission reductions targets," said Mr. Lewis.

On the all important issue of adaptation to climate change, Ms. Diann Black Layne, the Chief Environment Officer and head of the Environment Division, who led the Antigua and Barbuda delegation during the technical phase of the Conference, said, "adaptation to the impacts of climate change was also an important focus of the conference. I am pleased that there is now a five-year work programme on adaptation to climate change impacts aimed at paving the way for concrete steps to identify impacts and measures to adapt to climate change."

The next Conference of the Parties will take place in Nairobi, Kenya in November 2006.