WORLD TRADE WT/CTE/W/61
16September 1997
ORGANIZATION(97-3690)
Original: English Committee onTrade andEnvironment
THE UNITED NATIONS FRAMEWORK CONVENTION ONCLIMATE CHANGE
Communication from theSecretariat oftheUN
Framework Convention onClimate Change
Thefollowing statement, addressed totheChairman oftheCTE, hasbeenreceived fromthe
Secretariat oftheUNFramework Convention onClimate Change. Asitwillnotbepossible forthe
SecretariatoftheConventiontoparticipateattheCTEmeetingon22September,theExecutiveSecretary
oftheConvention hasrequested thatthisstatement becirculated todelegations.
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1. Wethank youfortheopportunity provided toustoshare information withtheWTO Committee
onTrade andEnvironment inthediscussion onrecent trade-related developments intheUNFramework
Convention onClimate Change (UNFCCC), within thecontext ofthelinkages between themultilateral
environment andtrade agendas.
2. TheUNFCCC entered intoforce on21March 1994, andtheConvention hasbeenratified
by168Parties. TheConference oftheParties, asthesupreme body oftheConvention, isassisted
intheimplementation oftheconvention bytwopermanent committees, namely, theSubsidiary Body
forScientific andTechnological Advice andtheSubsidiary Body forImplementation andbythe
Secretariat. There arealsotwoadhoccommittees which havebeenestablished toconduct negotiations:
ontheestablishment anddesign ofamultilateral consultative process fortheresolution ofquestions
regarding theimplementation, and,onaProtocol oranother legal instrument tostrengthen the
commitments under theConvention. Thelatter negotiations aretobeconcluded atthethirdsession
oftheConference oftheParties, atKyoto inDecember 1997.
3. TheConvention, initsArticle 3.5,addresses therelations withthetraderegime. ThisArticle
states:
"TheParties should cooperate topromote asupportive andopeninternational economic system
thatwould leadtosustainable economic growth anddevelopment inallParties, particularly
developing country Parties, thusenabling thembetter toaddress theproblems ofclimate change.
Measures taken tocombat climate change, including unilateral ones, should notconstitute a
means ofarbitrary orunjustifiable discrimination oradisguised restriction oninternational
trade."
4. TheConvention hasnotrade-related environmental measures. Thenature andscope ofany
Protocol oranother legalinstrument, andthesubsequent implementation ofthemeasures enacted, would
determine whether anypotential trade-related developments ortrade issues would arise. Speculation
ontheoutcome inthemiddle ofnegotiations would bepremature.
5. TheSecretariat oftheUNFCCC ishappy tocooperate withtheSecretariat oftheWTO, and
islooking forward tocontinue sharing information andexpertise onmatters ofcommon interest.