Over 165 countries expected to sign climate change agreement

Baku. 22 April. REPORT.AZ/ More than 165 countries have indicated that they will sign the historic climate change agreement reached in Paris last December at a signature ceremony hosted by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon tomorrow, Friday, 22 April.

Report informs citing the foreign media, the large number of countries will set a record for the most countries to sign an international agreement on one day, previously set in 1982, when 119 countries signed the Law of the Sea Convention.

All of the world’s largest economies, and the largest greenhouse gas emitters, have indicated that they will sign the agreement on Friday. The signing is the first step toward ensuring that the agreement enters into force as soon as possible. After signing, countries must take the further national (or domestic) step of accepting or ratifying the agreement.

The agreement can enter into force 30 days after at least 55 Parties to the UNFCCC, accounting for at least 55 per cent of global emissions, ratify the agreement.

There are 13 countries, mostly Small Island Developing States, that are expected to deposit their instruments of ratification immediately after signing the agreement on Friday.