November 6, 2017 (All day) to November 17, 2017 (All day)
Platz der Vereinten Nationen 1
53113 Bonn
Germany
The 23rd session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 23) to the UN Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) will be organized by Fiji and hosted at the headquarters of the UNFCCC Secretariat in Bonn, Germany.
The secretariat, as host of the Conference, is working very closely with the Government of Germany, the State of North-Rhine Westphalia and the City of Bonn to make all the necessary arrangements.
The city of Bonn. Photo Credits: UNFCCC
COP23 Information Hub Overview
At the UN Climate Change Conference this year, nations of the world will meet to advance the aims and ambitions of the Paris Agreement and achieve progress on its implementation guidelines.
On 27 July 2017, the UNFCCC Executive Secretary Patricia Espinosa briefed embassies in Berlin about COP23 underlining the importance of cooperation in the preparations for the conference. “Cooperation makes COP23 possible. It also raises awareness of the vulnerability of islands and all nations. And it opens the door to even more collaboration and support – for resilient communities and for the transition to growth powered by clean energy”, she said at the event. The presentation and remarks are available here.
One Conference, Two Zones
The COP23 is being organized following an innovative concept of “one conference, two zones”. During the two weeks of the conference, a vast area of the city of Bonn will become the Climate Campus that will be organized in two zones: the “Bula Zone” and the “Bonn Zone”. This approach focuses on a close integration of the zones to ensure that negotiations, events and exhibits are integrated into one conference.
The Bula Zone, where talks between governments will take place, will be composed of the World Conference Center Bonn, UN Campus and an extended area behind the Deutsche Welle building in Bonn. The word Bula originates from the Fijian culture and means hello as well as a blessing of health and happiness.
The Bula Zone will be open from Monday, 6 November until Friday, 17 November 2017, except Sunday, 12 November. Opening hours will be from 8 am to 11 pm. Offices for delegations will be accessible 24 hours, with reduced services on Sunday, 12 November, as well as during night times.
The Bonn Zone, which will be located in Bonn’s Rheinaue Park area, will accommodate events showcasing climate action, including high-level events, side events and exhibits organized by both UNFCCC and the Government of Germany. It will also include some media activities as well as events in the delegation pavilions.
The Bonn Zone will be open from Monday, 6 November until Friday, 17 November 2017, including Sunday, 12 November, from 8 am to 10 pm.
Whether you will be in Bonn in November or following the conference virtually, the UNFCCC's COP23 Conference Information Hub gives you a quick access point to find out how to participate or follow the negotiations and how to navigate through the many pieces of information and news that are available.
The Info Hub will be updated regularly with new information as it becomes available.
(It should be considered indicative and will be updated with new information as it becomes available)
COP23 Logo
The Fijian Presidency’s COP23 logo captures the vulnerability to climate change of a small island developing state like Fiji. The island is partially submerged and a huge wave is bearing down on it. The wave is also in the form of a cyclone, with the eye in the middle. In light of Fiji’s experience with Cyclone Winston in 2016 that caused so much heartbreak, this is a very stark and effective message to take to the world.
Rising sea levels affect everyone, including and especially Pacific islanders! We are looking forward to making our voices heard at #COP23 pic.twitter.com/XGCqeeqCw3
— COP23 (@COP23) July 3, 2017
Negotiation Agenda
At COP23 Governments are meeting to advance the implementation of the Paris Agreement. The focus is on the development of guidelines on how the Paris Agreement’s provisions will be implemented across a wide range of issues including transparency, adaptation, emission reductions, provision of finance, capacity-building and technology. The aim is make progress in all these areas so that the guidelines can be completed by COP24 in Poland in 2018.
Photo by: IISD/ENB | Kiara Worth
This work is advanced through sessions of the following bodies:
The thirteenth session of the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol (CMP 13) The second part of the first session of the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Paris Agreement (CMA 1.2) The forty-seventh session of the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice (SBSTA 47) The fourth part of the first session of the Ad hoc Working Group on the Paris Agreement (APA 1.4)The COP, the CMP and the CMA are the supreme decision-making bodies for the Convention, the Kyoto Protocol and the Paris Agreement respectively.
