Bilateral
Argentina
Non-Binding





Statement of Intent by the Governments of the Argentine Republic and the United States of America Concerning Cooperation for Sustainable Development, Joint Implementation, and Activities Implemented Jointly to Reduce Emissions of Greenhouse Gases,
Buenos Aires, 1997
Done at Buenos Aires 16 October 1997
Primary source citation: Copy of text provided by the U.S. Department of State
Whereas:
The Government of the Argentine Republic and the Government of the United States of America (“the governments”), recognize that enhancing environmental protection, and, in particular, controlling greenhouse gas emissions to limit potential diverse climate change impacts, would be mutually beneficial;
The governments recognize that limiting the adverse impacts of climate change requires global actions to which the governments can make significant contributions, and the governments have a mutual interest in working together in this area;
The governments recognize that the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change calls on all countries to cooperate in the development, transfer and application of technologies to reduce or prevent greenhouse gas emissions and to enhance sinks and reservoirs of greenhouse gases;
The governments further recognize that Decision 5/CP.1, adopted by the First Conference of the Parties to the Framework Convention on Climate Change, established a pilot phase for joint implementation, referred to as “Activities Implemented Jointly.” An important purpose of the pilot phase is to develop information to support joint implementation with credit;
The governments express their shared belief in the utility of joint implementation with credit in the post-Kyoto regime;
The governments recognize that participation in the pilot phase and in a subsequent joint implementation system is, and always will be, voluntary.
The governments hereby declare as follows:
The governments intend to facilitate the development of projects relating to this statement, which should encourage the use, transfer, market deployment and joint development of greenhouse gas reducing technologies, including lower-emission fossil fuels, energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies, education, training and information-sharing programs; increased diversification of energy sources; the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions; and the conservation, restoration, and enhancement of carbon sinks from forests, agriculture, grazing and other lands;
The governments intend that the forms of cooperation under this framework may include the following:
A. Designation of an agency in the Government of the Argentine Republic with the responsibility for project evaluation and issuance of official decisions regarding project acceptance;
B. Design of the Argentine Republic’s program criteria to facilitate acceptance of projects relating to Activities Implemented Jointly compatible with the priorities of the Argentine Republic and the guidelines of the US Initiative on Joint

Implementation, with respect to measures that reduce the emission of greenhouse gases and increase carbon sinks;
C. Identification and support of projects that are likely to meet program criteria established by the governments;
D. Exchange of information on methodologies and mechanisms to establish procedures for monitoring and external verification of greenhouse gas reductions, and the tracking and attribution of such reductions;
E. Outreach and promotion of activities relating to this Statement of Intent in the private, public, and non-governmental sectors;
F. Exploration of credible certification reductions, including the determination of reasonable greenhouse gas emissions baselines;
G. Design of activities and projects, implemented in accordance with this, for the purposes of:
1. encouraging increased private sector involvement in sustainable development projects relating to this Statement of Intent;
2. fostering the establishment of continuous financing vehicles and other mechanisms to assist private entrepreneurs to build successful enterprises that support projects oriented towards Activities Implemented (including, in the future, projects related to joint implementation with credit) related to the energy, industrial, transport and forestry sectors;
3. providing information concerning additional sources of project funding and the policy framework needed to facilitate access to them; and
4. facilitating the exchange of information concerning arrangements of business agreements, joint ventures and licensing agreements between companies in industrialized nations and enterprises in developing nations.
The Governments intend that any project or arrangement undertaken pursuant to this Statement of Intent will be on terms accepted by all parties to the transaction. Furthermore, the Governments intend to include appropriate patent and other intellectual property rights provisions, as well as provisions to protect business confidential information, in any such plans or arrangements. In the event that any activity involves access to and the sharing or transfer of technology subject to patents or other intellectual property rights, such access and sharing or transfer should be provided on terms which recognize and are consistent with the adequate and effective protection of intellectual property rights.
When, in the future, both governments have emissions targets under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, the governments could also pursue action under this Statement to focus on cooperation with respect to an emissions trading system.
The original text, in English and in Spanish, of this Declaration will be deposited at the Argentine Ministry of Foreign Affairs and at the Office of International Energy Policy, Trade and Investment, US Department of Energy.
Signed at Buenos Aires on this 16th day of October, 1997, in English and in Spanish.
[Signature] [Signature]
FOR THE GOVERNMENT OF THE FOR THE GOVERNMENT OF
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: ARGENTINE REPUBLIC:
1178 The Marine Mammal Commission Compendium

Bilateral / The Argentine Republic