United Nations Climate Change Conference, 2010 (Mexico 2010), Cancun, Mexico

The United Nations Climate Change Conference, 2010 (Mexico 2010) started on Monday, November 29, 2010 in Cancun, Mexico. The 11 days conference, which is being attended by close to 15,000 participants comprising of government delegates from the 194 parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), and representatives from business and industry, environmental organizations and research institutions, will be concluded on December 10, 2010.

The two-week meeting is the sixteenth Conference of the Parties (COP16) to UNFCCC and the sixth Conference of the Parties serving as the Meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol (COP/MOP 6 or CMP 6); hence the meeting is tagged COP16/CMP6.

The Parties to UNFCCC currently stands at 194 countries while Members of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol now stands at 192 countries.

The Cancun conference hopes to build on the achievements of the 2009 Copenhagen conference by reaching a deal that will stop the rising trend of global warming. Following the 2009 Copenhagen Accord, several countries (mainly the developed and rich countries) made emission cuts' pledges to limit global temperature rise to below 2oC. Part of the objective of the COP16/CMP6 is to ensure that these pledges become reality.

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The meeting was opened with welcome speeches by the President of Mexico - President Felipe Calder�n Hinojosa; Mexico Secretary of Foreign Affairs and the current Chair of the UNFCCC, Ms. Patricia Espinosa Cantellano; and the Secretary of Environment and Natural Resources, Mr. Juan Rafael Quesada.

In his speech, the Mexican President, Mr. Hinojosa stated that "Our relationship with the environment must come to a turning point, either we change our way of life to stop Climate Change or Climate Change will alter the way we live". He also stated that "It is possible to achieve economic development and, at the same time, reduce emissions and the overexploitation of natural resources. In fact, the only sustainable path to grow is a low carbon path". He concluded by encouraging all parties present to make make Cancun the beginning of powerful Climate Change cooperation that restores faith in our ability to work together and overcome our difficulties as one global village. For the full text of the Mexican president's speech follow any of these two links Welcome Speeches to COP16/CMP6 or COP16 | CMP6 - Felipe Calder�n Hinojosa President of Mexico - Welcome to Mexico.

Ms. Patricia Espinosa Cantellano, Mexican Secretary of Foreign Affairs and the current President of COP/CMP, in her speech also welcomed participants to Mexico and asserted that "There is clear scientific evidence of the negative effects of climate change in everyday life, and our societies expect their governments to deliver ambitious results". She stated that in order to be successful in our efforts, "all-stakeholders have an important role to play"

Mr. Quesada, the Mexican secretary of Environment and Natural Resources stated that "Climate change is a global challenge that demands a global response. By addressing it together we allow ourselves the

opportunity to continue providing the sustainable growth our societies rightly expect"

For the full texts of the welcome addresses please go to Welcome Speeches to COP16/CMP6 or Welcome to Mexico

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