The United Nations Climate Change Conference in Doha, Qatar, opened on Monday morning, 26 November. Following an opening ceremony, delegates gathered for the opening plenary meetings of the COP, CMP, SBI and SBSTA.
COP 17 President Maite Nkoana-Mashabane, Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, South Africa, urged delegates to: adopt a second commitment period under the Kyoto Protocol; complete work under the AWG-LCA; and find appropriate space to undertake other work under the COP, subsidiary bodies or new institutions. She stated that it would be a “step backwards for the ADP to become the AWG-LCA
under a new name.” UNFCCC Executive Secretary Christiana Figueres stressed that COP 18 will be unique in marking the end of the first commitment period and launching the next one and will move the Bali Action Plan from design to full and effective implementation. She urged work on a future framework that ensures equity and responds to science, and challenged delegates to find common ground in order to finalize documents before the high-level segment convenes.