Assessment of ProgressPaula Dobriansky, Under Secretary for Global Affairs and Head of U.S. Delegation to COP-9Remarks at the roundtable discussion on Assessment of Progress at the National, Regional and International Levels to Fulfill the Promise and Objective Enshrined in the Climate Change Agreements, Including the Scientific, Information, Policy and Financial Aspects Milan, Italy December 11, 2003 Ninth Session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, December 1-12, 2003
Experiences in addressing climate change offer a number of useful insights about international cooperation.
These insights are reflected in discussions under the Framework Convention and elsewhere.
Since Delhi, discussions under the Convention have emphasized the link between climate change and sustainable development.
This reflects an important reality. As countries implement climate actions, they are increasingly focusing on the importance of integrating these actions with those designed to achieve other important objectives, such as economic growth and energy security.
We are recognizing that we need to increase our commitment to investing in technologies necessary to meet the objective of the Convention.
We also find that countries are also experimenting with many types of international cooperation that can complement Framework Convention activities as we pursue effective solutions to specific goals.
International technology partnerships are an example of cooperation that is tailored to meet technology goals, such as the transition to the hydrogen economy.
Similarly, international scientific partnerships, like the ten-year effort to achieve a comprehensive, coordinated and sustained Earth observation system through the Ad Hoc Group on Earth Observations, will be key to assuring that we can effectively monitor the climate over time.
We welcome the increased focus on adaptation in the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change.
Evolving discussions increasingly show that the key to successful adaptation lies in integrating climate change considerations into development planning. Future international efforts need to reflect this insight.
Finally, it is useful to consider that many countries are now embarking on different national approaches, and these activities will provide further lessons for the international community over time.
To promote the objectives of the Framework Convention, we should consider practical approaches that recognize differences in countries’ perspectives and national conditions.
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