President to attend climate change and forest conference in Oslo

Antara News, Monday, May 24, 2010 19:59 WIB

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono is scheduled to attend an international conference on climate change and forests in Oslo, Norway, on May 26-27, presidential spokesman Dino Pati Djalal said.

The president would leave for the conference upon an invitation from Norway`s Prime Minister, Jens Stoltenberg.

"During the conference attended by 40 delegates representing 50 countries, President Yudhoyono will act as co-chair accompanying Prime Minister Stoltenberg as the host of the conference," Dino said here on Monday adding that some country leaders already confirmed their attendance were from Denmark, Guyana and Gabon.

The spokesman said the conference would specifically discuss about the mechanism to reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation in developing countries or famously known as REDD+ program.

"The conference aims to facilitate a voluntarily partnership between advanced and developing countries owning tropical forest area to realize REDD program by providing a US$4-5 billion funding to support the activity," Dino said adding that the meeting was expected to issue a detailed agreement about the mechanism and implementation of REDD+ program.

The meeting in Oslo was a follow up to the previous meeting held in Paris last March, said Dino.

"Though included in the Copenhagen Accord last 2009, REDD+ program is not yet implemented. Therefore, the Oslo meeting is aimed to boost the process in UNFCCC (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change)," he said adding that reducing deforestation was important because it contributes one fifth of total greenhouse emission in the world.

During the meeting, President Yudhoyono and Prime Minister Stoltenberg are also scheduled to sign a Letter of Intent (LOI) on forestry sector.

The president will leave for Oslo on Tuesday evening and return to Jakarta next May 28.