Ségolène Royal confirmed as new president of COP21 climate talks

The French Minister of Ecology, Sustainable Development and Energy, Ségolène Royal, has been confirmed as the new President of the COP21 UN climate negotiations.

Ms Royal will oversee the formal signing of the historic Paris Agreement after taking over from Laurent Fabius.

Mr Fabius, who previously served as France’s minister of justice, presided over the COP21 meeting in Paris in December but resigned from the post this week after being appointed by President Francois Hollande to head the country's constitutional court.

Royal’s role as President of the COP21 talks will run until the COP22 conference begins in Marrakech in November and she will help to guide the process towards a successful meeting in Morocco.

Royal’s main task as COP21 President will be overseeing the ratification process of the Paris Agreement which is due to be signed by 195 UN member states in April.

The formal signing ceremony is scheduled to take place in New York and the agreement will be officially ratified with at least 55 signatories.

Addressing the media, Royal she would work to ensure that all nations "ratify the agreement, sign this agreement, implement the decisions in their domestic policies to permit a fight against global warming."