The two bodies under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), which advise and implement Parties decisions on climate action, had successfully concluded their work
on Saturday.
Their work has made a number of significant draft decisions that would be put forward for adoption in the final plenary of the conference on 10th December.
The two bodies are the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice (SBSTA) and the Subsidiary Body for Implementation (SBI).
The draft decisions included decisions on continued, strengthened support to developing countries efforts in adaptation and mitigation,
including concrete technology transfer projects.
Ms Patricia Espinosa, President of the Conference and Secretary for Foreign Affairs of Mexico, speaking at a media interaction at the on-going COP 16 said these advances formed an important part of the groundwork that would strengthened global climate change action.
"They also clearly show that countries have come to Cancun in good faith to show the world that the multilateral process can deliver as long as a spirit of compromise, cooperation and transparency prevails," she said.
Ms Espinosa noted that the progress should be seen as a positive sign for the conference as a whole, adding "I urge all Parties to sustain this spirit and bring all outstanding issues to a successful conclusion by the end of the Cancun climate change conference, to reach a balanced agreement that will take the world into a new era of cooperative and increasingly ambitious action on climate change".
She explained that the decisions included a near agreement that carbon capture and storage might be an eligible project activity under the Kyoto Protocol's Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), provided it complied with stringent risk and safety assessments.
"This conclusion is important because it gives Parties a key to unlock other outstanding issues under the two tracks of the negotiations on Long-Term Cooperative Action and in the Kyoto Protocol," she said.
The UNFCCC Executive Secretary noted that another achievement was a decision to broaden the mandate of a Least Developed Countries (LDC) Expert Group and extend its mandate for a five-year term, the longest period given
to the Group since its establishment in 2001.
The Group provides technical guidance and advice to LDCs on the preparation and implementation of national adaptation programmes of action (NAPAs).
Since the commencement of its support, she said, 45 LDCs had successfully completed and submitted their NAPAs, 38 had initiated
implementing adaptation on the ground, and the process had left a wealth of capacity and awareness across the countries from political levels down to community levels.
"Countries also agreed to strengthen education, training and public awareness on climate change through increased funding for such activities, and to engage civil society more strongly in national decision-making and the UN climate change process.
"Faster and more effective action on climate change requires governments to welcome the fresh ideas and active participation of all sides
of civil society, especially the young whose futures are at stake. This underlines the commitment of the negotiations to remain open, transparent and engaged, "she said.
From Albert Oppong Ansah, A GNA Special Correspondent, Cancun, Mexico (Courtesy: British Council/Ministry of Environment Science and Technology)