Later, "So decided", Jan Pronk got a standing ovation from delegates from nearly 180 countries. Two other ovations soon followed. It was as if the COP3 Chairman of Kyoto, Raoul Estrada, was honored again.

Actually, Estrada was there, in the Plenary in Bonn.

In a few words, Pronk outlined that without his friend Estrada, the world wouldn't have a Kyoto Protocol, but also not a Bonn decision, to ratify the Protocol in the year 2002.

Again an ovation, this time for former Chairman Estrada.

When comparing Climate Summits, there is at least one big difference between Kyoto and Bonn.

In Kyoto, all major industrialised countries decided to protect the global climate by their commitment to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases by the year 2010.

In Bonn all major industrialised countries, minus one - the world’s largest emitter of greenhouse gases - promised to ratify the Kyoto Protocol in the near future, in order to do what they had decided to do in Kyoto.

It is a shame, say many people from East and West involved in climate matters, that the American President doesn't want to live with the Kyoto Prococol and declared it dead. Nevertheless, as was shown in Bonn, it was merely in a coma and is now more alive than ever.

Back to the Plenary that Monday morning: apart from standing ovations, Pronk was honored with lots of warm words and applause by very many delegates, time and again. In this friendly atmosphere, Pronk only once ordered sharply, in his strong voice, "Order here".