Lebanon hosted the 21st Cartagena Dialogue for Progressive Action meeting in Beirut on the 27th and 28th of September 2017 in the Radisson Blu Hotel, Beirut. Over 60 participants from 35 countries attended the climate change meeting to discuss the way forward to COP 23 which was held in Bonn, Germany.
The Cartagena Dialogue is an informal space, open to countries who support ambitious and expeditious implementation of the Paris Agreement, and who are committed, domestically, to becoming or remaining low carbon. These are forward-looking countries, willing to work positively and proactively together, within and across regional groupings and traditional negotiating blocs in the UNFCCC. The aim of the Dialogue is to openly discuss the reasoning behind each other's positions and to explore areas where convergence and enhanced joint action could emerge.
Discussions were held on the ambition mechanism of the Paris Agreement and how can it be ramped up at different milestones. Moreover, means of implementation which include finance, capacity-building and technology transfer were evaluated in terms of effectiveness, adequacy and transparency. Also, the progress of the Paris Agreement rules was discussed from a mitigation and transparency standpoint.
The Cartagena Dialogue meets twice every year and during official UNFCCC negotiations.