Observers called for transparency and inclusion to be maintained at talks in Bonn, provisionally planned for October, when physical distancing measures could apply Negotiators huddle during UN climate talks in Madrid, Spain, in December last year (Photo: IISD/ENB - Kiara Worth) Participation in preparatory UN climate talks scheduled for October will likely be restricted to prevent coronavirus transmission, top diplomats presiding over the process have said. Observers to the climate talks said full transparency and broad stakeholder participation in the talks remained “crucial” as negotiators thrash out the last unresolved issues under the Paris Agreement rulebook. The event which happens every year in Bonn, Germany, ahead of the annual UN climate summit, is usually attended by 2,000 to 3,000 negotiators, government officials, observers, campaigners and journalists from all over the world. In light of the global Covid-19 pandemic, the meeting is likely to be significantly scaled down, with a cap on the number of people allowed inside the conference venue. This would allow for delegates to be seated further apart, to reduce the risk of spreading infection. “Nobody can know at this stage what measures will be in place in October,” said Tosi Mpanu-Mpanu, a climate diplomat from the Democratic Republic of Congo who presides over UN Climate Change’s scientific negotiations, during an online event. “But we need to keep the venue for core negotiations,” he said, advising that some social distancing measures would be put in place. Such measures are likely to impact observers who are not directly involved in the negotiations. A UN Climate Change spokesman did not respond to Climate Home News’ question about what arrangements might be made for the media. He said the design of the October meeting “will depend on the rules and regulations that will be in place at that time” and that... |