Nations from around the world remained committed to launching the $100-billion Green Climate Fund (GCF), in Durban, as one of the successful outcomes of the seventeenth Conference of the Parties (COP 17), COP 17 president Maite Nkoana-Mashabane, also South Africa’s International Relations and Cooperation Minister, said on Friday.

In an official press briefing on the progress of the two-week-long climate talks, the Minister said that key issues on the agenda remained the second commitment period for the Kyoto Protocol, a future climate framework and the GCF.

She stressed that the future of the GCF was not dependent on the outcomes for the Kyoto Protocol or any future legally binding agreement.

“I will stress this again – all parties want to operationalise the GCF in Durban,” she said.

With regard to the Kyoto Protocol, Nkoana-Mashabane explained that the focus was now on whether it was possible to achieve convergence.

“As we work to adopt a second commitment period for the protocol, the question remains whether we can work together on future processes for a future framework.”

While there are still different positions, Nkoana-Mashabane said that the European Union, least-developed states and the Alliance of Small Island States were moving to a common ground, with the Group of 77 countries and China moving in a similar direction.

She added that there were no last minute discussions. “While some might consider the process slow, it is more about ensuring an open and inclusive process in which all parties are listened to.”

“Parties need to own their processes and determine the steps they take in such processes.”

Nkoana-Mashabane stressed that COP 17 must remain, as indicated from the outset, a fair and equitable multilateral process under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.

“Despite the positive sentiment, we are still not there yet. We have limited time within which to conclude negotiations but we remain hopeful that we can make further progress within this limited period.”

Parties would continue to work throughout the day to ensure that the best possible outcome for an agreement was reached.

Consultations were also ongoing for the technology mechanism and adaptation framework aimed at promoting climate-friendly and adaptation-related technologies.