Brazil, South Africa, India and China, which are jointly known as the BASIC countries, underscored the importance of an effective & legally binding second commitment period of Kyoto Protocol.

Climate change officials from the BASIC countries yesterday held a meeting at Beijing in China and declared that Kyoto Protocol would remain an important point of negotiations in Doha. The 18th Conference of Parties is all set to start in Doha on Monday.

The climate change officials underlined the importance of an effective and legally binding second commitment period of Kyoto Protocol through an amendment implemented from January 2013 to 2020.

A joint statement issued by the group stated, "Ministers confirmed their understanding that developed countries that are not Parties to the Kyoto Protocol or do not participate in its second commitment period would not benefit from the Clean Development Mechanism of the Kyoto Protocol."

The statement also urged the developed countries to take the lead in adaptation, finance, transfer of technology as well as capacity building.

Meanwhile, India is expected to adopt a tough negotiation approach the climate change negotiations at Doha. India wants developed countries to adopt emission limitation commitments as listed in the "Annex B" of the Kyoto Protocol by the end of this year unconditionally.