192 countries around the world have joined an international treaty that sets general goals and rules for confronting climate change.

The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The Convention has the goal of preventing "dangerous" human interference with the climate system.

Bodies of the Framework Convention, actors in the negotiation process, and the UNFCCC Secretariat. The functioning of the Convention depends on a series of groups and agencies. They operate at the centre of a lively debate.

The Rio Conventions. The UNFCCC was one of three conventions adopted at the 1992 "Rio Earth Summit." The others -- the Convention on Biological Diversity and the Convention to Combat Desertification -- involve matters strongly affected by climate change. Attempts are being made to coordinate the work of the three agreements.