FCCC and the Kyoto Protocol
Aware of the global nature of climate change and understanding the importance of joint action in solving it, the international community in February 1991, negotiations began on the adoption of the Framework Convention on Climate Change– FCCC.
The Convention was opened for signature on June 4, 1992 at held in Rio de Janeiro UN Conference on Environment and Development, and March 21, 1994 came into force. According to the 2007 Parties to the Convention are 190 countries and the European Community.
Complete and regularly updated list of Parties to the UNFCCC on the official site– FCCC
UNFCCC has been developed as a key instrument of international cooperation to mitigate the adverse effects of climate change and reducing the anthropogenic load on the Earth’s atmosphere. However, the Convention defined only general guidelines to combat global climate change.
Realizing the need for more stringent measures to addressing climate change, in 1997, in addition to the UNFCCC, the international community adopted the Kyoto Protocol. The Kyoto Protocol imposes specific quantitative obligations on Parties, to reduce or limit national anthropogenic emissions of greenhouse gases.
To date, 177 countries have ratified the Protocol, including all industrialized countries except the United States.