28 February 2013: The UNFCCC Secretariat has released the report of the 18th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 18), which was held in Doha, Qatar, from 27 November-7 December 2012. The report (FCCC/CP/2012/8) contains details on the COP proceedings. The Secretariat also released addenda (FCCC/CP/2012/8/Add.1 and 2) with the decisions and action taken by COP 18.

The report features sections on: the opening of the session; organizational matters; reports of the subsidiary bodies; reports of the Ad Hoc Working Group on the Long-term Cooperative Action under the Convention (AWG-LCA), the Ad Hoc Working Group on the Durban Platform for Enhanced Action (ADP); and other COP relevant agenda items, such as matters relating to finance. In addition, a number of Annexes include: the list of participants making statements at the high-level segment; the calendar of meetings of Convention bodies for 2013-2017; and the documents adopted by COP 18.

In Doha, parties agreed to the package of “Doha Climate Gateway” decisions, which include: the termination of the AWG-LCA and negotiations under the Bali Action Plan (BAP); agreement to consider loss and damage, “such as” institutional mechanism to address loss and damage in developing countries that are particularly vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate change; and a schedule of work for the ADP with a view to, inter alia, make progress towards the adoption of the 2015 agreement. They also agreed to: extend the work programme on long-term finance for one year; and continue the existing processes within the Convention for assessing and reviewing developing country parties’ needs for financial resources, including the identification of options for the mobilization of these resources, as well as their adequacy, predictability, sustainability and accessibility.

The first addendum to the report (FCCC/CP/2012/8/Add.1) contains ten COP decisions, including on: the agreed outcome to the Bali Action Plan (BAP); advancing the Durban Platform; approaches to address loss and damage; and several decisions on finance, including on a work programme on long-term finance, the reports of the Standing Committee and the Green Climate Fund (GCF), and arrangements between the COP and the GCF.

The second addendum (FCCC/CP/2012/8/Add.2) includes eight decisions addressing, inter alia, national adaptation plans, and arrangements to make the Climate Technology Centre and Network (CTCN) fully operational.

Other finance-related decisions from Doha include a request to the Standing Committee and the GCF Board to develop arrangements between the COP and the GCF for agreement by the GCF Board and subsequent agreement by COP 19. [Publication: Addendum 1 to the COP Report] [Publication: Addendum 2 to the COP Report] [Publication: COP 18 Report] [IISD RS Coverage of COP 18] [IISD RS Story on the CTCN]