It took up only a few innocuous words in the unofficial record of yesterday's proceedings. Delegates here in Bali had agreed to ‘prepare options for consideration by the ministers, focusing on the form, substantive scope and timeframe of the process and its budgetary implications.'
Doesn't sound like much, but according to Yvo de Boer, Executive General of the UNFCCC, it's something of a triumph and one that, for a while, it seemed that Saudi Arabia would block.
The ‘contact group' will allow delegates to take negotiations about future options out of the full plenary and should allow them to prepare a menu of possible solutions for Ministers to sign up to when they arrive next week.
Hacks at de Boer's press conference were bemused. ‘Who will be in the group?' one asked. ‘All of them,' de Boer replied. ‘What's the difference between the special group and plenary,' another wondered. The reply:
[quote]The difference is that this is a group that is going to focus on a single topic. What should be the outcome of Bali in terms of a long-term co-operative regime beyond 2012. That's what makes it special.[/quote]
Indonesia's Minister of the Environment, Rachmat Witoelar will facilitate this ‘special group' (he is also President of the conference). He will be joined by Howard Bamsey, Australia's lead negotiator, and South Africa's Sandea de Wet.
Bamsey, as we noted yesterday, is in an interesting position. With Kevin Rudd's ratification of Kyoto, he has effectively changed sides, though how deep Australia's commitment is to climate change is one of the conference's big questions.
Ms de Wet, meanwhile, could emerge as a pivotal figure. At the moment, the South African's are attracting lots of praise for their ‘constructive attitude'. This is code for ‘the only developing country that doesn't freak out when someone talks about developing country commitments.'
As tensions rise, therefore, South African influence could be vital to chances of a meaningful Bali deal.
What then of the Saudis? They were not happy at all in yesterday's plenary and initially opposed forming the contact group, but allowed it to pass, if reluctantly. I have requested an interview with their delegation to find out more.