United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) was adopted in 1992 with the ultimate aim of preventing dangerous human interference with the climate system. The 1997 Kyoto Protocol and 2015 Paris Agreement build on the Convention.
The Paris Agreement was a considerable achievement for the international community. For the first time, a climate change agreement brought all countries into an ambitious undertaking to combat climate change by limiting global temperature rise to well below 2 degrees Celsius, and to strive for 1.5 degrees Celsius.
Every year, Parties to the Convention meet in Conference of the Parties (COPs), as well as in technical meetings throughout the year, to advance the aims and ambitions of the Paris Agreement and achieve progress in its implementation. UN Women engages in COPs and in subsidiary body meetings through:
- preparing technical documents such as submissions, and analysis of COP documents from a gender perspective;
- providing technical advice and support to Parties on-site;
- bringing attention to gender issues through organizing or co-organizing side-events and exhibits and participating in panels and other events; and
- supporting the voices of women and girls from developing countries through facilitating their attendance to these meetings.
COP 25
The twenty-fifth session of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention (COP 25) was held from 2 to 13 December 2019 in Madrid, Spain. The key outcome from a gender perspective was the adoption of the enhanced five-year Lima work programme on gender and an updated gender action plan (GAP 2.0). Read more about COP 25.
COP 24
The twenty-fourth session of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention (COP 24) was held from 2 to 15 December 2018 in Katowice, Poland. Parties agreed to review the gender action plan and Lima work programme on gender and adopted the Katowice Workplan containing the modalities for implementing the Paris Agreement. Read more about COP 24.
COP 23
The twenty-third session of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention (COP 23) was held from 6 to 17 November 2017 in Bonn, Germany. A key outcome from a gender perspective was the adoption by the Parties to the Convention of the first Gender Action Plan (GAP). Read more about COP 23.
COP 22
The twenty-second session of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention (COP 22) was held from 7 to 18 November 2016 in Marrakesh, Morocco. Parties adopted a decision to develop the first UNFCCC gender action plan. Read more about COP 22.
COP 21
The twenty-first session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 21) was held from 30 November to 11 December 2015 in Paris, France. Parties adopted the universal Paris Agreement to ensure global temperature is kept below 2°C. This Agreement is historic as the first climate agreement incorporating a gender perspective. Read more about COP 21.
COP 20
The twentieth session of the Conference of Parties (COP 20) was held from 1 to 12 December 2014, in Lima, Peru where Parties adopted the Lima Work Programme on Gender. Read more about COP 20.
COP 19
The nineteenth session of the Conference of Parties (COP 19) was held from 11 to 22 November 2013 in Warsaw, Poland. UN Women began its advocacy for integrating gender perspectives in negotiations for a new climate agreement, presenting findings of a research report on improving women’s participation in intergovernmental processes. Read more about COP 19.
COP 18
The eighteenth session of the Conference of Parties (COP 18) was held from 26 November to 7 December 2012 in Doha, Qatar. This is a historic COP from a gender perspective, with the adoption of a gender-specific decision to improve women’s participation in the UNFCCC process. Read more about COP 18.
COP 17
The seventeenth session of the Conference of Parties (COP 17) was held from 28 November to 9 December 2011 in Durban, South Africa. A key gain at COP 17 was the inclusion of “gender sensitivity” among the six principles of the governing instrument establishing the Green Climate Fund. Read more about COP 17.