BASIC 2 LST

Asked whether the Copenhagen Accord would become a
legally binding treaty at a later date, India's Environment
Minister Jairam Ramesh said "it has no hope of doing so".

"We support the Copenhagen Accord. But all of us were
unanimously of the view that its value lies not as a
standalone document but as an input into the two-track
negotiation process under UNFCCC," he said.
"It is not a legal document. It is a political agreement,
a political statement. In conclusion, the understanding
reached at Copenhagen was that the accord will facilitate two
track negotiating process which is the only legitimate process
to reach to a legally binding treaty in Mexico," he said.
Ramesh said the rich nations should demonstrate their
seriousness on the climate issue by giving 10 billion dollars
to the Least Developed Countries (LDC) and small island states
as promised at Copenhagen.
Asked about reports that the UN had decided to extend the
deadline to declare voluntary mitigation actions, South
African Minister for Water and Environmental Affairs Buyelwa
Sonjica said the BASIC countries would stick to the January 31
deadline.
"We feel obligated that we must commit what we ourselves
were part of. That's a leadership obligation, even if the UN
has decided to extend the deadline," she said. PTI AJ
MYR


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