The decision was taken 22 February by the Bureau of the Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC at its first meeting of the year at the UN Climate Change Secretariat in Bonn. The 11-member Bureau, which represents the five regional UN groups, is responsible for advising the President of the Conference of the Parties and for taking decisions with regard to the overall management of the intergovernmental process.

In addition to the gathering in April, two major negotiating sessions are currently scheduled for 2010: the 32nd session of the UNFCCC Convention subsidiary bodies from 31 May to 11 June 2010 and the 16th Conference of the Parties (COP 16)/6th Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol (CMP 6) in Mexico from 29 November to 10 December 2010.

Following the UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen, this constitutes a quick return to the negotiations,” said UNFCCC Executive Secretary Yvo de Boer. “The decision to intensify the negotiating schedule underlines the commitment by governments to move the negotiations forward towards success in Cancun,” the UN’s top climate change official said. “This is further strengthened by the fact that the number of countries that have written to the secretariat with their country communications since Copenhagen has now exceeded a landmark one hundred,” he added.

Forty developed country Parties have so far submitted to the secretariat information on their 2020 emission cut targets, with various base years. These Parties represent around 90% of emissions from this group of Parties.

Thirty developing country Parties have also communicated information on their mitigation plans. In addition, another thirty-nine Parties have provided additional information regarding the Accord. Together, all these countries represent well over 80% of global energy emissions.