AOSIS Chair: “A mission 30 years in the making, accomplished”

COP27 closing statement from AOSIS Chair, The Honourable Minister Molwyn Joseph, Antigua and Barbuda

AOSIS promised the world we would not leave Sharm El Sheikh without achieving the establishment of a loss and damage response fund. A mission thirty years in the making has been accomplished.

We have exhausted our efforts here at COP27 to bring home the climate action commitments our vulnerable people desperately need. Our Ministers and negotiators have endured sleepless nights and endless days in an intense series of negotiations, determined to secure the establishment of a loss and damage response fund, keep 1.5 alive, and advance ambition on critical mitigation and adaptation plans. But after the pain comes the progress.

Today, the international community has restored global faith in this critical process dedicated to ensuring no one is left behind. The agreements made at COP27 are a win for our entire world. We have shown those who have felt neglected that we hear you, see you, and give you the respect and care you deserve. Now we must solidify our ties across territories. We must work even harder to hold firm to the 1.5C warming limit, operationalize the loss and damage fund, and continue to create a safe, fair, and equitable world for all.

About AOSIS

Since 1990, AOSIS has represented the interests of the 39 small island and low-lying coastal developing states in international climate change, sustainable development negotiations and processes. As a voice for the vulnerable, its mandate is more than amplifying marginalised voices as it also advocates for these countries’ interests. In terms of size, AOSIS closely resembles the countries it represents on the global stage but often punches far above its weight, negotiating historic global commitments to cut greenhouse gas emissions, among other achievements.