Before COP28… the failure of negotiations between the countries of the North and South on climate “losses and damages”.

Crucial meeting regarding “Losses and damages” Climate change before the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28) broke up on grounds of failure, as the countries of the North and South were unable to reach an agreement, according to identical sources in Agence France-Presse, Saturday, October 21.

An agreement in principle was reached last year at the twenty-seventh Conference of the Parties in Egypt on establishing a compensation fund “Losses and damages” Southern countries vulnerable to climate change. There remains much to be clarified before COP 28, which is scheduled to be held in Dubai from November 30 to December 12: its exact format, the countries that will benefit and the contributors – whom the West would like to include. China is among them.

The transitional committee to establish the fund met late Friday night in Aswan, southern Egypt, but delegates found themselves unable to reach an agreement and postponed a possible decision to another meeting, from November 3 to 5, in the United Arab Emirates, according to what he said. source. Broadcast discussions are available on the official UN YouTube account.

“The deep chasm”

Before its failure, discussions about where to establish the fund collapsed: the alternative was proposed within the World Bank, which was accused of being in the hands of the West, or in a new independent structure, demanded by a number of developing countries, but its establishment took a long time. And complicated to provide new money.

This failure “It clearly shows the deep gap between rich and poor countries.”Harjit Singh, a senior official at the NGO Climate Action Network, who attended the discussions, appreciated in a comment sent to AFP on Saturday morning.

“Developed countries must be held accountable for their shameful attempts to host the Fund at the World Bank, refuse to discuss the amount of financing and shirk their responsibilities.” He says that under the terms of international climate agreements already concluded.

Echoing this, an official from the NGO Union of Concerned Scientists declared: “Today’s disappointing result is a severe blow to residents (…) Experiencing a series of consequences caused by climate change. » “The United States and other rich countries appear more interested in evading or minimizing their responsibilities.”Rachel Cletus added in a press release issued by her organization.