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resident Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono opened the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) global ministerial forum here Wednesday, calling on participants to make the most of the 11th Special Session of the Governing Council/Global Ministerial Forum.

Yudhoyono urged participants to seek the best possible way to achieve a legally binding climate change treaty at the upcoming conference in Mexico. "With the end of the *Kyoto Protocol climate change treaty* commitment getting nearer, we cannot wait any longer," he said in his speech.

The treaty's first commitment ends in 2012, but the UN Copenhagen summit last December failed to come up with a binding commitment to replace Kyoto or set a new deadline to agree on a new treaty.

What the summit produced was a non-binding accord signed by dozens of countries, including Indonesia. The Indonesian government is slated to host an informal meeting to talk on climate change issues on Friday, aiming to rebuild trust among developed and developing countries after the Copenhagen fallout.

Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa said the forum was part of preparations to make sure the Mexico climate change conference was successful.

"Indonesia believes this UNEP Governing Council meeting is an opportunity we have to take to share our thoughts informally on joint efforts to make the meeting in Mexico this year a success," Marty said in his opening speech.

The failure at Copenhagen was reportedly the real reason behind the resignation of the executive secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), Yvo de Boer, effective as of July 1. De Boer is scheduled to attend Friday's informal meeting.

Attending the Governing Council Forum are more than 1,200 participants from 140 countries, including up to 30 minister-level officials. The forum will discuss, among others issues, environment governance, green economics, biodiversity and ecosystem issues.

Yudhoyono was also honored with the UNEP Award for Leadership in Promoting Ocean and Marine Conservation and Management for "personally spearheading" the Coral Triangle Initiative - the high-level political commitments between governments of several countries around the Coral Triangle area to safeguard the region's marine and coastal biological resources for the sustainable growth and prosperity of present and future generations.

Indonesia also plans to push for the Manado Ocean Declaration to be adopted in the forum's decision.