Previous UN conferences on climate change

Each year the 192 countries that are party to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change hold a “Conference of Parties” (COP). Usually, the first week involves negotiations among officials on a wide range of issues, while the last week is usually devoted to negotiations amongst environment and climate ministers. The agenda and background material for the conferences is formulated and published by the UN Climate Change Secretariat in Bonn, while the host country has the responsibility to make premises available. A total of 15 COPs have been held, the latest in Copenhagen, Denmark, in December 2009.

In addition to the annual conferences, the countries typically meet for two weeks in June, in Bonn. In 2008 countries met four times, in 2009 countries met five times at UN climate change meetings, and one or more additional meetings prior to COP16 are expected in 2010. This is in addition to working group meetings and subcommittee meetings in relation to the climate Convention and the Kyoto Protocol.

From COP1 to COP15

COP1 – Berlin, Germany, 1995
At the first COP in Berlin in 1995 the Parties started negotiations on what was to become the Kyoto Protocol. The Berlin Mandate established a two-year analysis and assessment phase of action to reduce greenhouse gases.

COP2 – Geneva, Switzerland, 1996
The second conference between the Parties approved the results of IPCC’s second assessment report, published in 1995. Furthermore, it was established that member countries should have the freedom to find the solutions that best suited their situation. The Parties also agreed on a combined desire for binding targets to be established in the medium term.

COP3 – Kyoto, Japan, 1997
At COP3 the Kyoto Protocol was adopted after intense negotiations. The protocol's targets for the reduction of industrialised countries' greenhouse gas emissions in the years 2008-12 marked the first time such goals were set.

COP4 – Buenos Aires, Argentina, 1998
The Kyoto Protocol established a broad framework, and at COP4 in Buenos Aires, the Parties adopted a two-year period to identify and develop specific rules for implementing the Kyoto Protocol, including rules for the use of flexible mechanisms, etc.

COP5 – Bonn, Germany, 1999
COP5 was dominated by the continuing technical discussions about the mechanisms of the Kyoto Protocol.

COP6 – The Hague, Netherlands, 2000
COP6 collapsed because of irreconcilable disputes between the EU and the US over the rules for sanctions against countries that fail to comply with the Kyoto Protocol and the rules for the absorption of greenhouse gases by forests and agriculture. It was agreed that negotiations would resume at an extraordinary conference in July 2001.

COP6 (bis) – Bonn 2001 & COP7 – Marrakech, Morocco, 2001
In the spring of 2001 President George W Bush declared that the US would not ratify the Kyoto Protocol. Subsequently, it was possible for the remaining countries to agree on most of the outstanding issues in a special COP6 (bis) in Bonn and at COP7 in Marrakech.

COP8 – Delhi, India, 2002
At COP 8 the EU, with Denmark holding the presidency, tried, unsuccessfully, to convince ministers to adopt a declaration which highlighted the need for further action by the Parties to the UNFCCC.

COP9 – Milan, Italy, 2003 & COP10 – Buenos Aires, Argentina, 2004
The focus of these two conferences was the continuing efforts to clarify some of the technical details of the Kyoto Protocol. Additionally, in Buenos Aires in 2004 countries began to discuss what measures should be implemented when the Kyoto Protocol commitment period expires in 2012.

COP11/CMP1 Montreal, Canada, 2005
This marked the first Conference of Parties held after the Kyoto Protocol came into force. From this point forward, the annual COP was supplemented with a meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol (CMP or COP/MOP). In Montreal the focus was on ensuring that there was an international climate change agreement after 2012, when the Kyoto Protocol's first commitment period expires. A two tracks process was agreed. One track includes a global dialogue on future long-term climate co-operation under the Convention with the participation of all countries including the US and major developing countries (such as China, India and Brazil). The other track focuses on the industrialised countries' post-2012 commitments.

COP12/CMP2 – Nairobi, Kenya, 2006
COP12/CMP2 in Nairobi in 2006 was crucial for a number of reasons. First, it was an opportunity to build on the positive momentum COP 11 in Montreal gave to negotiations over a post-2012 climate agreement. Second, COP12/CMP2 saw the finalisation of the last details of the Kyoto Protocol before it was implemented. In addition to clarifying the technical details, the Parties reached consensus on a number of milestones in the process towards a new agreement.

COP13/CMP3 Bali, Indonesia, 2007
At COP13 work toward a new agreement took decisive step forward. After intense negotiations, the Parties adopted the Bali Action Plan. In addition to establishing a process of negotiations towards a new agreement – including a deadline for them to be completed in 2009 in Copenhagen – it also identified four building blocks and an overall shared vision that will lay the foundation for a future agreement.

COP14/CMP4 Poznan, Polen 2008
At COP14, the Parties agreed on a work program for 2009 and confirmed Copenhagen as the deadline for negotiations. Furthermore, the Parties (to the Kyoto Protocol) agreed on the operationalisation of the Adaptation Fund, which provides support for adaptation projects and programmes in the least developed countries.

COP15/CMP5 Copenhagen, Denmark 2009
At COP15 the Copenhagen Accord was drafted by a representative group of countries and was taken ‘note of’ by the Conference of the Parties. The Copenhagen Accord is open for countries who wish to be associated with it to do so. The parties also agreed to continue working in the two tracks defined in the Bali Action Plan. Read more about the Copenhagen Accord and related decisions here.