‘Political agreement’ was the word of the day in late briefings yesterday and continuing today. Its definition varies from country to country.
For the United States, it means an agreement that President Obama can sign when he comes next week with the full expectation that the United States will honor its terms even without Congressional action. While the preference is for adoption by the Congress by simple majority votes as legislation (as opposed to ratification by the Senate as a treaty with a 2/3 vote), Parties have been assured that President Obama can implement his commitments without Congressional action.
A serious and growing issue remains the role of the UN in monitoring, verifying, and enforcing emissions reductions commitments. African countries have taken a high profile and vocal role in opposing early proposals for an supervising entity outside of the UN. So far, the United States remains firm on its pre-conference position regarding a newly created structure outside of the UN for monitoring and enforcement. Most regard this issue as one of the most significant impediments to a political agreement at COP-15.