1 October 2011: The UN Climate Change Conference opened in Panama City, Panama, on 1 October, and is scheduled to conclude on 7 October 2011. The meeting comprises the third parts of both the 16th session of the Ad Hoc Working Group on Further Commitments (AWG-KP) and of the 14th session of the Ad Hoc Working Group on Long-term Cooperative Action under the Convention (AWG-LCA).

The work of AWG-KP and AWG-LCA will continue based on the agendas adopted during the UN Climate Change Conference in Bangkok, Thailand, which took place from 3-8 April 2011. The AWG-KP’s work will be undertaken in a contact group on further commitments for Annex I Parties under the Kyoto Protocol, with work on specific issues in spin-off groups.

The AWG-LCA will work on all agenda items in informal groups under the contact group, taking into account recommendations made at the June session in Bonn for focused in-depth work to facilitate progress on technical issues.

Opening the session, UNFCCC Executive Secretary Christiana Figueres called on parties to bridge remaining differences in Panama to facilitate agreement in Durban. She highlighted progress on the design of the Green Climate Fund (GCF) and the Technology Executive Committee (TEC), but underscored the need for progress on monitoring, review and verification (MRV) and the Review. Figueres stressed that negotiations are working against the clock under the Kyoto Protocol, and that Durban needs to address further commitments for developed countries under the Protocol and the evolution of the mitigation framework under the Convention for developed and developing countries. [IISD RS Meeting Coverage] [Conference Website]