The Philippines formally handed over the leadership of the Climate Vulnerable Forum (CVF) to Ethiopia during a series of events held in the Philippines on 12-15 August 2016, which started with a seminar-training in Tagaytay City for climate change negotiators and which culminated in a formal handover ceremony at the Philippine Senate on 15 August 2016.

Amb. Cecilia Rebong, Permanent Representative of the Philippines to the UN and other International Organizations in Geneva, made a presentation to CVF climate change negotiators on the first day of the seminar-training about the experience of the Philippines in pursuing climate diplomacy in various international processes.

During the Philippine Presidency, for example, substantial effort was made to help ensure that climate change was a topic of importance in the work of international bodies like the Human Rights Council, World Health Organization (WHO), and International Labor Organization (ILO), in line with the five focus sectors of the CVF on human rights, health, labor, migration and displacement, and science.

In the Human Rights Council, two resolutions were passed on the impact of climate change on the right to health and children’s rights, which resulted in a number of high-level panel discussions and the launching of an analytical study which aimed, among other objectives, to emphasize the obligations and responsibilities of each nation in addressing climate change as part of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Meanwhile, a panel discussion held on the margins of the World Health Assembly in May 2016 explored how climate change had presented challenges to the health sector, for instance through food insecurity and increased incidence of vector-borne and water-borne diseases. It also hailed the Paris Agreement as the biggest international health agreement for its goal of reducing carbon emissions.

On the nexus between climate change and labor, a study was launched showing how the health impacts of heat in the workplace had contributed to reduced labor productivity and the deterioration of the welfare of workers especially in exposed sectors like agriculture and construction. The findings of the study served as a basis for a high-level discussion held on the margins of the International Labor Conference in June 2016 that, among other actions, expressed interest in pursuing climate change within the work of the ILO.

On migration and displacement, the International Organisation for Migration, a partner of the CVF in the labor discussions, had identified specific studies showing how climate change had contributed to migration. Moreover, during the World Humanitarian Summit in Istanbul in May 2016, the Philippines announced the establishment of a Global Preparedness Partnership that aimed to help vulnerable countries respond to risks through innovative financing initiatives.

Finally, the CVF issued a statement supporting the invitation for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change to provide a special report in 2018 on the impacts of global warming of 1.50C above pre-industrial levels and related global greenhouse gas emission pathways.

Amb. Rebong also enumerated the five additional focus sectors identified in the Manila-Paris Declaration and the 2016-2018 Roadmap adopted in Paris in November 2015. These new sectors are agriculture, education, gender, tourism, and water.

The Philippine Presidency saw other achievements such as the continuing advocacy for ambitious climate goals and the increase in membership from 20 to 43.

The Philippines became CVF President in January 2015 when it took over the role from Costa Rica. Ethiopia is the first African country to hold the Presidency.