The SBSTA supports the work of the supreme bodies by providing timely information and advice on scientific and technological matters as they relate to the Convention, the Kyoto Protocol and the Paris Agreement, while the SBI supports the supreme bodies through the assessment and review of the effective implementation of the Convention, the Kyoto Protocol and the Paris Agreement.
The APA was established by the COP in 2015 to prepare for the entry into force of the Paris Agreement and for the convening of the first session of the CMA. While the Paris Agreement has already entered into force, the APA continues to work towards completing the work programme under the Paris Agreement which was agreed together with the adoption of the Agreement in 2015. The outcomes of this work should be ready for consideration at the third part of CMA 1 in 2018. The SBSTA and the SBI also have tasks to complete under the Paris Agreement work programme.
For an overview of submissions made by Parties under any of these bodies, please refer to the secretariat’s submission portal.
For an overview schedule of the two weeks of the Conference, please see here.
Events and Exhibitions
COP 23 will host many events and exhibits by Parties (governments), non-Party stakeholders and the UNFCCC secretariat. These events and exhibitions will take place in the “Bonn Zone”, making it a major hub for showcasing climate action, knowledge-sharing, capacity-building and networking.
The Bonn Zone will be open from Monday, 6 November until Friday, 17 November 2017, including Sunday, 12 November, from 8 am to 10 pm. For more information on the two zones, see here.
Photo Credits: Kaia Rose/Connect4Climate
Events
As at past climate change conferences, there will be a wide array of events. These will include:
Special events and high-level events by the COP Presidency and the UNFCCC secretariat A large number of side events on climate-related issues offered by governments, non-governmental organizations, the UNFCCC secretariat and UN organizations Media events Cultural and other events organized outside the official conference venue More information on these events and related schedules will be made available as soon as these become available.Exhibitions
Exhibitions in the Bonn Zone will be housed in pavilions, which can be rented by Parties and admitted observer organizations on a commercial basis, as well as exhibit spaces distributed throughout the zone.
Questions may be sent to the COP 23 Commercial Services Team via email at mail@cop23-service.de.
Learn more about any related detail regarding events and exhibitions and how to apply at the UNFCCC's page.
Call for Volunteers
The United Nations Volunteers (UNV), in partnership with the secretariat of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, the Kyoto Protocol and the Paris Agreement (UNFCCC), is accepting applications for volunteers in the organization and facilitation of COP23 from 6-17 November in Bonn, Germany.
UNV will be accepting more than 650 volunteers to support a wide range of operational task throughout the event, including working with the City of Bonn to guide visitors, supporting the conference within both the Bula and Bonn zones, working on sustainability and green projects, among many other responsibilities.
Volunteer requirements can be found below:
Age: Candidates should be at least 18 years of age.
Educational background: Candidates with an academic or professional background related to sustainable development, international relations, law, business or public administration, environmental studies, social sciences or other specialised fields are especially encouraged to apply.
Language skills: Working knowledge of English is required. Working knowledge of another official United Nations language is an advantage. Working knowledge of German is an asset.
Professional knowledge and job-related skills: Candidates should have a demonstrated ability to work well as part of a team. They should also demonstrate tact and good judgement. Previous volunteering experience is an asset.
Special efforts will be made to ensure the inclusion of vulnerable groups, including refugees, people from least developed countries and small island developing States, and persons with disabilities. Preference will be given to those available for all event dates. However, applications will also be accepted from those with limited availability.
Please note that visa assistance (including letters of support) will not be provided. Volunteers must ensure their own legal status in-country. Furthermore, volunteers must secure their own travel and accommodation, and cover all living expenses.
Registration is now closed.
More information about this United Nations Volunteers (UNV) initiative
About the UNFCCC
With 197 Parties, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) has near universal membership and is the parent treaty of the 2015 Paris Climate Change Agreement. The main aim of the Paris Agreement is to keep a global average temperature rise this century well below 2 degrees Celsius and to drive efforts to limit the temperature increase even further to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.
The UNFCCC is also the parent treaty of the 1997 Kyoto Protocol. The ultimate objective of all agreements under the UNFCCC is to stabilize greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that will prevent dangerous human interference with the climate system, in a time frame which allows ecosystems to adapt naturally and enables sustainable development.
Banner Photo Credits: UNFCCC
