Editorial note

Following the adoption of the Protocol negotiations on the subsidiary rules, guidelines, and methodologies called for by the Protocol text continued. A number of issues reflected divisions between states. In particular, matters relating to carbon sinks, rules for emissions trading and penalties for non-compliance with commitments under the Protocol proved difficult for negotiators. These are addressed in the ‘Marrakesh Accords’ agreed at the Seventh Conference of the Parties in November 2001. The Marrakesh Accords' 218 pages translate the Bonn Agreement into legal text of some complexity, suggesting more possibilities for hidden meanings, ambiguities and ‘agreements to disagree’ than the almost 30 pages of the Kyoto Protocol. The Accords make a notable contribution to the proliferation of acronyms in international environmental law.

The Marrakech Accords will be presented to the first meeting of the Conference of the Parties serving as the Meeting of the Parties to the Protocol (COP/MOP) for adoption.

The following decisions were adopted at Marrakech:

• Decision 2/CP.7: Capacity Building in developing countries (non-Annex I Parties)

• Decision 3/CP.7: Capacity Building in countries with economies in transition

• Decision 4/CP.7:Development and transfer of technologies (decisions 4/CP.4 and 9/CP.5)

• Decision 5/CP.7: Implementation of Article 4, paragraph 8 and 9, of the Convention (decision 3/CP.3 and Article 2, paragraph 3, and Article 3, paragraph 14, of the Kyoto Protocol)

• Decision 6/CP.7: Additional guidance to an operating entity of the financial mechanism Decision 7/CP.7: Funding under the Convention

• Decision 8/CP.7: Activities implemented jointly under the pilot phase (decisions 6/CP.4 and 13/CP.5)

• […]