Poland and the UN Sign Host Country Agreement for COP24

31 October 2018

Announcement

ES Patricia Espinosa Host Country Agreement

Credit: @COP24

UN Climate Change News, 31 October 2018 - The government of Poland and the UN today co-signed the bilateral agreement which forms the legal basis for organizing and hosting the UN Climate Change Conference in Katowice this year (COP24, 2 – 14 December).

The conference is organized by the Bonn-based UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC/ UN Climate Change) and is presided over by Poland.

“The signing of the Agreement sums up the process of negotiating this document and serves as the final formal element of the organisational preparations for an important international event – the COP24 climate summit,” said Polish Environment Minister Henryk Kowalczyk at the signing ceremony in Warsaw.

“Our joint efforts to this date show the great importance that Poland and the United Nations attach to the success of the summit in Katowice. We have built very strong foundations for further actions and I am certain that successful cooperation and our mutual trust will contribute to the smooth organisation of the climate conference and to their ultimate success in the form of a package of decisions implementing the Paris Agreement,” he added.

“We are pleased to sign this host country agreement and look forward to working with the Government of Poland to deliver a robust and successful COP24,” said UN Climate Change Executive Secretary Patricia Espinosa. “With the devastating impacts of climate change increasingly evident throughout the world, it’s crucial that Parties achieve the primary goal of COP24: finalizing the Paris Agreement Work Programme. This will not only unleash the full potential of the Paris Agreement, but send a signal of trust that nations are serious about addressing climate change. We need progress on several other issues as well, including commitments to boost global climate action and ensuring nations fulfil their financial pledges to support the climate regime."

COP24 host country agreement — The UN’s Patricia Espinosa and Polish Minister Henryk Kowalczyk

Preparations for COP24 including the construction of temporary structures have been ongoing for several months. Here an aerial view of the venue: