Chairperson and hon members, COP 17 could have been used more effectively as a rallying point to create awareness and educate South Africans about the dangers of climate change. We need to make sure that beyond the COP 17 our policies are adequately integrated to mitigate the effects of climate change.
The position of the developed countries on climate change is well documented. In this regard, this debate cannot be separated from the politics of the global economy which are characterised by duplicity and a lack of consensus on the modus operandi for the protection of intellectual property rights.
Given this lack of consensus among the stakeholders at the World Trade Organisation on trade policy issues, it is unlikely that there will be any international climate change policy agreements now and in the future. However, we wish our team success during the negotiations. Thank you.
The DEPUTY MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE, FORESTRY AND FISHERIES: Chairperson, South Africa's constructive role in the multilateral arena will be put to the test as the host of COP 17. Moreover, South Africa will have to succeed in playing a double role during COP 17. On the one hand there is the objective role of chairing this important event. On the other hand, there is the fact that we should use this event to highlight the impact of climate change, specifically on South Africa, but also on the African continent, which has been the hardest hit by climate change effects.
In Copenhagen South Africa made certain commitments. "Practise what you preach" is a well known saying. The COP 17 platform will provide South Africa with an opportunity to successfully showcase the implementation of its own green initiatives. We must be able to show our future plans to implement, nationally, appropriate mitigation actions, which must result in the reduction of emissions by 34% by 2020 and by 42% in 2025.
By vorige COP-byeenkomste was daar geen verwysing in die finale besluite na die rol van landbou nie, hetsy in die bevordering of die bekamping van klimaatverandering nie. As ek my ander hoed as Adjunkminister van Landbou opsit, is dit belangrik dat die byeenkoms in Suid-Afrika in sy finale besluit die landbou moet inkorporeer en daarmee saam die verskille tussen die ontwikkelende en ontwikkelde lande uitwys, en ook dan die verskil wys in terme van voedselsekerheid en ontwikkeling in hierdie gevalle. Ek dank u. (Translation of Afrikaans paragraph follows.)
[In the final resolutions at previous COP meetings no reference was made to the role of agriculture, neither in the promotion nor in the combating of climate change. Wearing my other hat, as Deputy Minister of Agriculture, it is important that the meeting in South Africa should, in its final resolution, incorporate agriculture and along with it refer to the differences between developing and developed countries, and also point to the difference in terms of food security and development in these cases. I thank you.]