TWN Info Service on Climate Change (Dec11/04)
23 December 2011
Third World Network

Dear friends and colleagues,

We are pleased to inform you that South Centre in its latest Bulletin has included the following articles:

• Major Clash of Paradigms in the Durban Climate Talks
• The Rio-Plus-20 and Climate Change Processes: A Developing Country View
• The Complexities of Making Climate Policy and Positions in India: India’s Environment Minister
• Is China Still A Developing Country?

The whole bulletin is available at:

http://www.southcentre.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1665%3Asb58&catid=79%3Asouth-bulletin-reflections-and-foresights&Itemid=106&lang=en

With best wishes,

South Bulletin

20 December 2011

Published by the South Centre


DURBAN LAUNCHES A NEW ROUND OF CLIMATE TALKS

-- And the WTO Ministerial Conference is Marked by Both Calm and Divisions

This issue of the South Bulletin has two major main issues: The Durban Climate Conference, and the WTO's 8th Ministerial Conference, both held in December 2011. The Durban Conference has given rise to a new round of climate change negotiations, which will start in 2012 and is scheduled to end in 2015. This decision was made after intense negotiations lasting several days and during a dramatic night of plenary sessions marked by passionate speeches.

Though the decision was made to launch new talks leading to a legal protocol or "an agreed outcome with legal force", the terms of reference of the new round will be decided next year, when the differences among countries can be expected to continue.

At the WTO's Ministerial Conference in Geneva, there was (in contrast to Durban) a calm and relaxed atmosphere. But there were also many issues that divided the countries, mainly on North-South lines.

The South Bulletin provides preliminary analyses of these two major events.

We also provide the following articles:

• The South Centre's proposals on a stronger institutional framework for sustainable development
• Ten Years After the Doha Declaration on TRIPS and Public Health: A review of the situation
• Is China Still a Developing Country?
• The dilemmas and complexities of making Climate Policies and Positions in India

With best wishes,

Martin Khor
Executive Director, South Centre