At the COP18 venue, the Philippine representative choked up with emotion while speaking.

The Philippine representative wept at the venue. Below is the transcript of the statement:

Thank you all. I will now deliver a statement on behalf of my country. First of all, I fully support the statement made by Algeria on behalf of the G77 and China. I have the honor to speak on behalf of the 7,100 islands and 100 million people of the Republic of the Philippines. I also speak on behalf of the hundreds of people who died in the tragedy. Here I thank the Chair, the Vice-Chair and the workers in your organization, because your leadership has enabled us to make progress on important issues. I also want to thank the Secretary-General for supporting the work of the AWG-KP. I also want to thank all the representatives who contributed their efforts to achieving significant results at this Doha conference. I want to thank you and the groups you represent, including the representatives of Annex I countries, for always upholding a sincere attitude in supporting the Kyoto Protocol.

Let me take this opportunity to express my thanks to many parties: civil society organizations and individuals, our good friends and colleagues, and youth organizations, who, at this most difficult time for Filipinos, stood united and spoke out on behalf of our country. Here, I also extend special thanks to these youth organizations who stand with us and have deeply touched our hearts.

We are deeply anxious about our situation, to the point of pondering whether our efforts are sufficient; in responding to what other countries demand of us, are we acting on the principles of fairness and justice? Have we honored the commitments made in Durban? What we see is a half-full glass, or is it a half-empty glass? Or, on the whole, is it an empty glass?

Although the text before us has gradually taken shape amid a myriad of discussions, this text in fact also reflects the divergence of views among parties on many fronts; what is worth mentioning is that, regarding the situation before us, we still have no way to respond. Developing countries have put forward concrete proposals, and have painstakingly worked on many issues, including the Ambition Mechanism, the problem of excessively high carry-over of AAUs, eligibility, Provisional Application, emission reduction quantities, and so on, to reach consensus with other countries as much as possible; working to ensure that the second commitment period is substantive and meaningful, and to make the second commitment period consensus a turning point for all countries to become more active on climate issues.

We are likewise worried about how we make progress in the many negotiations, and more importantly, how we ensure that we have greater ambition in the second commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol, and ensure that the implementation methods devised for mitigating and adapting to climate change can strengthen global ambition. Our worries are also caused by those things happening elsewhere regarding implementation targets and methods, especially on finance, but also including adaptation strategies, technology, and carbon capacity building, these important issues.

Today is a very important moment. We are 25 days away from the second commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol. But in reality we do not really have 25 days. We have only a few precious hours left. We are at a critical juncture. The next few hours represent a decisive opportunity for us to ensure that we handle the climate crisis on the right track.

Here in Doha, the Kyoto Protocol is the key to success and also the cornerstone of ambition, if many countries participate. Simply put, we do not accept failure. We believe that an ambitious outcome of the Kyoto Protocol is already within reach. Under your wise leadership, as well as the efforts of the Vice-Chair and the staff, such success seems tantalizingly close. Unfortunately, with the end of the AWG, our goal seems to be getting farther and farther away.

My delegation has an important background, which is that we are already facing the severe impacts of climate change. Every hour we sit here, and in this moment of delay and hesitation, the death toll is also rising. This is a massive disaster with far-reaching impacts. Thousands upon thousands of people have been left homeless. As Typhoon Bopha approaches another densely populated area in the western Philippines, its powerful force means that the end of our suffering is still nowhere in sight. Madam Chair, we have never encountered a typhoon like Bopha, which has caused unprecedented havoc to the country in half a century. Such heartbreaking tragedy does not occur only in the Philippines; the whole world, especially developing countries still struggling to solve poverty and social development, also faces the same predicament.

Finally, Chair, I speak on behalf of 100 million Filipinos, 250,000 of whom work here in Qatar to make a living. I make an urgent appeal here, not as a negotiator, not as the head of our delegation, but as a Filipino.

I appeal to the whole world, I appeal to leaders from all over the world, to open our eyes and face the reality before us. Ministers, I beg you.

The outcome of our negotiations should not be what politicians want, but the needs of 7 billion people.

I beg everyone, please, no more delay, no more excuses. Please, let Doha be remembered by future generations because we began to establish policies that turn the situation around, and let the year 2012 be remembered because the world found courage and found the will to take on the responsibility for the future we want.

I ask everyone here: If not us, then who will do this? If not now, then when? If not here, then where?

