6 framework for action aimed at stabilizing atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases to avoid dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system. The Convention entered into force on March 21, 1994 and currently has 195 member Parties. The UNFCCC is the sole forum for international climate change negotiations. As the Lead Negotiator for the Philippines in the UNFCCC, I directly worked on and witnessed the range of complex issues that the international community is trying to address in relation to the objectives of the UNFCCC. While mitigation, adaptation, finance, technology transfer, and capacity building were the main pillars of the Convention, as they relate to the key areas of work under negotiations, the negotiations were mired in the debate between developed and developing countries, a formally-established differentiation in the Convention with its Annex I, Annex II, as well as the Annex B of the Kyoto Protocol. While the Paris Agreement point to renewed pragmatism in the process, there remains important work to highlight urgency and raise the level of ambition especially on mitigation by developed countries and the provision of financial and technological resources so that developing countries can meaningfully contribute to combating climate change, especially between now and 2020, when low levels of ambition are anticipated to dilute the efforts to combat climate change. The Paris Agreement only starts implementation post-2020. Recognizing the need for an effective and progressive response to the urgent threat of climate change, the Paris Agreement is an international treaty under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change stipulating the approaches to combat climate change, which includes greenhouse gas emissions mitigation, adaptation, The Agreement aims to enhance the implementation of the original Convention, including its objective, aims to strengthen the global response to the threat of climate change, in the context of sustainable development and efforts to eradicate poverty. The key features of the Agreement that serves the national interest of the Philippines, includes the following2: • The Agreement affirms the principle of equity and common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities. The agreement acknowledges that climate change is a problem largely caused by developed (rich, industrialized) countries. While all countries have a responsibility for tackling climate change, the responsibilities are differentiated; the nature of obligations for rich countries are not the same as those for poor countries. The Agreement also differentiates the respective capabilities of countries in dealing with climate change; rich countries have more capability to reduce emissions than poor countries. 2 Paris Agreement. United Nations Treaty Collection. 8 July 2016.