Conference of Parties (COP)
Author of this article: Philip Beckschäfer
The parties to the UNFCCC have annual meetings since 1995 in so-called Conferences of the Parties (COP), which is the prime authority of the convention, to assess progress in dealing with climate change. The COP evaluates the status of climate change and the effectiveness of the treaty. It examines the activities of member countries, particularly by reviewing national communications and emissions inventories and it considers new scientific findings. In order to monitor the implementation of the convention, two permanent subsidiary bodies are established: The Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice (SBSTA) counsels the Conference of the Parties on matters of climate, the environment, technology, and methods and serves as a link between information and assessments provided by expert sources (e.g. IPCC) and the COP, which focuses on setting policy. The Subsidiary Body for Implementation (SBI) helps to review how the convention is being applied, for example by analyzing the national communications submitted by member countries and it deals with financial and administrative matters. It makes recommendations on policy and implementation issues to the COP.
In the forestry context some COPs were of particular relevance. In the Marrakesh Accords for example (COP7, 2001) it was found that sustainable forestry be too complex an issue to monitor in developing countries and that only afforestation and reforestation within clearly defined limits should be eligible as emission reduction projects under the CDM (Clean Development Mechanism). In contrary, in Annex-I countries it is also allowed to offset emissions trough forest management activities under the JI (Joint Implementation). COP11 in Montreal in 2005 was the first time that the idea was introduced and discussed to combat deforestation by an instrument called REDD (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation in Developing Countries); expectations that REDD (now called Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation) would be endorsed during COP16 in Copenhagen in 2009 were not fulfilled, but COP17 in Cancún made explicit statements about REDD.
