Durban: Heated Debate Prevails in Climate Conference

Durban, South Africa, Dec 1. -The 17th Conference of the Parties (COP17) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) entered its fourth session on Thursday facing uncertainty over the future of the Kyoto Protocol and with interminable arguments to adopt a consensus.

Working groups participating in the COP17 and in the 7th Session of the Conference of the Parties serving as the Meeting of the Parties (CMP7) to the Kyoto Protocol assess different technicalities, mostly about procedures to hold negotiations.

Conferences on different proposals are in session on Thursday debating one presented by Mexico, backed by Colombia, to introduce a "last resort" mechanism when all efforts to reach a consensus fail.

On the other hand, setting in motion the Green Climate Fund continues to be a question mark at the UN Climate Conference after the first debates on this issue were held.

The report presented on Wednesday by the Transitional Committee, which was approved by some countries but rejected by others, will continue to be discussed on Thursday.

Member countries of the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of our America (ALBA) refused to approve the document without a prior debate.

The report of the Transitional Committee was also rejected by the United States but for other reasons.

The Fund, whose creation was approved in Cancun in 2010, must administer the resources that developed countries promised to allocate for underdeveloped nations to carry out actions to mitigate the effect of greenhouse gases and to counteract the consequences of climate change. (Prensa Latina)