South African president:Green Climate Fund progress vital at Durban talks

South Africa, host of the upcoming UN climate change negotiations in Durban, would like to see action on the Green Climate Fund, South Africa President Jacob Zuma said in Johannesburg on Monday. Addressing the Socialist International Commission for a Sustainable World Society, Zuma said the Green Climate Fund represents a centerpiece for a broader set of outcomes for Durban. The South African Press Association (SAPA) quoted Zuma as saying, "Developing countries demand a prompt start for the fund through its early and initial capitalization." The South African president warned that UN climate change negotiations are going to be difficult. "We go to Durban with no illusion at all that it will be a walk in the park," SAPA reported him as saying. Zuma said outcomes should be balanced, fair and credible. They should also preserve and strengthen the multilateral rules- based response to climate change. Zuma said the outcomes should be informed by the principles that had formed the basis of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change negotiations. "These principles include multilateralism, environmental integrity, fairn ... and the honoring of all international commitments and undertakings made in the climate change process." Referring to agreements reached at UN talks in Cancun, Mexico in 2010, Zuma said these also have to be "operationalized." However, for Durban to be successful, more needs to be done than just making the Cancun Agreements operational, he said. "We have no option but to deal with the outstanding political issues remaining from the Bali Roadmap," Zuma said. He explained that this means finding a resolution to the issue of the second commitment period under the Kyoto Protocol and agreeing on the legal nature of a future climate change system. Adaptation is an essential element of the outcome in Durban, he said. He added that adaptation is a key priority for many developing countries, particularly small island developing states and least developed countries and Africa. "The current fragmented approach to adaptation must be addressed in a more coherent manner and give equal priority to adaptation and mitigation." The South African president said much work remains to be done in preparation for the Durban conference. "Parties must be continuously encouraged to rise to the challenge and use the limited time they will have in Durban economically," Zuma said.