Mexico City. With the purpose of establishing a priority action framework to negotiations towards the incoming COP16, the Mexican Foreign Affairs Secretary, Patricia Espinosa, and the Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Christiana Figueres, started the  initial activities of Pre-COP16.

Addressing delegates representing more than 50 countries, outlined the central  discussion topics of the tables in this previous reunion to COP16. The panels will focus on main issues such as: mitigation, adaptation, financing and a revision of the Kyoto Protocol.

The Executive Secretary stated that the past meeting in Nagoya defined reachable goals for  Cancun. A balance, she said,  must be made between expectations and political compromise towards mitigation and transparency issues.

“ Cancun is a decisive opportunity to create common solutions for a common objective, in order to avoid irreversible damage”, according to the Executive Secretary of UNFCCC.

Regarding mitigation, Figueres emphasized the importance of  reaching the objectives already established by developed countries.

A revision on mitigation targets should be formalized and implemented under Kyoto Protocol standards. Also, it is necessary to help developing countries to implement their own mitigation strategies.

“Multilateralism is the way to achieve a significant change”, Secretary Espinosa highlighted, while adding that the international atmosphere has improved to restore trust, a task in which Mexico has made strenuous efforts.

The Executive Secretary Figueres spoke about the responsibilities of the assembled ministers representing different groups who share political positions, to move towards a successful outcome.