UNFCCC Conference of the Parties

The Conference of the Parties, or COP, is the assembly of all countries and regional economic integration organizations that are parties to the UNFCCC. Under Article 7, it is the Convention's supreme decision-making body and regularly reviews implementation of the Convention and related legal instruments.

Composition and meetings

Every party to the Convention is represented at the COP. It ordinarily meets annually, while extraordinary sessions may be convened according to the Convention's rules.

• The first COP was held in 1995, following the Convention's entry into force in 1994.
• The COP adopts its rules of procedure and financial rules and elects officers for its sessions.

Review and implementation functions

The COP evaluates collective progress towards the UNFCCC objective using national communications, greenhouse-gas inventories and other information submitted by parties.

• It periodically reviews parties' obligations and institutional arrangements in light of scientific knowledge, technological developments and implementation experience.
• It promotes information exchange and guides the development of comparable methodologies for emissions inventories and policy evaluation.
• It considers and adopts reports and recommendations and establishes subsidiary bodies when necessary.
• It guides the SBSTA and SBI, established under Articles 9 and 10, and provides direction to the Convention's financial mechanism under Article 11.

Decision-making and legal development

Within its mandate, the COP adopts decisions necessary to promote effective implementation. It may adopt amendments, annexes and protocols under Articles 15-17, making it the principal forum for developing the climate regime.

• The Kyoto Protocol and Paris Agreement were adopted through negotiations conducted under the COP process.
• The COP should be distinguished from the CMP, the meeting of Kyoto Protocol parties, and the CMA, the meeting of Paris Agreement parties.
• COP decisions provide common rules and institutional guidance, while implementation of obligations remains primarily with the parties.