Climate Vulnerable Forum

Climate Vulnerable Forum
source
Name	Climate Vulnerable Forum
Type	International partnership
Founded	2009
Headquarters	Dhaka, Bangladesh (secretariat initial)
Region served	Global (focus on Small Island Developing States, Least Developed Countries)

Climate Vulnerable Forum

The Climate Vulnerable Forum is an international partnership of states that are highly exposed to the impacts of climate change, established to amplify the voices of Bangladesh, Maldives, Philippines, Vanuatu, Tuvalu and other affected nations in global climate diplomacy. It convenes leaders and ministers from Antigua and Barbuda, Nepal, Ethiopia, Kiribati, Costa Rica, Bhutan and similar participants to coordinate positions ahead of forums such as the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, the Conference of the Parties (COP), and the United Nations General Assembly. The Forum has engaged with international institutions including the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, the Asian Development Bank, the African Union, and the European Union to advance adaptation, finance, and loss and damage agendas.

Background and Formation

The Forum was initiated in 2009 through diplomatic outreach by leaders from Bangladesh and Maldives following extreme events such as cyclones impacting Myanmar, floods in Pakistan, drought in Horn of Africa and sea-level concerns for Marshall Islands and Fiji. Founding participants included representatives from Eritrea, Samoa, Grenada and Guatemala who sought a unified voice at the 2009 United Nations Climate Change Conference and subsequent summits like COP16 and COP21. Its roots connect to advocacy campaigns led by civil society actors linked to Greenpeace, World Wildlife Fund, and networks of Small Island Developing States and Least Developed Countries that had engaged in earlier instruments such as the Kyoto Protocol.

Membership and Governance

Membership comprises sovereign states vulnerable to climate impacts, drawn from regions represented by Pacific Islands Forum, the Caribbean Community, the African Union, and ASEAN members sensitized to climate risk. Governance mechanisms include periodic ministerial meetings, high-level dialogues involving heads of state from Antigua and Barbuda, Nepal, Philippines, Vanuatu and rotating coordination by national focal points modeled after practices at the UNFCCC. The Secretariat has cooperated with multilateral agencies such as the United Nations Development Programme and academic partners like the London School of Economics and the University of the South Pacific for research and capacity building. Engagement modalities mirror those used by groups like the Alliance of Small Island States and the Group of 77 in multilateral negotiations.

Objectives and Initiatives

The Forum pursues objectives including accelerating adaptation finance from entities such as the Green Climate Fund and promoting mechanisms for addressing Loss and damage (climate) linked to cyclones affecting Haiti, sea-level rise threatening Tuvalu and coral bleaching in Palau. Initiatives emphasize national adaptation planning aligned with frameworks from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, and aim to influence outcomes at major events like COP26 and COP27. Programmatic work includes resilient infrastructure projects inspired by models from the World Bank and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, coastal protection schemes seen in Netherlands and managed retreat dialogues paralleling cases in Kiribati.

Major Declarations and Agreements

The Forum has issued landmark statements including a declaration calling for global decarbonization timelines akin to proposals debated in Paris Agreement negotiations and endorsements of carbon neutrality similar to pledges by United Kingdom, France, and Germany. Declarations have pressurized developed-country parties such as the United States, Japan, Australia, and Canada to scale up contributions to funds like the Adaptation Fund and to operationalize loss-and-damage finance in line with discussions at the COP process. Joint communiqués have referenced scientific assessments from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and legal scholarship comparable to treaty interpretations at the International Court of Justice.

Activities and Campaigns

Activities include pre-COP diplomatic coordination with groups like the European Commission and advocacy campaigns partnering with organizations such as UN Women, Oxfam International, and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies to elevate issues of climate justice for communities in Mozambique, Philippines, Bangladesh, and Zambia. The Forum runs capacity-building workshops with universities including Harvard University and University of Oxford, promotes adaptation projects demonstrated in Denmark and Singapore, and supports public awareness initiatives echoing campaigns by 350.org and Friends of the Earth. It also engages in legal and policy research akin to outputs from the Stockholm Environment Institute and the World Resources Institute.

Impact and Criticism

The Forum has influenced international discourse on loss and damage and contributed to momentum behind financial pledges and institutional instruments recognized by entities such as the Green Climate Fund and the United Nations. Notable impacts include shaping negotiation blocks at COP21 and subsequent COPs and elevating small-state narratives alongside major actors like China, India, and European Union. Criticism has arisen from observers including think tanks like the Cato Institute and commentators in outlets such as The Economist who question the Forum's ability to secure binding commitments, its informal governance compared with bodies like the United Nations, and dependence on donor funding from entities like the World Bank. Scholars from institutions including Stanford University and Australian National University have debated the Forum's efficacy relative to regional coalitions such as the Pacific Islands Forum and the Caribbean Community.

Category:International environmental organizations