Rasmussen's Proposal Faces Strong Opposition from Developing Countries

Meanwhile, differences loom at the Copenhagen climate conference after the Danish presidency put forward a new draft text on Wednesday that was not circulated to all parties for input. Our reporter Wang Ling has more.

Danish Prime Minister Lars Loekke Rasmussen took over the presidency of the U.N. climate change summit on Wednesday morning from Danish minister Connie Hedegaard. Rasmussen had a rocky start to his reign, with the announcing of a new draft text to be presented to the high level meetings in order to move the negotiations forward, that was, however, not circulated to and consulted with all parties at the conference.

"Whatever we must decide to put on the table is to get things moving; because people around the world are actually expecting something from us. (Something) will be papers which fully respect the outcome of the negotiations among the parties."

Rasmussen's announcement immediately aroused angst from developing nations since the conference had reached consensus that the high-level session shall refer to the drafts by two major working groups of the conference as the only legitimate basis for discussions. Representative from Brazil demanded the presidency to make sure the discussions be based on the drafts by the entitled working groups.

"I have just indicated one question that is to have an assurance that basis of the negotiation on the AWGLCA is the negotiated text. It is not true that the negotiators do not have a text. The negotiators have negotiated until early this morning and there is a text. So what I'm seeking regarding this is that whenever we re-convene and whenever we take up issues of the LCA, this text will be the basis."

Chinese chief negotiator, Su Wei, warned that "some parties intend to kill the Kyoto Protocol and endanger international cooperation".

"The move by some parties by putting forward the text from the presidency without fully consulting with the parties, that is a real issue. That would obstruct the progress. I think we have made very good progress in the two working groups under the Kyoto Protocol and the Convention. We had the hope that we could work on that solely legitimate basis. But unfortunately the presidency put forward something from the sky. Against the background that some parties intend to kill the Kyoto Protocol that actually will endanger international cooperation. "

Representatives from developing nations were disappointed by the presidency's move, stressing that negotiators had worked through the night only to feel slighted in the morning by the emergence of the text that was developed without full participation of the parties.

Nafie Ali Nafie, head of the Sudanese delegation, who speaks on behalf of G77 and China at the talks, said the outcome from Copenhagen must reflect the shared vision of developing countries.

"We still keep the hope that we could reach a balanced outcome of all the elements of the Bali Action Plan for this COP. And we continue to engage constructive negotiations. Developing countries have the most to lose if at this session if there is no concrete result of our discussions; particularly if the Kyoto Protocol is undermined. The G77 and China consider our shared vision, a sense based on founded principles and provisions of the convention, in particular, the principle of equality and common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities. Our shared vision must reflect the historical and current responsibilities of developed countries. "

The arguments ended with Rasmussen making it clear that "procedures will continue based on reports of the two working groups to move things forward."

Wang Ling CRI news.