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 vositha3The role and importance of NAPs in the negotiating text on the table for Paris is a cause for concern to Vositha Wijenayake – the Southern Voices regional facilitator for Asia.

So she has prepared an analysis of the draft text on national adaptation for COP21 compared to decisions from Cancun and Lima with a focus on national adaptation plans (NAPs).

The decisions on adaptation at COP16 – the so-called Cancun Adaptation Framework (CAF) has been the basis for action by member countries on NAPs and other key issues.

When analyzing the draft negotiating text, Vositha finds that the references to NAPs seem minute, and often NAPs are mentioned only as one option along other adaptation actions. This, she finds, “does not reflect the amount of time invested in the five years since Cancun to ensure that the formulation, and more importantly the implementation, of NAPs would be a key element in the progress of adaptation actions in countries.”

Selective amnesia

Concerning finance for the NAPs “the text conspicuously lacks a mandate for international support to be provided by the UNFCCC’s financial mechanism. Rather, it refers to bilateral support which is neither accountable to the COP nor of which additionality is fully traceable by the Parties.”

Comparing the draft Paris text to decisions in Cancun and Lima, Vositha finds that “the negotiating process seems to be developing selective amnesia where previous gains on adaptation planning and implementation are concerned and is, accordingly, starting the same discussion from scratch, yet ironically with less aspiration than what had already been previously accomplished”. 

Vositha’s recommendations for Parties and negotiators are to ensure that:

  • NAPs are a key element of the adaptation planning and processes of countries,
  • All developing country Parties  (and not only the LDCs and SIDS) must be supported, specifically by the financial mechanism of the convention(while acknowledging that LDCs and SIDs must be financed, the emphasis being that finance needs to extent to developing countries not only being limited to LDCs and SIDS,)
  • the support covers not only formulation of NAPs, but also to implement them in a country driven manner which prioritises the developmental needs as well as increasing the resilience of communities of those countries.

If these conditions are not met, the work on NAPs and adaptation will be moving 5 years behind, as opposed to moving to solve the global needs for adaptation through the Paris Agreement.

Please read the full detailed analysis of the draft negotiating text for Paris.

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