Gender Mandates in Climate Policy

The Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol,

Recalling decisions 1/CMP.3, 2/CMP.10, 1/CMP.11 and 2/CMP.12, Also recalling the Paris Agreement, adopted under the Convention,

Further recalling decision 1/CP.21, paragraphs 59 and 60, and decision 1/CMA.1, paragraph 11,

1. Takes note of the annual report of the Adaptation Fund Board, and the information contained therein;

2. Notes the following information, actions and decisions relating to the Adaptation Fund Board presented in the report referred to in paragraph 1 above and in the oral report provided by the Chair of the Adaptation Fund Board at this session:

(a) The accreditation of 26 national implementing entities for accessing resources from the Adaptation Fund directly;

(b) Cumulative project and programme approvals reaching USD 418.1 million as at 30 June 2017;

(c) The record number of project and programme proposals received from 2015 to 2017 and the rapidly increasing demand for funding;

(d) Funds available for new funding approvals amounting to USD 185.9 million as at 30 June 2017;

(e) The value of projects and programmes in the active pipeline estimated at USD 163.9 million as at 30 June 2017;

(f) The approval of funding decisions for readiness grants amounting to USD 275,000, consisting of USD 100,000 in South–South cooperation grants, USD 145,000 in technical assistance grants for the environmental and social policy and gender policy, and USD 30,000 in technical assistance grants for the gender policy;

(g) The approval of three regional (multi-country) projects, with total funding of USD 25.8 million, and the decision to continue financing regional projects and programmes beyond the Pilot Programme for Regional Projects and Programmes, launched in May 2015;

(h) The cumulative receipts of USD 649.5 million into the Adaptation Trust Fund, as at 30 June 2017, comprising USD 197.8 million from the monetization of certified emission reductions, USD 442.4 million from additional contributions and USD 9.3 million from investment income earned on the trust fund balance;

(i) The approval of the Ad Hoc Complaint Handling Mechanism of the Adaptation Fund, established to promote the fund’s accountability and help respond, through a participatory approach, to complaints raised against a project or programme financed by the fund; 

(j) The adoption by the Adaptation Fund Board of a medium-term strategy for the Adaptation Fund;

(k) The approval of 16 single-country project/programme proposals submitted by implementing entities, totalling USD 103.1 million, including 6 proposals submitted by national implementing entities, to the amount of USD 38.8 million, 5 proposals submitted by regional implementing entities, to the amount of USD 39.6 million, and 5 proposals submitted by multilateral implementing entities, to the amount of USD 24.6 million;

(l) The contributions received from 1 July 2016 to 30 June 2017, amounting to USD 97.6 million, from Germany, Italy, Sweden and the Brussels-Capital, Flanders and Walloon Regions of Belgium;

(m) The publication of a gender guidance document to assist implementing entities in complying with the fund’s gender policy and action plan and in mainstreaming gender considerations;

(n) The 2017–2020 resource mobilization strategy being implemented by the Adaptation Fund Board;  

The Conference of the Parties,

Recalling the Charter of the United Nations and United Nations General Assembly resolution 66/288,

Also recalling the Paris Agreement, decision 1/CP.21 and decision 2/CP.23,

Emphasizing that the purpose and functions of the Local Communities and Indigenous Peoples Platform and its Facilitative Working Group will be carried out consistent with international law,

Also emphasizing, in its entirety, the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples in the context of the implementation of the functions of the Local Communities and Indigenous Peoples Platform involving indigenous peoples,

Further emphasizing that in the context of the implementation of the functions of the Local Communities and Indigenous Peoples Platform involving local communities, none of the activities should authorize or encourage any action, which will dismember or impair, totally or in part, the territorial integrity or political unity of sovereign and independent States,

1. Decides to establish the Local Communities and Indigenous Peoples Platform Facilitative Working Group;

2. Affirms that the Facilitative Working Group is established with the objective of further operationalizing the Local Communities and Indigenous Peoples Platform and facilitating the implementation of its functions;

3. Decides that the Facilitative Working Group shall comprise 14 representatives, as follows:

(a) One representative of a Party from each of the five United Nations regional groups;

(b) One representative of a Party from a small island developing State;

(c) One representative of a least developed country Party;

(d) Seven representatives from indigenous peoples organizations, one from each of the seven United Nations indigenous sociocultural regions;

4. Requests the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice to consider, in the context of the review referred to in paragraph 27 below, and taking into account progress related to the representation of local communities, the addition of at least three additional representatives to represent local communities, as well as a process for the appointment of such representatives, and an equal number of Party representatives, with a view to recommending a draft decision on the representation of local communities on the Local Communities and Indigenous Peoples Platform for consideration and adoption by the Conference of the Parties at its twenty-seventh session (November 2021);

5. Decides that Party representatives shall be appointed by their respective regional groups and constituencies, and that the Chair of the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice shall be notified of these appointments;

