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Article submitted by Riyad M. Mucadam, Ph.D. Senior Advisor, OEPPC/Off. of President, Republic of the Marshall Islands
The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Subsidiary Bodies of Science and of Implementation- conference (SB44) was held at the World Conference Center in Bonn from 10-26 May. The conference of 197 countries represented by over 1500 delegates and hundreds of representatives of numerous NGOs continued the important negotiations after the Paris Agreement reached at COP21 last year. The conference focused on the way forward in implementing the Paris Agreement through the Subsidiary body for Technical Advice and the Subsidiary body for Implementation and numerous technical subcommittees for mitigation, adaptation, technology and finance. Side-events continued to take place and focussed on elaborating on sharing the lessons learned throughout the world about the technical topics within the scope of work of these two main bodies. The Small Island Development States (SIDS) have emphasised the efforts to achieve the 1.5 degree target reduction and to garner support towards implementing the Loss and Damage provisions of the Paris Agreement.
Dr. Riyad M Mucadam, Senior Advisor Climate Change in Marshal Islands, made an intervention at one of the IPCC sessions. He talked about the divide between the North and the South in its representation in the IPCC work and sought greater inclusion of the authors and researchers of the South and of the vulnerable states’ so that the potential for biases was reduced in the new stocktaking post-Paris. It drew the attention of the Vice Chair of an IPCC Scientific Working Group and he was introduced to Ms. Christiana Figueres, the Executive Secretary of the UNFCCC. Dr. Riyad took the chance to thank her on behalf Marshall Islands and the Pacific SIDS for her work in supporting our cause during the Paris Agreement COP21. He gifted her a handicraft of the RMI- his neck tie, which Ms. Figueres was delighted to wear.
Ms. Christiana Figueres, the Executive Secretary of the UNFCCC and Dr Riyad M Mucadam, Senior Advisor Climate Change in Marshal Islands
