ECO congratulates the Adaptation Committee (AC) members for their selection and welcomes them to Bangkok, where the first AC meeting will take place. The AC has been mandated with the very important task of promoting the implementation of enhanced action on adaptation in a coherent manner, and supporting the COP in taking appropriate decisions on adaptation. ECO would like to encourage all members of the AC, both from developed and developing countries, to work as ONE TEAM and with a true spirit of collaboration and cooperation.
In its first meeting, the AC’s members will focus on developing its three year work plan and its modalities. ECO requests that the Adaptation Committee include the following priority issues. The AC should:
– consider the linkages and stimulate coherence among the various adaptation institutions within the UNFCCC, including the Standing Committee and Green Climate Fund
– develop an overview, identify gaps and establish/strengthen regional centres and networks to address those gaps
– facilitate discussion among Parties to explore ways to effectively address regional, cross-border and common sub-regional adaptation issues through promoting ecosystem- and community-based approaches.
Other issues to be to reflected upon include the guidelines and modalities for the National Adaptation Planning (NAP) process for non-LDC countries and national institutional arrangements for adaptation.
Outreach to the wider community and public is an important part of the AC’s job description. Organizing a biannual adaptation conference with diverse stakeholders to create a platform for sharing new knowledge, practices and experiences could be explored. Most importantly, the AC will have to elaborate its linkages with ongoing external processes, like the development of a new Disaster Risk Reduction Framework, SDGs and MDGs – all of which have an equal 3 year timeline and will be relevant to further elevate the adaptation agenda around the world.
Lastly, ECO offers its full support to the Adaptation Committee and wishes its members all the best for this exciting work!