6. Also decides that indigenous peoples representatives shall be appointed by the indigenous peoples, through their focal points, and that the Chair of the Subsidiary Body of Scientific Technological Advice shall be notified of these appointments;

7. Further decides that, along with each representative, one alternate may be designated, in accordance with the appointment process referred to in paragraphs 3–6 above; the alternate representative will participate in meetings when the representative is unable to attend, and will replace the representative for the remainder of the term if the representative cannot complete the functions of the assigned office;

8. Decides that representatives of the Facilitative Working Group shall serve for a term of three years and shall not be eligible to serve two consecutive terms, and that the representatives shall remain in office until their successors have been elected;

9. Also decides that the Facilitative Working Group shall elect annually two co-chairs and two vice co-chairs from among its representatives to serve for a term of one year each, with one co-chair and one vice co-chair being a representative from a Party and the other cochair and vice co-chair being a representative from indigenous peoples and, as appropriate, local communities;

10. Further decides that the election and rotation of the co-chairs and vice co-chairs will take into account regional geographic balance, and strive for gender balance;

11. Decides that if one of the co-chairs is temporarily unable to fulfil the obligations of the office, the respective vice co-chair shall serve as the co-chair;

12. Also decides that if one of the co-chairs or vice co-chairs is unable to complete the term of office, the Facilitative Working Group shall elect a replacement to complete that term of office, in accordance with paragraphs 9 and 10 above;

13. Invites Parties to promote the engagement of local communities in the Local Communities and Indigenous Peoples Platform with a view to enhancing their participation in the Facilitative Working Group and the Platform;

14. Stresses the importance of striving for gender balance in the appointment processes of representatives in accordance with decisions 36/CP.7, 23/CP.18 and 3/CP.23;

15. Decides that the Facilitative Working Group shall operate on the basis of consensus;

16. Invites Parties, local communities and indigenous peoples to take into consideration the Local Communities and Indigenous Peoples Platform and its functions at the local, national and regional level in order to enhance the engagement and inclusion of indigenous peoples and local communities to facilitate the exchange of experience and the sharing of best practices and lessons learned on mitigation and adaptation in a holistic and integrated manner;

17. Decides that the Facilitative Working Group shall meet twice per year in conjunction with the sessions of the subsidiary bodies and the session of the Conference of the Parties;

18. Also decides that the Facilitative Working Group, under the incremental approach, will propose an initial two-year workplan for the period 2020–2021 for implementing the functions of the Local Communities and Indigenous Peoples Platform for consideration by the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice at its fifty-first session (November 2019);

19. Further decides that the workplan referred to in paragraph 18 above should take into account experiences from any activities that have already taken place under the Local Communities and Indigenous Peoples Platform, and that the workplan may include annual in-session events in conjunction with the Conference of the Parties and the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice, on which summary reports, which could be of a technical nature, would be prepared by the Facilitative Working Group;

20. Encourages the Facilitative Working Group to collaborate with other bodies under and outside the Convention, as appropriate, aiming at enhancing the coherence of the actions of the Local Communities and Indigenous Peoples Platform under the Convention;

21. Requests the secretariat, with the support of the Facilitative Working Group, to make the work of the Local Communities and Indigenous Peoples Platform widely accessible, including through the development of a dedicated web portal on the Local Communities and Indigenous Peoples Platform on the UNFCCC website;

22. Also requests the secretariat to organize a thematic in-session workshop, in conjunction with the fiftieth session (June 2019) of the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice, on enhancing the participation of local communities, in addition to indigenous peoples, in the Local Communities and Indigenous Peoples Platform;

23. Further requests the secretariat to develop, under the incremental approach for the operationalization of the Local Communities and Indigenous Peoples Platform, activities related to the implementation of all three functions of the Platform,1 at each session of the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice until the workplan is adopted, and invites Parties, observers and other stakeholders to submit their views on possible activities via the submission portal2 by 28 February 2019;

24. Requests the Facilitative Working Group to report on its outcomes, including a draft second three-year workplan, and on the activities of the Local Communities and Indigenous Peoples Platform, for consideration by the Conference of the Parties at its twenty-seventh session through the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice at its fiftyfourth session (May to June 2021);

25. Decides to endorse the draft workplan referred to in paragraph 24 above at its twentyseventh session;

26. Requests the secretariat to make the reports referred to in paragraph 24 above publicly available on the UNFCCC website;

27. Decides that the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice will review the outcomes and activities of the Facilitative Working Group, taking into account the report referred to in paragraph 24 above, at its fifty-fourth session and make recommendations to the Conference of the Parties at its twenty-seventh session with a view to adopting a decision on the outcome of this review;

28. Also decides that the initial mandate for the Facilitative Working Group will span three years, to be extended as determined by the review referred to in paragraph 27 above;

29. Further decides that the meetings of the Facilitative Working Group shall be open to Parties and observers under the Convention;

30. Requests the secretariat to support and facilitate the work of the Facilitative Working Group;

31. Takes note of the estimated budgetary implications of the activities to be undertaken by the secretariat referred to in paragraph 30 above;

32. Requests that the actions of the secretariat called for in this decision be undertaken subject to the availability of financial resources;

33. Invites interested Parties and organizations to provide financial and technical support, as appropriate, for the implementation of the functions of the Local Communities and Indigenous Peoples Platform.

