Date: 09/12/2011

Source: The Department of International Relations and Cooperation

Title: SA: Nkoana-Mashabane: Address by the Minister of International Relations and Cooepration, at a COP17 press conference, Durban

· Today is officially the last day of COP17/CMP7. We are counting down the hours before the Conference comes to an end; and we know the world out there is waiting with anticipation for the outcomes of this Conference.

· With the very limited time at our disposal, work continued through Thursday night and will continue throughout the course of today to ensure that we achieve the best possible outcome.

· The Parties are engaging genuinely and working very hard to ensure that agreement is reached on the matters before the Conference. Parties are looking at convergences, guided by trust and a spirit of give-and-take.

· At the moment, there are various options that the Parties are considering in relation to (1) the issue of the Second Commitment Period of the Kyoto Protocol and future process as well as (2) long-term finance with specific reference to the operationalisation of the Green Climate Fund. Parties are expressing the hope that the Green Climate Fund can be launched here in Durban.

· The various groups, including the Association of Small Island States (OASIS), the Least Developed Countries (LDCs), the European Union (EU) and the Africa Group are moving towards common ground on various aspects of the negotiations. Other parties are coming on board.

· Despite these positive sentiments, we are still not there yet. We have limited time within which to conclude the negotiations. We remain hopeful that we can make further progress within this limited period.

· Consultations are on-going regarding both the Technology Mechanism and the Adaptation Framework aimed at promoting climate-friendly and adaptation-related technologies.

The negotiations are continuing within the UNFCCC Party-driven principle, which is based on transparency and inclusiveness, with the focus on addressing both the now and future aspects of Climate Change