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Acknowledging that change in the Earth's climate and its adverse effects are
a common concern of humankind,

Concerned that human activities have been substantially increasing the
atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases, that these increases enhance
the natural greenhouse effect, and that this will result on average in an
additional warming of the Earth's surface and atmosphere and may adversely
affect natural ecosystems and humankind,

Noting that the largest share of historical and current global emissions
of greenhouse gases has originated in developed countries, that per capita
emissions in developing countries are still relatively low and that the share of
global emissions originating in developing countries will grow to meet their
social and development needs,

Aware of the role and importance in terrestrial and marine ecosystems of
sinks and reservoirs of greenhouse gases,

Noting that there are many uncertainties in predictions of climate change,
particularly with regard to the timing, magnitude and regional patterns thereof,

Acknowledging that the global nature of climate change calls for the widest
possible cooperation by all countries and their participation in an effective and
appropriate international response, in accordance with their common but
differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities and their social and
economic conditions,

Recalling the pertinent provisions of the Declaration of the United Nations
Conference on the Human Environment, adopted at Stockholm on
16 June 1972,

Recalling also that States have, in accordance with the Charter of the United
Nations and the principles of International law, the sovereign right to exploit
their own resources pursuant to their own environmental and developmental
policies, and the responsibility to ensure that activities within their jurisdiction
or control do not cause damage to the environment of other States or of areas
beyond the limits of national jurisdiction,

Reaffirming the principle of sovereignty of States in international
cooperation to address climate change,

Recognizing that States should enact effective environmental legislation,
that environmental standards, management objectives and priorities should
reflect the environmental and developmental context to which they apply,
and that standards applied by some countries may be inappropriate and of
unwarranted economic and social cost to other countries, in particular
developing countries,

Recalling the provisions of General Assembly resolution 44/228 of
22 December 1989 on the United Nations Conference on Environment
and Development, and resolutions 43/53 of 6 December 1988, 44/207 of
22 December 1989, 45/212 of 21 December 1990 and 46/169 of

19 December 1991 on protection of global climate for present and future
generations of mankind,

Recalling also the provisions of General Assembly resolution 44/206 of
22 December 1989 on the possible adverse effects of sea-level rise on islands
and coastal areas, particularly low-lying coastal areas and the pertinent
provisions of General Assembly resolution 44/172 of 19 December 1989 on
the implementation of the Plan of Action to Combat Desertification,

Recalling further the Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone
Layer, 1985, and the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone
Layer, 1987, as adjusted and amended on 29 June 1990,

Noting the Ministerial Declaration of the Second World Climate Conference
adopted on 7 November 1990,

Conscious of the valuable analytical work being conducted by many
States on climate change and of the important contributions of the World
Meteorological Organization, the United Nations Environment Programme and
*other organs, organizations and bodies of the United Nations system, as well as
other international and Intergovernmental bodies, to the exchange of results of
scientific research and the coordination of research,

Recognizing that steps required to understand and address climate change
will be environmentally, socially and economically most effective if they are
based on relevant scientific, technical and economic considerations and
continually re-evaluated in the light of new findings in these areas,

Recognizing that various actions to address climate change can be
justified economically in their own right and can also help in solving other
environmental problems,

Recognizing also the need for developed countries to take immediate action
in a flexible manner on the basis of clear priorities, as a first step towards
comprehensive response strategies at the global, national and, where agreed,
regional levels that take into account all greenhouse gases, with due
consideration of their relative contributions to the enhancement of the
greenhouse effect,

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Recognizing further that low-lying and other small island countries,
countries with low-lying coastal, arid and semi-arid areas or areas liable to
floods, drought and desertification, and developing countries with fragile
mountainous ecosystems are particularly vulnerable to the adverse effects of
climate change,

Recognizing the special difficulties of those countries, especially developing
countries, whose economies are particularly dependent on fossil fuel production,
use and exportation, as a consequence of action taken on limiting greenhouse
gas emissions,

Affirming that responses to climate change should be coordinated with
social and economic development in an integrated manner with a view to
avoiding adverse impacts on the latter, taking into full account the legitimate
priority needs of developing countries for the achievement of sustained
economic growth and the eradication of poverty,

Recognizing that all countries, especially developing countries, need access
to resources required to achieve sustainable social and economic development
and that, in order for developing countries to progress towards that goal, their
energy consumption will need to grow taking into account the possibilities for
achieving greater energy efficiency and for controlling greenhouse gas emissions
in general, including through the application of new technologies on terms
which make such an application economically and socially beneficial,
Determined to protect the climate system for present and future
generations,

Have agreed as follows:

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2. "Climate change" means a change of climate which is attributed directly or indirectly to human activity that alters the composition of the global atmosphere and which is in addition to natural climate variability observed over comparable time periods.