Annex I

Information to facilitate clarity, transparency and understanding of nationally determined contributions, referred to in decision 1/CP.21, paragraph 28

1. Quantifiable information on the reference point (including, as appropriate, a base year):

(a) Reference year(s), base year(s), reference period(s) or other starting point(s);

(b) Quantifiable information on the reference indicators, their values in the reference year(s), base year(s), reference period(s) or other starting point(s), and, as applicable, in the target year;

(c) For strategies, plans and actions referred to in Article 4, paragraph 6, of the Paris Agreement, or polices and measures as components of nationally determined contributions where paragraph 1(b) above is not applicable, Parties to provide other relevant information;

(d) Target relative to the reference indicator, expressed numerically, for example in percentage or amount of reduction;

(e) Information on sources of data used in quantifying the reference point(s);

(f) Information on the circumstances under which the Party may update the values of the reference indicators.

2. Time frames and/or periods for implementation:

(a) Time frame and/or period for implementation, including start and end date, consistent with any further relevant decision adopted by the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Paris Agreement (CMA);

(b) Whether it is a single-year or multi-year target, as applicable.

3. Scope and coverage:

(a) General description of the target;

(b) Sectors, gases, categories and pools covered by the nationally determined contribution, including, as applicable, consistent with Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) guidelines;

(c) How the Party has taken into consideration paragraphs 31(c) and (d) of decision 1/CP.21;

(d) Mitigation co-benefits resulting from Parties’ adaptation actions and/or economic diversification plans, including description of specific projects, measures and initiatives of Parties’ adaptation actions and/or economic diversification plans.

4. Planning processes:

(a) Information on the planning processes that the Party undertook to prepare its nationally determined contribution and, if available, on the Party’s implementation plans, including, as appropriate:

• (i) Domestic institutional arrangements, public participation and engagement with local communities and indigenous peoples, in a gender-responsive manner;
• (ii) Contextual matters, including, inter alia, as appropriate: 
  • a. National circumstances, such as geography, climate, economy, sustainable development and poverty eradication;
  • b. Best practices and experience related to the preparation of the nationally determined contribution;
  • c. Other contextual aspirations and priorities acknowledged when joining the Paris Agreement;

(b) Specific information applicable to Parties, including regional economic integration organizations and their member States, that have reached an agreement to act jointly under Article 4, paragraph 2, of the Paris Agreement, including the Parties that agreed to act jointly and the terms of the agreement, in accordance with Article 4, paragraphs 16– 18, of the Paris Agreement;

(c) How the Party’s preparation of its nationally determined contribution has been informed by the outcomes of the global stocktake, in accordance with Article 4, paragraph 9, of the Paris Agreement;

(d) Each Party with a nationally determined contribution under Article 4 of the Paris Agreement that consists of adaptation action and/or economic diversification plans resulting in mitigation co-benefits consistent with Article 4, paragraph 7, of the Paris Agreement to submit information on:

• (i) How the economic and social consequences of response measures have been considered in developing the nationally determined contribution;
• (ii) Specific projects, measures and activities to be implemented to contribute to mitigation co-benefits, including information on adaptation plans that also yield mitigation co-benefits, which may cover, but are not limited to, key sectors, such as energy, resources, water resources, coastal resources, human settlements and urban planning, agriculture and forestry; and economic diversification actions, which may cover, but are not limited to, sectors such as manufacturing and industry, energy and mining, transport and communication, construction, tourism, real estate, agriculture and fisheries.

5. Assumptions and methodological approaches, including those for estimating and accounting for anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions and, as appropriate, removals:

(a) Assumptions and methodological approaches used for accounting for anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions and removals corresponding to the Party’s nationally determined contribution, consistent with decision 1/CP.21, paragraph 31, and accounting guidance adopted by the CMA;

(b) Assumptions and methodological approaches used for accounting for the implementation of policies and measures or strategies in the nationally determined contribution;

(c) If applicable, information on how the Party will take into account existing methods and guidance under the Convention to account for anthropogenic emissions and removals, in accordance with Article 4, paragraph 14, of the Paris Agreement, as appropriate;

(d) IPCC methodologies and metrics used for estimating anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions and removals;

(e) Sector-, category- or activity-specific assumptions, methodologies and approaches consistent with IPCC guidance, as appropriate, including, as applicable:

