The Conference of the Parties (COP):  the “supreme body” of the Convention, that is, its highest decision-making authority. It is an association of all the countries that are Parties to the Convention.

The meeting of the Parties (CMP):  the Conference of the Parties serves as the meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol (CMP). The CMP meets during the same period as the COP.  Parties to the Convention that are not Parties to the Protocol are able to participate in the CMP as observers, but without the right to take decisions.  The functions of the CMP relating to the Protocol are similar to those carried out by the COP for the Convention.

The Convention established two permanent subsidiary bodies: the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice (SBSTA) and the Subsidiary Body for Implementation (SBI). These bodies give advice to the COP and each has a specific mandate.

As its name suggests, the SBSTA’s task is to provide the COP with advice on scientific, technological and methodological matters.  The SBI gives advice to the COP on all matters concerning the implementation of the Convention.

Ad-hoc Working Group on further commitments for Annex I Parties under the Kyoto Protocol (AWG-KP):  at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in 2005, Parties to the Kyoto Protocol initiated a process to consider further commitments by Annex I Parties for the period beyond 2012. The resulting decision established an open-ended ad hoc working group of Parties to the Kyoto Protocol to conduct that process and report to each session of the CMP on the status of this process.

Ad-hoc Working Group on Long-term Cooperative Action under the Convention (AWG-LCA):  the United Nations Climate Change Conference in 2007 culminated in the adoption of the Bali Road Map which consists of a number of forward-looking decisions that represent the various tracks that are essential to strengthening international action on climate change. Central to the Bali Road Map is the establishment of a two-year process to enable full and effective implementation of the Convention. This is taking place in a new negotiating group called the AWG-LCA, which is to reach an agreed outcome by 2010.

For a full glossary of climate change terminology and acronyms, please refer to the Glossary of climate change acronyms.