Pretoria - Talks on climate change have kicked off in Panama City with the incoming COP17 President, International Relations and Cooperation Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane.
The minister will resume consultations with a variety of groupings and stakeholders taking part in a crucial meeting of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
Nkoana-Mashabane will preside over the negotiations as Conference of the Parties (COP17) president as South Africa is hosting the United Nations climate change negotiations in November.
As the incoming president, South Africa will use the Panama meeting, running until 7 October, to further consult with delegates to achieve a balanced and credible outcome, the International Relations and Cooperation Department said.
The UNFCCC Secretariat as well as a variety of groupings and stakeholders, including the Africa Group, the G77 and China, representatives of the European Union, the Umbrella Group as well as the Environmental Integrity Group, are attending the meeting, which will try to help break the deadlock on key sticking points ahead of the Durban conference.
The major obstacle is the fate of the landmark Kyoto Protocol, which requires wealthy countries to cut carbon emissions blamed for climate change. Its obligations run out at the end of 2012 with no new treaty in sight.
Although no firm announcements can be expected at the Panama talks, it's expected to lay the groundwork for the Durban conference, which opens November 28 and is seen as a last chance to take action on the Kyoto Protocol.
