<br><div><p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">An Open Letter to the
Governments Meeting at the 16th COP of the United Nations Framework Convention on
Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Cancun.</b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">People and communities throughout the global South need
hundreds of billions of dollars each year to deal with the impacts of climate
change, build resiliency and adopt alternative development pathways. The cost
of compensation for past, present, and future damages due to climate change
will only grow if, in addition, the necessary measures, are not taken in the
industrialized countries to make a just transition to equitable, non-fossil</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">fuel based economies.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">We call on the governments of the world to comply with their
obligations to ensure that new and additional public resources for climate
finance are made available now in a way that is founded on the principle of
historical responsibility, does not add to debt burdens, and is free from
policy conditionalities.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">We urge you to set up a Global Climate Fund under the
authority of the UNFCCC that has an equitable governance structure, prioritizes
the participation of affected communities, operates with full transparency,
democracy, participation and accountability, and provides direct access to
funding.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The World Bank and other multilateral development banks must
not be given a role in establishing or governing the new Global Climate Fund
nor in managing climate finance. Their nature, structure, track record, and
policies, stand in contradiction to what should be the principles of fair and
effective climate finance, and the structure and operations of a new fund.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The World Bank is a lending institution that has long been
imposing policy conditions and programs on South countries and peoples through
its loans. Giving a role to the World Bank in climate finance will result in a
significant part of climate finance flowing as loans, and will very likely come
with conditionalities.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The World Bank’s governance structures are undemocratic,
with representation dominated by governments of rich, industrialized countries
The Global Climate Fund should have a majority representation of South
countries in its governance structure since they are the world’s majority and
most affected by climate change. The needs and rights of communities impacted
by climate change, and the transition to equitable and sustainable economies
based on sovereign, democratic control and governance</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">of natural resources must be at the center of
decision-making on climate finance.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The World Bank has a long track record of undermining human
rights and ecological integrity. For example, in 2010 alone, the World Bank
financed a record high $6.3 billion to fossil fuel projects, a 138% increase over
the previous year. An institution that actively promotes the causes of global
warming should not be given a role in global climate finance. Rather, it must
be pressed to end such policies and practices, including the many false
solutions that the Bank is now promoting.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The World Bank actively privileges the private sector and
private capital markets over public interests. Climate finance must be used to
support the public good, not to promote private profit and the commodification
of nature. It must come in the form of public resources, not rely on
market-based programs for its generation and application. Innovative tools for
raising public resources are already in our reach including redirecting fossil
fuel subsidies and military spending, and taxing financial speculation.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">We call on you, the governments of the world, to keep the
World Bank and other multilateral development banks out of the new Global
Climate Fund and out of climate finance.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">So far signed by 79 International
and Regional Organizations and Networks in over 20 countries. PHM adhering.</i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p></div>