Thank you, Chair.

Video link: If not us, who? If not now, when? If not here, where? If not justice, NOTHING!

 

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Original text:

Madam Chair,

Thank you for giving me the floor. I wish to make a statement on behalf of my own country.

At the onset, let me fully support the statement made by Algeria on behalf of G77 and China.

I have the honor to speak on behalf of the Republic of the Philippines, its 7,100 islands, and 100 million people. I also speak on behalf of the hundreds who have perished in the tragedy back home.

Let me thank you, Madame Chair, your Vice-Chair and your facilitators, for guiding us with the work that has resulted in progress on many of the key issues. I thank the secretariat as well for the support they have provided for our work in the AWG-KP. I wish to also thank Parties who have earnestly worked hard toward arriving at an ambitious successful outcome here in Doha. I do sincerely thank Parties and groups of Parties who have remained sincere, including those Annex I Parties who remain sincere in sustaining the KP regime.

Let me also take this opportunity to thank the many Parties, organizations from civil society, individuals, friends and colleagues, and youth organizations who have expressed solidarity for the Philippines in this very trying times for my country. I wish to specially thank the youth organizations who have profoundly touched our hearts for standing with us

We are deeply concerned about where we stand now. Have we done enough? Have we managed to give justice to what the world demands of us? Have we honored the package we got out of Durban? Do we see a glass half full? A glass half empty? Or an empty glass altogether?

While we have seen substantial progress in the development of the text we have in front of us, this text remains reflective of a wide divergence among Parties, especially still fraught with options that fail to respond to the realities that we face. Developing countries have put forward concrete proposals, and have painstakingly worked on arriving at a common ground on many issues, including the ambition mechanism, carry-over of surplus AAUs, eligibility, provisional application, and numbers, in the earnest endeavor to make the 2nd commitment period a meaningful one, a 2nd commitment period that can provide the crucial basis for further enhancing global ambition.

We are likewise worried in terms of how we move progress in the work under the various negotiating fronts, most importantly on how we ensure that we pursue high level of ambition for the second commitment period of KP, and ensure means of implementation to enhance global ambition, both for mitigation and adaptation.

We are worried, also because of the context of what is happening in other tracks in relation to ambition and means of implementation, especially on finance, but to include all the important issues of adaptation, technology, capacity building.

This day marks a very crucial moment. We are 25 days away from the end of the 1st CP of KP. But we don’t really have 25 days. We have a few precious hours left. We are at a critical juncture. The next few hours represent a crucial opportunity for us to ensure that we are on the right trajectory to address the climate crisis. KP is the linchpin of success here in Doha, and the cornerstone of ambition, if not the whole multilateral regime. Failure is simply not acceptable.

We have made ourselves believe that a successful ambitious outcome in KP is within reach. Under your able guidance, and with the hard work of your Vice-Chair and your facilitators, this may be in sight. However, as we close this AWG, ambition continues to elude us.

An important backdrop for my delegation is the profound impacts of climate change that we are already confronting. As we sit here, every single hour, even as we vacillate and procrastinate here, the death toll is rising. There is massive and widespread devastation. Hundreds of thousands of people have been rendered without homes. And the ordeal is far from over, as Typhoon Bopha has regained some strength as it approaches another populated area in the western part of the Philippines. Madam Chair, we have never had a typhoon like Bopha, which has wreaked havoc in a part of the country that has never seen a storm like this in half a century. And heartbreaking tragedies like this is not unique to the Philippines, because the whole world, especially developing countries struggling to address poverty and achieve social and human development, confront these same realities.

Finally, Madam Chair, I speak on behalf of 100 million Filipinos, a quarter of a million of whom are eking out a living working here in Qatar. And I am making an urgent appeal, not as a negotiator, not as a leader of my delegation, but as a Filipino.

I appeal to the whole world, I appeal to leaders from all over the world, to open our eyes to the stark reality that we face. I appeal to ministers.

The outcome of our work is not about what our political masters want. It is about what is demanded of us by 7 billion people.

I appeal to all, please, no more delays, no more excuses. Please, let Doha be remembered as the place where we found the political will to turn things around. Please, let 2012 be remembered as the year the world found the courage to find the will to take responsibility for the future we want.

I ask of all of us here, if not us, then who ? If not now, then when ? If not here, then where ?

Thank you Madam Chair

 

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