The Paris Agreement on climate change will gain the backing it needs to enter into force by the end of this year, UN Secretary-General announced at a special event to speed entry into force of the agreement on Wednesday, TIME reports.

This will mean the historic climate accord will enter into force barely a year after it was negotiated and adopted in Paris, an amount of time that many consider remarkable in its speed. Wednesday’s event welcomed formal joining by 31 countries.

Together with previous announcements, the total number of nations to formally join the Paris Agreement is now at 60 countries representing 48% of global emissions. This means that the accord has met the first requirement for entry into force — joining on by at least 55 countries — and is within 8 percentage points of meeting the second requirement — joining by countries representing at least 55% of global emissions.

“This momentum is remarkable,” the Secretary-General said in a statement. It can sometimes take years or even decades for a treaty to enter into force…This is a testament to the urgency of the crisis we all face.”