• (i) Approach to addressing emissions and subsequent removals from natural disturbances on managed lands;
• (ii) Approach used to account for emissions and removals from harvested wood products;
• (iii) Approach used to address the effects of age-class structure in forests;

(f) Other assumptions and methodological approaches used for understanding the nationally determined contribution and, if applicable, estimating corresponding emissions and removals, including:

(i) How the reference indicators, baseline(s) and/or reference level(s), including, where applicable, sector-, category- or activity-specific reference levels, are constructed, including, for example, key parameters, assumptions, definitions, methodologies, data sources and models used;

• (ii) For Parties with nationally determined contributions that contain nongreenhouse-gas components, information on assumptions and methodological approaches used in relation to those components, as applicable;
• (iii) For climate forcers included in nationally determined contributions not covered by IPCC guidelines, information on how the climate forcers are estimated;
• (iv) Further technical information, as necessary;

(g) The intention to use voluntary cooperation under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement, if applicable.

6. How the Party considers that its nationally determined contribution is fair and ambitious in the light of its national circumstances:

(a) How the Party considers that its nationally determined contribution is fair and ambitious in the light of its national circumstances;

(b) Fairness considerations, including reflecting on equity;

(c) How the Party has addressed Article 4, paragraph 3, of the Paris Agreement;

(d) How the Party has addressed Article 4, paragraph 4, of the Paris Agreement;

(e) How the Party has addressed Article 4, paragraph 6, of the Paris Agreement.

7. How the nationally determined contribution contributes towards achieving the objective of the Convention as set out in its Article 2:

(a) How the nationally determined contribution contributes towards achieving the objective of the Convention as set out in its Article 2;

(b) How the nationally determined contribution contributes towards Article 2, paragraph 1(a), and Article 4, paragraph 1, of the Paris Agreement.

Annex 

Modalities and procedures for the effective operation of the committee referred to in Article 15, paragraph 2, of the Paris Agreement 

II. Institutional arrangements

5. The Committee shall consist of 12 members with recognized competence in relevant scientific, technical, socioeconomic or legal fields to be elected by the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Paris Agreement (CMA) on the basis of equitable geographical representation, with 2 members each from the five regional groups of the United Nations and 1 member each from the small island developing States and the least developed countries, taking into account the goal of gender balance.

6. The CMA shall elect members of the Committee as well as an alternate for each member, taking into account the expert-based nature of the Committee and striving to reflect the diversity of expertise referred to in paragraph 5 above.

7. Members and alternate members shall be elected to the Committee to serve for a period of three years and for a maximum of two consecutive terms.

8. At CMA 2 (November 2019), six members and six alternate members shall be elected to the Committee for an initial term of two years and six members and six alternate members for a term of three years. Thereafter, the CMA shall elect at its relevant regular sessions six members and six alternate members for a term of three years. The members and alternate members shall remain in office until their successors are elected.

9. If a member of the Committee resigns or is otherwise unable to complete the assigned term or to perform the functions in the Committee, an expert from the same Party shall be named by that Party to replace said member for the remainder of the unexpired term.

10. Members and alternate members of the Committee shall serve in their individual expert capacity.

11. The Committee shall elect from among its members two Co-Chairs for a period of three years, taking into account the need to ensure equitable geographical representation. The Advance unedited version 3 Co-Chairs shall perform the functions to be elaborated in the rules of procedure of the Committee referred to in paragraphs 17 and 18 below.

12. Unless otherwise decided, the Committee shall meet at least twice a year, beginning in 2020. In scheduling its meetings, the Committee should take into account the desirability of holding its meetings in conjunction with sessions of the subsidiary bodies serving the Paris Agreement, as appropriate.

13. Only members and alternate members of the Committee and secretariat officials shall be present during the elaboration and adoption of a decision of the Committee.

14. The Committee, any Party or others involved in the process of the consideration by the Committee shall protect the confidentiality of information received in confidence.

15. The adoption of decisions by the Committee shall require a quorum of 10 of the members to be present.

16. The Committee shall make every effort to reach agreement on any decision by consensus. If all efforts at reaching consensus have been exhausted, as a last resort, the decision may be adopted by at least three quarters of the members present and voting.

17. The Committee shall develop rules of procedure with a view to recommending them to the CMA for consideration and adoption at CMA 3 (November 2020), informed by the principles of transparency, facilitation, the non-adversarial and non-punitive function, and paying particular attention to the respective national capabilities and circumstances of Parties.

18. The rules of procedure referred to in paragraph 17 above will address any matters necessary for the proper and effective functioning of the Committee, including the role of the Committee’s Co-Chairs, conflict of interest, any additional timelines related to the Committee’s work, procedural stages and timelines for the Committee’s work, and reasoning in decisions of the Committee.