Thus far, the latest assessment indicates that more than 165 countries will sign the landmark accord, setting a record for the most countries to sign an international agreement on one day. The previous record was set in 1982, when 119 countries signed the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, according to un.org.
A signature ceremony will be hosted by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.
All of the world's largest economies and the largest greenhouse gas emitters have indicated that they would sign the agreement on Friday. The signing is the first step towards ensuring that the agreement enters into force as soon as possible. After signing, countries must take the further national or domestic step of accepting or ratifying the agreement.
Read alsoPoroshenko elaborates on basic principles of new Global climate agreementThe agreement will enter into force 30 days after at least 55 countries, accounting for at least 55% of global greenhouse gas emissions, deposit their instruments of ratification or acceptance with the Secretary-General.
There are 13 countries, mostly small island developing States, which are expected to deposit their instruments of ratification immediately after signing the agreement on Friday.
Read alsoU.S., China agree to sign Paris climate change agreement on April 22After signing the agreement, leaders will deliver their national statements, having been asked by the Secretary-General to, among other things, provide an update on how their Governments will implement their national climate plans and integrate them into their overall sustainable development plans; and indicate their Governments' timetable for ratifying the Agreement.
The Paris Agreement was adopted by all 196 Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) at the UN Climate Change Conference in Paris on December 12, 2015. In the Agreement, all countries agreed to work to limit global temperature rise to well below 2 degrees Celsius, and to strive for 1.5 degrees Celsius.
