The Conference of the Parties (COP) is the "supreme body" of the Convention, that is, its highest decision-making authority. It is an association of all the countries that are Parties to the Convention.

The COP is responsible for keeping international efforts to address climate change on track. It reviews the implementation of the Convention and examines the commitments of Parties in light of the Convention’s objective, new scientific findings and experience gained in implementing climate change policies. A key task for the COP is to review the national communications and emission inventories submitted by Parties. Based on this information, the COP assesses the effects of the measures taken by Parties and the progress made in achieving the ultimate objective of the Convention.

The COP meets every year, unless the Parties decide otherwise. The COP meets in Bonn, the seat of the secretariat, unless a Party offers to host the session. Just as the COP Presidency rotates among the five recognised UN regions - that is, Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean, Central and Eastern Europe and Western Europe and Others – there is a tendency for the venue of the COP to also shift among these groups.

The following events and COP meetings have marked the historical development of the Climate Protection:

1992 – Framework Convention (UNFCC) opened for signature at “Earth Summit”, Rio de Janeiro Brazil.
1994 – Framework Convention (UNFCC) enters into force.
1995 – COP 1 – Berlin, Germany.
1996 – COP 2 – Geneva, Italy.
1997 – COP 3 – Kyoto, Japan.

The Kyoto protocol sketched out the basic rules, but did not flesh out details how they would be applied. It also required a separate, formal process of signature and ratification by national governments before it could enter into force.

1998 – COP 4 - Buenos Aires, Argentina.

The Buenos Aires Plan of Action linked negotiations on the Protocol´s rules to talks on implementation issues – such as finance and technology transfer – under the umbrella of the Framework Convention.

1999 – COP 5 – Bonn, Germany
2000 – COP 6 – Part I :Den Haag, Netherlands and Part II: Bonn, Germany

Here, the governments struck a political deal – the Bonn agreements – signing off on controversial aspects of the Buenos Aires Plan of Action.

2001 – COP 7 – Marrakesch, Morocco

Here, negotiators built on the Bonn Agreements by adopting a comprehensive package of decisions – known as the Marrakesh Accords – containing more detailed rules for the Kyoto Protocol.

2002 - COP 8 - New Delhi, India
2003 – COP 9 – Milan, Italy
2004 – COP10 – Buenos Aires, Argentina