VZCZCXRO1029
RR RUEHBZ RUEHDU RUEHGI RUEHJO RUEHMR RUEHRN
DE RUEHKI #0178 0420813
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 110811Z FEB 10
FM AMEMBASSY KINSHASA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0157
INFO RWANDA COLLECTIVE
SOUTHERN AF DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS KINSHASA 000178 
 
SIPDIS 
DEPT FOR OES/EGC (DREW NELSON AND KATE LARSEN) 
DEPT FOR OES/S/SECC (RACHEL KASTENBERG) 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ENRG KGHG SENV CG
SUBJECT: CLIMATE CHANGE NEXT STEPS: DRC 
 
REF: STATE 3079; KINSHASA 58 
 
¶1.  (U) Summary:  As mentioned ref A, DCM met January 19 with 
Louise Mayuma Kasende, President Kabila's deputy chief of staff, 
who promised to convey our request to appropriate GDRC authorities 
(ref B).  On January 31, the DRC formally adhered to the Copenhagen 
Accord (CA).  This action was taken in the belief that half of its 
financial resources associated with Copenhagen would be allocated 
to Africa.  The DRC plans to play an active role in promoting 
environmental conservation.  End summary. 
 
 
 
DRC formally associates with Copenhagen Accord 
 
--------------------------------------------- -- 
 
 
 
¶2.  (U) On January 31, during a meeting with the DRC Council of 
Ministers, Minister of Environment, Conservation of Nature and 
Tourism Jose Endundo signed off on the Copenhagen Accord and sent 
the signed document to Minister of Foreign Affairs Alexis Thambwe 
Mwamba for transmission to the DRC Ambassador to the United 
Nations.  The DRC has, thus, decided to formally associate with the 
Copenhagen Accord.  (Note:  As of February 10, the Ministry of 
Foreign Affairs had still not forwarded the letter of association 
to New York.  End note.) 
 
 
 
¶3.  (U) Endundo opined that the GDRC was very interested in 
participating at the Copenhagen Summit as demonstrated by its large 
delegation whose membership included officials from different 
ministries, public administration offices, NGO's, universities and 
think-tanks.  He stated that the GDRC considered the financial 
mechanism established by the Copenhagen Summit was a key milestone 
in global climate change efforts.  According to Endundo, the GDRC 
believes that at least fifty percent of financial resources 
allocated to implementation of the Copenhagen Accord would be 
earmarked for Africa in order to protect its ecosystem.  (Note: 
The Congo Basin contains the world's second largest rainforest 
after the Amazon.  End note.) 
 
 
 
¶4.  (U) Comment:  The DRC has the potential to play a pivotal role 
in protecting the environment in Africa.  According to Minister 
Endundu, the DRC will soon take over the Presidency of the 
Ministerial Commission on Forests of Central Africa (known under 
its French acronym of COMIFAC), oversee the climate change issue 
for the continent of Africa during the next two years, and has been 
named by other African states to negotiate for them regarding 
follow-up of the Copenhagen Accord.  After formal support of the 
Copenhagen Summit, the GDRC has listed the following priorities: 
preservation of ecosystems through human investment; dedication of 
resources to fight against poverty; research and development of 
"green" or environmentally friendly technologies, and promoting 
greater economic growth/financial returns for African countries. 
End comment. 
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