Warsaw international mechanism for loss and damage associated with climate change impacts

The Conference of the Parties,
Recalling the relevant provisions of the Convention,
Also recalling decisions 1/CP.16, 7/CP.17 and 3/CP.18,
Acknowledging the contribution of adaptation and risk management strategies
towards addressing loss and damage associated with climate change impacts,
Also acknowledging that loss and damage associated with the adverse effects of
climate change includes, and in some cases involves more than, that which can be reduced
by adaptation,
Recalling its decision to establish, at its nineteenth session, institutional
arrangements, such as an international mechanism, including functions and modalities, to
address loss and damage associated with the impacts of climate change in developing
countries that are particularly vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate change,

1. Establishes the Warsaw international mechanism for loss and damage, under the
Cancun Adaptation Framework, subject to review at the twenty-second session of the
Conference of the Parties (November¡VDecember 2016) pursuant to paragraph 15 below, to
address loss and damage associated with impacts of climate change, including extreme
events and slow onset events, in developing countries that are particularly vulnerable to the
adverse effects of climate change (hereinafter referred to as the Warsaw international
mechanism), and in line with the provisions contained in paragraphs 2ƒ{15 below;
2. Establishes an executive committee of the Warsaw international mechanism, which
shall function under the guidance of, and be accountable to, the Conference of the Parties,
to guide the implementation of functions referred to under paragraph 5 below;
3. Requests the executive committee to report annually to the Conference of the Parties
through the Subsidiary Body of Scientific Technological Advice and the Subsidiary Body
for Implementation and make recommendations, as appropriate;
4. Decides that, as an interim measure, the executive committee shall consist of two
representatives from each of the following bodies under the Convention; ensuring that there
is a balanced representation between developed and developing country Parties: the
Adaptation Committee, the Least Developed Countries Expert Group, the Standing
Committee on Finance, the Technology Executive Committee and the Consultative Group
of Experts on National Communications from Parties not included in Annex I to the
Convention;
5. Further decides that the Warsaw international mechanism shall fulfil the role under
the Convention of promoting the implementation of approaches to address loss and damage
associated with the adverse effects of climate change, pursuant to decision 3/CP.18, in a
comprehensive, integrated and coherent manner by undertaking, inter alia, the following
functions:
1 Decision 3/CP.18, paragraph 9.
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(a) Enhancing knowledge and understanding of comprehensive risk management
approaches to address loss and damage associated with the adverse effects of climate
change, including slow onset impacts, by facilitating and promoting:
(i) Action to address gaps in the understanding of and expertise in approaches to
address loss and damage associated with the adverse effects of climate change,
including, inter alia, the areas outlined in decision 3/CP.18, paragraph 7(a);
(ii) Collection, sharing, management and use of relevant data and information,
including gender-disaggregated data;
(iii) Provision of overviews of best practices, challenges, experiences and lessons
learned in undertaking approaches to address loss and damage;
(b) Strengthening dialogue, coordination, coherence and synergies among
relevant stakeholders by:
(i) Providing leadership and coordination and, as and where appropriate,
oversight under the Convention, on the assessment and implementation of
approaches to address loss and damage associated with the impacts of climate
change from extreme events and slow onset events associated with the adverse
effects of climate change;
(ii) Fostering dialogue, coordination, coherence and synergies among all relevant
stakeholders, institutions, bodies, processes and initiatives outside the Convention,
with a view to promoting cooperation and collaboration across relevant work and
activities at all levels;2
(c) Enhancing action and support, including finance, technology and capacitybuilding,
to address loss and damage associated with the adverse effects of climate change,
so as to enable countries to undertake actions pursuant to decision 3/CP.18, paragraph 6,
including by:
(i) Provision of technical support and guidance on approaches to address loss
and damage associated with climate change impacts, including extreme events and
slow onset events;
(ii) Provision of information and recommendations for consideration by the
Conference of the Parties when providing guidance relevant to reducing the risks of
loss and damage, where necessary, addressing loss and damage, including to the
operating entities of the financial mechanism of the Convention, as appropriate;
(iii) Facilitating the mobilization and securing of expertise, and enhancement of
support, including finance, technology and capacity-building, to strengthen existing
approaches and, where necessary, facilitate the development and implementation of
additional approaches to address loss and damage associated with climate change
impacts, including extreme weather events and slow onset events;
6. Decides that the Warsaw international mechanism should complement, draw upon
the work of and involve, as appropriate, existing bodies and expert groups under the
Convention as well as on that of relevant organizations and expert bodies outside the
Convention, at all levels;
7. Also decides that, in exercising the functions outlined in paragraph 5 above, the
Warsaw international mechanism will, inter alia:
(a) Facilitate support of actions to address loss and damage;
(b) Improve coordination of the relevant work of existing bodies under the
Convention;
2 All levels refer to national, regional and international levels.
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(c) Convene meetings of relevant experts and stakeholders;
(d) Promote the development of, and compile, analyse, synthesize and review
information;
(e) Provide technical guidance and support;
(f) Make recommendations, as appropriate, on how to enhance engagement,
actions and coherence under and outside the Convention, including on how to mobilize
resources and expertise at different levels;
8. Invites the Executive Secretary, in consultation with the President of the Conference
of the Parties, to convene the initial meeting of the executive committee by March 2014, the
meetings of which will be open to observers, and invite representatives of relevant
international and regional organizations having the necessary skills in approaches to
addressing loss and damage associated with the adverse effects of climate change, including
extreme weather events and slow onset events;
9. Requests the executive committee to develop its initial two-year workplan for the
implementation of the functions outlined in paragraph 5 above, including the scheduling of
meetings, taking into account the issues outlined in decision 3/CP.18, paragraphs 6 and 7,
for consideration at the forty-first sessions of the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and
Technological Advice and the Subsidiary Body for Implementation (December 2014);
10. Requests the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice and the
Subsidiary Body for Implementation to consider the composition of, and procedures for, the
executive committee, and to make recommendations thereon for adoption by the
Conference of the Parties at its twentieth session (December 2014), with a view to
finalizing the organization and governance of the executive committee;
11. Invites relevant international and regional organizations, institutions and processes
to integrate, where appropriate, measures to address the impacts of climate change and to
explore and strengthen synergies in the context of addressing loss and damage associated
with the adverse impacts of climate change, especially in particularly vulnerable developing
countries;
12. Also invites Parties to work through the United Nations and other relevant
institutions, specialized agencies and processes, as appropriate, to promote coherence at all
levels in approaches relevant to addressing loss and damage associated with the adverse
effects of climate change, including extreme events and slow onset events;
13. Further invites Parties to strengthen and, where appropriate, develop institutions and
networks at the regional and national levels, especially in particularly vulnerable
developing countries, to enhance the implementation of relevant approaches to addressing
loss and damage in a manner that is country-driven, encourages cooperation and
coordination between relevant stakeholders and improves the flow of information;
14. Requests developed country Parties to provide developing country Parties with
finance, technology and capacity-building, in accordance with decision 1/CP.16 and other
relevant decisions of the Conference of the Parties;
15. Decides to review the Warsaw international mechanism, including its structure,
mandate and effectiveness, at the twenty-second session of the Conference of the Parties,
with a view to adopting an appropriate decision on the outcome of this review;
16. Takes note of the budgetary implications of the activities to be undertaken by the
secretariat pursuant to the provisions contained in this decision;
17. Request that the actions of the secretariat called for in this decision be undertaken
subject to the availability of financial resources.