UN Climate Change News, 26 June 2020 - The committee that operates the mechanism to facilitate implementation of and promote compliance with the provisions of the Paris Agreement, established under its article 15, has laid the groundwork to deliver its mandate.

The Paris Agreement Implementation and Compliance Committee (PAICC) held its first meeting from 2 to 5 June 2020. It deliberated on the work it would need to do before the third session of the Conference of the Parties serving at the meeting of the Parties to the Paris Agreement (CMA) to develop the draft rules of procedure of the committee and in relation to substantive issues. The meeting was a groundbreaking one because it is the first time that the first meeting of a UN Climate Change constituted body is held entirely virtually.

“The fact that the committee that operates the mechanism for facilitating implementation and promoting compliance has met for the first time is an important step towards recognizing the need for Parties to address the impacts of climate change. It helps Parties by not only helping them to meet their individual commitments under the Paris Agreement, but also by helping Parties to facilitate their collective progress towards its overall goals,” said Ms. Patricia Espinosa, Executive Secretary of UN Climate Change at the opening. She added:

The Paris Agreement Implementation and Compliance Committee is also important because it builds trust. This trust ensures that each Party honors its commitments to fight climate change in accordance with the Paris Agreement. And this, in turn, helps boost the climate ambition of Parties which is what we need in 2020 and well into the future. 

At the start of its first meeting, the committee elected Mr. Haseeb Gohar from Pakistan and Ms. Christina Voigt from Norway to be the first Co-Chairs of the committee and to serve until the end of their respective terms.

The committee is a crucial building block of the Paris Agreement architecture. It is carefully designed to enhance the effectiveness of the Agreement and the proper functioning of it and to enhance trust and confidence among Parties that should enable them to comply with and to implement the Agreement.

“It took seven years from the very early idea of compliance in 2013 to get to where we are today at this meeting - via the anchoring of a compliance element in the Geneva negotiation text in 2015, to the amazing success of establishing the compliance mechanism and the committee under Article 15 of the Paris Agreement, to adopting the committee’s modalities and procedures in Katowice in 2018, to electing its first members and alternate members last year in Madrid and now to this first meeting today,” said Co-Chair Ms. Voigt.

“This is the first time the committee becomes alive. It has been like a 7-year metamorphosis, from an idea to a text, to the people to do the job, and this is why this is also a historic moment,” she added.

The committee deliberated on the short-term and long-term aspects of its work that are needed to facilitate implementation of and promote compliance with the provisions of the Paris Agreement.

“Approval of the full rules of procedures of the committee remains the most essential and urgent element that the committee has yet to approve,” said Co-Chair Mr. Gohar.

 “At the same time, we should not lose sight of the long-term objectives of the committee and encourage colleagues to consider this element in their future deliberations,” he added.

The committee worked on agreeing on interim organizational arrangements to guide its work pending the development of the full set of draft rules of procedure, with the aim of adopting these arrangements at the start of its second meeting, which is currently planned for October 2020. The committee also adopted its report of the meeting and agreed on inter-meetings work. 

About the Paris Agreement Implementation and Compliance Committee

The committee is expert-based and facilitative in nature and functions in a manner that is transparent, non-adversarial and non-punitive. The committee pays particular attention to the respective national capabilities and circumstances of Parties. In carrying out its work, the committee strives to avoid duplication of effort, neither functions as an enforcement or dispute settlement mechanism, nor imposes penalties or sanctions, and respects national sovereignty. It consists of 12 members and 12 alternate members with recognized expertise in relevant scientific, technical, socio-economic or legal disciplines and are elected by the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Paris Agreement (CMA). Members and alternate members of the committee serve in their individual expert capacity, although they are nominated by their regional groups and constituencies. Unless otherwise decided, the committee meets at least twice a year, holding its meetings in conjunction with sessions of the subsidiary bodies serving the Paris Agreement, as appropriate. The committee reports annually to the CMA.