Strengthening ASEAN negotiators’ capacity for engaging in internationalclimate change talks is the main focus of a workshop currently underwayin Hanoi under sponsorship of the UN Development Programme and the UKForeign Commonwealth Office.

Speaking at theopening ceremony on August 19, Deputy Minister of Natural Resources andEnvironment Tran Hong Ha said that parties to the 19 th meeting of theUN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Poland last yearset a target of reaching a global agreement on the phenomenon by 2015.

However, he pointed to several challenges inrealising this goal, including the gaps in opinions of developed anddeveloping countries, ineffective financing for climate change anddisagreement in rates of cutting greenhouse emission.

As Vietnam’s strategic partner, the UK has committed to supportingVietnam’s efforts to adapt to climate change in order to ensure itssocio-economic development, said head of Prosperity of the BritishEmbassy Andrew Holt.

The training workshop willhelp Vietnam and other ASEAN countries effectively engage ininternational negotiations on climate change and secure the achievementof the new global climate agreement by 2015, he added.

The workshop is expected to help senior negotiators understand moredeeply about important issues subject to negotiation before the worldcan achieve the joint agreement.

During thethree-day event, experienced lecturers will share their knowledge on howto improve negotiating skills. Participants will also be updated onclimate change policy progression within the framework of the UNFCCC.-VNA