The United Nations is encouraging governments to ratify as soon as they can the amendments relating to the second commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol, the international emissions reduction treaty. Ratification of the Doha Amendment to the Kyoto Protocol is a valuable part of the momentum for global climate action for the years leading up to 2020.

Parties to the Kyoto Protocol adopted an amendment to the Kyoto Protocol by decision 1/CMP.8 in accordance with Articles 20 and 21 of the Kyoto Protocol, at the eighth session of the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol held in Doha, Qatar, in December 2012.

On 21 December 2012, the amendment was circulated by the Secretary-General of the United Nations acting in his capacity as Depositary to all Parties to the Kyoto Protocol in accordance with Articles 20 and 21 of the Protocol. The Depositary notification can be found here.

Pursuant to Article 21, paragraph 7 and Article 20, paragraph 4, the amendment is subject to acceptance by Parties to the Kyoto Protocol. In accordance with Article 20, paragraph 4, the amendment will enter into force for those Parties having accepted it on the ninetieth day after the date of receipt by the Depositary of an instrument of acceptance by at least three fourths of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol.

A total of 144 instruments of acceptance are required for the entry into force of the amendment.

In his letter (60 kB) dated 13 February 2013 to the Governments of the Kyoto Protocol Parties, the Secretary General of the United Nations congratulated Parties on the adoption of the Amendment and encouraged its prompt acceptance. To facilitate the entry into force of the amendment, the correspondence from the Secretary General also included information (391 kB) on the procedure for the Amendment’s acceptance and contained a model instrument of acceptance.

In paragraph 5 of decision 1/CMP.8, the CMP recognized that Parties may provisionally apply the amendment pending its entry into force in accordance with Articles 20 and 21 of the Kyoto Protocol. The Parties intending to provisionally apply the amendment pending its entry into force may provide notification to the Depositary of their intention to provisionally apply the amendment. 

For the authoritative version of the status of acceptances, as well as information on corrections to the Doha Amendment, please see the information provided on the United Nations Treaty Collection internet page.