The Climate Vulnerable Forum (CVF) is the first global partnership of nations from Africa, Asia, the Americas and the Pacific that has formed to deliver a powerful message on the need for urgent action on climate change, on the international stage.

Established in 2009 as a group of leaders from the most vulnerable countries to climate change, CVF is being supported by CDKN to strengthen their collective voice in the run-up to the UNFCC COP 18.

The members of the CVF have contributed least to the problem of climate change, but are suffering the most from its effects. In many cases, their survival is at stake. The Forum, first convened in the Maldives in 2009, issued a declaration highlighting the urgency of the issue and calling on all nations to accept an equitable and ambitious international climate change agreement. In addition, the members committed themselves to working together to find solutions for adapting to the effects of climate change.

CDKN is increasing the impact of the CVF through support to the Government of Bangladesh, the incoming chair of the CVF, and DARA, the informal secretariat to the Forum. CDKN’s partnership with the CVF is facilitating a high-profile ministerial-level meeting of the CVF in Dhaka, Bangladesh on 13-14 November 2011.

Just weeks before the COP18 in Durban the CVF meeting is expected to issue a declaration putting pressure for enhanced low-carbon leadership from industrialised countries, and external support for adapting to climate stresses and pursuing climate compatible development.

The CVF meeting will also identify areas of common interest and possible collective follow-up actions on important issues such as climate change finance architecture, technology transfer and a framework for understanding and responding to climate change vulnerability.

CDKN will be supporting DARA to provide technical inputs to the CVF in the form of briefing notes and advisory services on issues of particular concern to the members, such as how to maximize the potential of the CDM mechanism and mainstream climate compatible development concerns within national policy processes.

The CVF meeting will also result in a future work plan for the forum, and an agreed set of working procedures and modalities, and crucially, a plan for its long-term sustainability.

CVF members participating in the Dhaka meeting are expected to include; Antigua and Barbuda, Bangladesh (Incoming Chair), Barbados, Bhutan, Costa Rica, Ethiopia, Ghana, Grenada, Guyana, Kenya, Kiribati (Present Chair), Liberia, Maldives (First Chair), Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nepal, Philippines, Rwanda, Saint Lucia, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tanzania, Timor-Leste, Tuvalu, Vanuatu and Vietnam. The US, China and other global powers, and important stakeholders such as the UN, will also be participating as observers.

Photo courtesy of Amir Jina.