3. "Climate system" means the totality of the atmosphere, hydrosphere, blosphere and geosphere and their interactions.

4. "Emissions" means the release of greenhouse gases and/or their precursors
Into the atmosphere over a specified area and period of time.

5. "Greenhouse gases" means those gaseous constituents of the atmosphere,
both natural and anthropogenic, that absorb and re-emit Infrared radiation.
6. "Regional economic integration organization" means an organization
constituted by sovereign States of a given region which has competence in
respect of matters governed by this Convention or its protocols and has
.been duly authorized, in accordance with its internal procedures, to sign,
ratify, accept, approve or accede to the instruments concerned.

7. "Reservoir" means a component or components of the climate system where
a greenhouse gas or a precursor of a greenhouse gas is stored.

8.

"Sink" means any process, activity or mechanism which removes a greenhouse gas, an aerosol or a precursor of a greenhouse gas from the atmosphere.

'9. "Source" means any process or activity which releases a greenhouse gas, an aerosol or a precursor of a greenhouse gas Into the atmosphere.

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1. "Adverse effects of climate change" means changes in the physical
environment or blota resulting from climate change which have significant
deleterious effects on the composition, resilience or productivity of natural
and managed ecosystems or on the operation of socio-economic systems or
on human health and welfare.

• Titles of articles are included solely to assist the reader.

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The ultimate objective of this Convention and any related legal instruments that the Conference of the Parties may adopt is to achieve, in accordance with the relevant provisions of the Convention, stabilization of greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that would prevent dangerous anthropogenic Interference with the climate system. Such a level should be achieved within a time-frame sufficient to allow ecosystems to adapt naturally to climate change, to ensure that food production is not threatened and to enable economic development to proceed in a sustainable manner.

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In their actions to achieve the objective of the Convention and to
Implement its provisions, the Parties shall be guided, inter alla, by the following:

1. The Parties should protect the climate system for the benefit of present and
future generations of humankind, on the basis of equity and in accordance with
their common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities.
Accordingly, the developed country Parties should take the lead in combating
climate change and the adverse effects thereof.

2. The specific needs and special circumstances of developing country Parties,
especially those that are particularly vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate
change, and of those Parties, especially developing country Parties, that would
have to bear a disproportionate or abnormal burden under the Convention,
should be given full consideration.

3. The Parties should take precautionary measures to anticipate, prevent or
minimize the causes of climate change and mitigate its adverse effects. Where
there are threats of serious or irreversible damage, lack of full scientific certainty
should not be used as a reason for postponing such measures, taking Into
account that policies and measures to deal with climate change should be cost-
effective so as to ensure global benefits at the lowest possible cost. To achieve
this, such policies and measures should take into account different socio-
economic contexts, be comprehensive, cover all relevant sources, sinks and
reservoirs of greenhouse gases and adaptation, and comprise all economic
sectors. Efforts to address climate change may be carried out cooperatively by
interested Parties.

4. The Parties have a right to, and should, promote sustainable development.
Policies and measures to protect the climate system against human-induced
change should be appropriate for the specific conditions of each Party and
should be integrated with national development programmes, taking into
account that economic development is essential for adopting measures to
address climate change.

5. The Parties should cooperate to promote a supportive and open
International economic system that would lead to sustainable economic growth
and development in all Parties, particularly developing country Parties, thus
enabling them better to address the problems of climate change. Measures taken
to combat climate change, including unilateral ones, should not constitute a
⚫ means of arbitrary or unjustifiable discrimination or a disguised restriction on
international trade.

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1. All Parties, taking into account their common but differentiated
responsibilities and their specific national and regional development priorities,
objectives and circumstances, shall:

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Develop, periodically update, publish and make available to the
Conference of the Parties, in accordance with Article 12, national
Inventories of anthropogenic emissions by sources and removals
by sinks of all greenhouse gases not controlled by the Montreal
Protocol, using comparable methodologies to be agreed upon by the
Conference of the Parties;

Formulate, implement, publish and regularly update national and,
where appropriate, regional programmes containing measures to
mitigate climate change by addressing anthropogenic emissions by
sources and removals by sinks of all greenhouse gases not controlled
by the Montreal Protocol, and measures to facilitate adequate
adaptation to climate change;

Promote and cooperate in the development, application and
diffusion, Including transfer, of technologies, practices and processes
that control, reduce or prevent anthropogenic emissions of
greenhouse gases not controlled by the Montreal Protocol in all
relevant sectors, including the energy, transport, Industry,
agriculture, forestry and waste management sectors;

