Loss and damage must remain a central priority in Bangladesh’s climate advocacy ahead of the 31st UN Climate Change Conference (COP31), with stronger mechanisms needed to ensure climate fi nance reaches vulnerable countries and affected communities, civil society representatives said.
The call was made at a coordination and planning meeting of the Climate Justice Forum held at a city hotel on Thursday.
Chaired and moderated by Dr Kazi Maruful Islam, Chair of the Climate Justice Forum National Committee, the meeting brought together Forum members, civil society representatives, climate experts and development practitioners to review recent developments in global climate negotiations and identify priorities for Bangladesh’s civil society ahead of COP31.
Forum Member Secretary Roufa Khanum presented an overview of the Forum’s recent activities, highlighting its growing engagement at national and sub-national levels and efforts to strengthen coordination and collective advocacy on climate justice.
Md Salah Uddin, Team Lead-Knowledge Management at AOSED, delivered a keynote presentation titled ‘SB64 Highlights, Key Negotiation Outcomes and Major Areas of Disagreement among Parties Leading towards COP31.’ The presentation reviewed major developments from the SB64 climate negotiations in Bonn, areas of continuing disagreement among Parties and their potential implications for negotiations at COP31.
In addition, the Forum intends to present its climate risk architecture at relevant discussions and engagements during COP31, strengthening efforts to ensure that the concerns and priorities of vulnerable communities are refl ected in global climate decision-making.