The United Nations Marrakech climate conference has met all its targets and "exceeded expectations," said Moroccan Foreign Minister Salaheddine Mezouar on Thursday.

"This COP (Conference of Parties) is different from all those that preceded it, and is a demonstration of commitment at all levels, as confirmed by the presence of more than 70 Heads of state and government" at the high-level segment of this global event, said Mezouar following a meeting with UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

Mezouar, president of the current UN conference, also welcomed the commitment of non-state actors and the "achievements" made since the entry into force of the landmark Paris Agreement.

The conference, due to conclude Friday, "marks a turning point in the implementation of the international community's commitments and in the mobilization of initiatives," he said.

The Moroccan presidency will continue, throughout the next year, its work in favor of mobilizing and facilitating access to finance to help implement projects, he said.

The conference, which opened in the southern Moroccan city of Marrakech 10 days ago, has brought together thousands of government officials as well as representatives from international organizations, civil society and businesses. It aims to work out rules for the implementation of the Paris Agreement.

Some delegates also spoke positively about the achievements of the Marrakech conference, the first of its kind after the Paris Agreement entered into force in early November.

Leon Charles, chief negotiator of the Alliance of Small Island States, told reporters that the most important achievement of this meeting is the operationalization of the Paris Agreement and the adoption of an agenda to this effect.

"We are very pleased that CAM1 (the first meeting of the parties to the Paris Agreement) has been convened and adopted its agenda. This is an extremely significant step because there were options on the table that could have sidetracked the convening of CAM1," he said.

The convening of CAM1 and the operationalization of the Paris Agreement are a major achievement for which this climate conference will be remembered, Charles said.

"We started to work on all major issues mandated by the Paris Agreement and got our work off with a steady start," he added.