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Africans Boycott Meetings At UN Climate Talks

By Michael von Bülow

03 November, 2009
AP

African countries boycotted meetings at UN climate talks Tuesday, saying that industrial countries had set carbon-cutting targets too low for reducing global greenhouse gas emissions.

The action forced several technical meetings to be canceled at this week's UN climate talks in Barcelona. Delegates warned that, unless the African protest was settled, it could set back the timetable for concluding a new climate change pact at a major UN conference next month in Copenhagen.

The 50 or so African countries said they would only discuss pledges submitted by wealthy countries, and that talks on other issues including carbon offsets and action by developing countries should not move forward until there is full commitment by industrial countries.

"I don't think we can get to a result in the way we're going now," said Algerian negotiator Kamel Djemouai, who chairs the Africa group. "We cannot prejudge what will happen next until we see the reactions of others."

It was the first time the Africans have taken such concerted action at the UN climate talks, but they have been coordinating their position over the past year to ensure unity in the final lead-up to the Copenhagen conference, said Antonio Hill, of Oxfam International.

The African walkout stymied only part of the talks, which operate in two parallel bodies. Negotiations on the overall shape of a deal in Copenhagen deal and financing for poor countries continued uninterrupted.

The larger group of more than 130 developing countries said it supported the African group's action, meant "to focus the mind" of the developed countries on the most important issue, according to Sudanese Ambassador Lumumba De-Aping. He also indicated that walking out was a tactic often used in the negotiating process, and did not necessarily spell doom for the talks.

Scientists say industrial countries should reduce emissions by 25 to 40 percent from 1990 levels by 2020, but targets announced so far amount to far less than the minimum.



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