Media Alert: SAIIA at the 17th Conference of the Parties (COP 17) in Durban

Please be advised that the South African Institute of International Affairs has official observer status at the 17th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) that commences on Monday 28 November and ends on 9 December 2011. A number of SAIIA researchers will be following proceedings and will be available for media interviews.

SAIIA Programmes at COP 17

The Governance of Africa's Resources Programme (GARP) produces research on a number of countries in Africa and aims to improve the governance of natural resources on the continent, primarily in the oil and mining extractive industries, and renewable resources such as forestry and fisheries. During COP 17, the GARP team will participate in a number of side events on issues such as: barriers to adaptation policy implementation in sub-Saharan Africa; REDD+ and governance in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC); African fisheries and the politics of climate change in Africa. The programme focuses on the politics of climate change negotiations and their implications in and for Africa, including research at the UNFCCC on ways of integrating climate change and development. This work includes analysis of the negotiating positions of South Africa and the region, as well as looking at developing country alliances (such as IBSA) and co-operation on climate related issues.

Read COP 17: Will Durban advance the Climate Change Agenda? By Romy Chevallier

Available commentators: Romy Chevallier, Mari-Lise du Preez and Alex Benkenstein

The Economic Diplomacy Programme (EDIP) focuses on Africa's position in the global economy at a regional, continental and multilateral level. The programme is based on the view that trade and investment policies are critical for addressing the development challenges of Africa and achieving sustainable economic growth for the region. EDIP has pioneered work on two seemingly different but inter-connected areas: climate change and trade. Through its work on international trade, EDIP has the insights into the similarities and complexities of the COP meetings and the Doha Development Round at the WTO and how these two are inextricably linked. Flowing from this work, SAIIA launched a book in 2010 called Climate Change and Trade: The Challenges for Southern Africa. The book addresses the global and multilateral dynamics of negotiating a climate change deal and how this relates to the WTO. It also illustrates the impact and reality of a changing climate by focusing on country specific case studies such as Botswana, Mozambique, South Africa and Zambia.

Available commentators: Sheila Kiratu and Peter Draper

SAIIA's Youth Development Programme, also called Youth@SAIIA, is an outreach programme that aims to raise awareness among young South Africans of the global climate change debate and its effect on developing countries, especially middle income countries like South Africa. It encourages learners to constructively debate and investigate environmentally related issues at a local, national and global level. The Environmental Sustainability Project (ESP) forms part of this programme and encourages young people to understand that environmental issues go beyond littering or not turning off lights. Air and water pollution, deforestation, and food security are global concerns and many of these issues often affect people more directly in the developing world. This year's ESP is themed 'Road to COP 17' and during the Durban meeting, 18 high school students will hold their own simulated climate change negotiations. The negotiations, to be held on 28 November, will culminate in the presentation of learner research findings and the handover of a South African Durban Youth Protocol to take place the next day on 29 November, at an official UNFCCC COP17 event.

Available commentators: Desiree Kosciulek and 18 high school learners.

Event Details:

SAIIA Youth Climate Negotiations
Date: 28 November 2011
Venue: Umngeni Room, Climate Change Response Expo (CCR)
Time: 09h00 – 15h15

South African Durban Youth Protocol Handover
Date: 29 November 2011
Venue: Levubu River Room, Durban Exhibition Centre (DEC), UNFCCC Side Events Rooms
Time: 15h00 – 16h30

Please contact SAIIA's Communications Manager Chevon Erasmus Porter on +27 82 820 8036 to arrange for interviews with SAIIA programme staff.

Issued by the South African Institute of International Affairs