COP30 Presidency seeks to leverage the Bonn meeting as a milestone for trust and climate action

In June, the 62nd session of the UN Subsidiary Bodies will gather in Germany. This meeting will provide an opportunity for Brasil to address the political and technical preparations for COP30 in Belém, Pará

By Franciéli Barcellos de Moraes / francieli.moraes@presidencia.gov.br

COP30 Presidency — the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) — seeks to restore international confidence and accelerate global climate action. The Presidency has set clear priorities for the 62nd session of the UN Subsidiary Bodies (SB62), which will be held in Bonn, Germany, from June 16 to 26, 2025.

During this ten-day session in Germany's former capital, the COP30 Presidency will lead at least twelve events of its own and play a prominent role in plenary sessions and negotiation agendas. Drawing on its diplomatic tradition of cordiality, dialogue, and cooperation, Brasil seeks to use this stage strategically — to rebuild trust in the multilateral process and reach tangible outcomes.

"Our goal in Bonn is to rebuild trust in the negotiations. That’s important. I believe this is one of the key themes. Secondly, we want to instill a sense of urgency — to make Bonn reflect the climate emergency and inspire collective action,” stated Ana Toni, COP30 CEO.

She echoed the message of COP30 President Ambassador André Corrêa do Lago, written in his third letter released May 23 — especially addressed to climate negotiators. "The true measure of SB62's success will not lie in strategies, but in our collective ability to communicate significant progress to those we serve. The abstraction of our work must begin to resonate with real-life experiences. Legitimacy will come from real-world relevance and the delivery of results," he wrote.

"The true measure of SB62's success will not lie in strategies, but in our collective ability to communicate significant progress to those we serve. The abstraction of our work must begin to resonate with real-life experiences. Legitimacy will come from real-world relevance and the delivery of results"

The conference, organized by the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice (Assessoria Científica e Tecnológica/ SBSTA) and the Subsidiary Body for Implementation (Órgão Subsidiário de Implementação/SBI), is an annual conference held in Bonn, home to 18 UN agencies, including the UNFCCC Secretariat.

The Bonn conference might be less visible to the public than the COPs, but it plays a central role in the UN climate calendar. As the first formal negotiation space of the year, the Bonn conference establishes the technical and political foundation for the subsequent Conference of the Parties, COP30, scheduled for November in Belém, the capital of Pará in Brasil.

Three Interconnected Priorities

In its letter, the COP30 Presidency outlined three pillars to guide the work in Bonn: strengthening multilateralism and the UNFCCC climate regime, connecting climate decisions to people’s lived realities, and accelerating the implementation of the Paris Agreement through structural actions.

With the "rulebook" of the Paris Agreement — finalized at COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan — complete, the challenge lies in turning commitments into tangible outcomes. Brasil invites all negotiators to act as "co-builders" of this new phase. This approach emphasizes collaboration, empathy, and a results-driven mindset to overcome the gridlock and repetition that often characterize these meetings.

A "Day Zero" approach to achieving different outcomes entails starting differently

To foster a renewed atmosphere of dialogue, the Presidency is proposing a “Day Zero” comprising informal discussions among leaders of delegations, preceding the official opening. The purpose is to establish a constructive dialogue from the beginning, promoting mutual understanding, meaningful exchange, and increased ambition.

Special attention will be given to indicators for the Global Goal on Adaptation (Objetivo Global de Adaptação/ GGA) under the UAE–Belém Work Programme, the UAE indicators under the UAE–Belém Work Programme of the Paris Agreement, and the Just Transition Work Programme. Further details about this introductory day will be communicated to parties by the secretariat in due course.

During this preparatory phase, Brasil is working alongside the COP29 Presidency and the leaders of the subsidiary bodies, with support from the UNFCCC Secretariat.

English Version: Trad. Bárbara Menezes
Proofreading by Enrique Villamil