Promote sustainable management, and promote and cooperate in
the conservation and enhancement, as appropriate, of sinks and
reservoirs of all greenhouse gases not controlled by the Montreal
Protocol, including blomass, forests and oceans as well as other
terrestrial, coastal and marine ecosystems;

Cooperate in preparing for adaptation to the impacts of climate
change; develop and elaborate appropriate and integrated plans for
coastal zone management, water resources and agriculture, and for
the protection and rehabilitation of areas, particularly in Africa,
affected by drought and desertification, as well as floods;

Take climate change considerations into account, to the extent
feasible, in their relevant social, economic and environmental
policies and actions, and employ appropriate methods, for example
Impact assessments, formulated and determined nationally, with a
view to minimizing adverse effects on the economy, on public health
and on the quality of the environment, of projects or measures
undertaken by them to mitigate or adapt to climate change;

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(g)

(h)

(1)

(1)

Promote and cooperate in scientific, technological, technical,
socio-economic and other research, systematic observation and
development of data archives related to the climate system and
Intended to further the understanding and to reduce or eliminate the
remaining uncertainties regarding the causes, effects, magnitude and
timing of climate change and the economic and social consequences
of various response strategies;

Promote and cooperate in the full, open and prompt exchange of
relevant scientific, technological, technical, socio-economic and legal
Information related to the climate system and climate change, and to
the economic and social consequences of various response strategies;
Promote and cooperate in education, training and public awareness
related to climate change and encourage the widest participation in
this process, including that of non-governmental organizations; and
Communicate to the Conference of the Parties information related to
implementation, in accordance with Article 12.

2. The developed country Parties and other Parties included in Annex I
commit themselves specifically as provided for in the following:

(a)

Each of these Parties shall adopt national / policies and take
corresponding measures on the mitigation of climate change, by
limiting its anthropogenic emissions of greenhouse gases and
protecting and enhancing its greenhouse gas sinks and reservoirs.
<These policies and measures will demonstrate that developed
countries are taking the lead in modifying longer-term trends in
anthropogenic emissions consistent with the objective of the
Convention, recognizing that the return by the end of the present
decade to earlier levels of anthropogenic emissions of carbon dioxide
and other greenhouse gases not controlled by the Montreal Protocol
would contribute to such modification, and taking into account the
differences in these Parties' starting points and approaches, economic
structures and resource bases, the need to maintain strong and
sustainable economic growth, available technologies and other
individual circumstances, as well as the need for equitable and
appropriate contributions by each of these Parties to the global effort
regarding that objective. These Parties may implement such policies
and measures jointly with other Parties and may assist other Parties
in contributing to the achievement of the objective of the
Convention and, in particular, that of this subparagraph;

(b)

(c)

(d)

(e)

In order to promote progress to this end, each of these Parties shall
communicate, within six months of the entry into force of the
Convention for it and periodically thereafter, and in accordance with
Article 12, detailed Information on its policies and measures referred
to in subparagraph (a) above, as well as on its resulting projected
anthropogenic emissions by sources and removals by sinks of
greenhouse gases not controlled by the Montreal Protocol for the
period referred to in subparagraph (a), with the aim of returning
Individually or jointly to their 1990 levels these anthropogenic
emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases not
controlled by the Montreal Protocol. This information will be
reviewed by the Conference of the Parties, at its first session and
periodically thereafter, In accordance with Article 7;

Calculations of emissions by sources and removals by sinks of
greenhouse gases for the purposes of subparagraph (b) above should
take into account the best available scientific knowledge, including
of the effective capacity of sinks and the respective contributions of
such gases to climate change. The Conference of the Parties shall
consider and agree on methodologies for these calculations at its first
session and review them regularly thereafter;

The Conference of the Partles shall, at its first session, review the
adequacy of subparagraphs (a) and (b) above. Such review shall be
carried out in the light of the best available scientific information and
assessment on climate change and its impacts, as well as relevant
technical, social and economic Information. Based on this review,
the Conference of the Parties shall take appropriate action, which
may Include the adoption of amendments to the commitments in
subparagraphs (a) and (b) above. The Conference of the Parties, at
Its first session, shall also take decisions regarding criteria for joint
Implementation as Indicated in subparagraph (a) above. A second
review of subparagraphs (a) and (b) shall take place not later than 31
December 1998, and thereafter at regular intervals determined by the
Conference of the Partles, until the objective of the Convention is met;
Each of these Parties shall:

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(1)

Coordinate as appropriate with other such Parties, relevant
economic and administrative instruments developed to achieve
the objective of the Convention; and

(11) Identify and periodically review its own policies and practices
which encourage activities that lead to greater levels of
anthropogenic emissions of greenhouse gases not controlled
by the Montreal Protocol than would otherwise occur;

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1/ This includes policies and measures adopted by regional economic integration organizations.

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