China, India, Brazil and South Africa, which make up the so-called BASIC Group, Sunday underscored their support to the Copenhagen Accord on climate change while calling on developed countries to implement the US$10 billion pledge to the least developed countries and small island developing states to fight global warming.

In a joint statement issued at the conclusion of the second meeting of ministers of BASIC Group, the four countries' ministers underlined the importance of the Copenhagen Accord as representing a high level political understanding among the participants on some of the contentious issues of climate change negotiations.

They also expressed their hope that this would facilitate the on-going negotiations and lead to a successful conclusion of the negotiations in Mexico by the end of the year.

The ministers also underscored the centrality of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) process and the decision of the parties to carry forward negotiations on the two tracks of Ad hoc Working Group on Long-term Cooperation Action and Ad hoc Working Group on further emission reduction commitments for Annex I Parties under the Kyoto Protocol in 2010, which they hoped would lead to the 16th Conference of the Parties under the UNFCCC in Mexico in December.

They called on Denmark, chair of the Conference of Parties, to convene at least five meetings of the working groups before the Mexico Conference.

(Xinhua News Agency January 25, 2010)