He said a core group of countries reached a compromise on a range of issues including indigenous peoples' rights, guidelines for creating protected areas, and governance of access to genetic resources and the sharing of any ensuing wealth.

But the deal, which also detailed plans to monitor progress made under the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), still lacked final clearance from all countries at a full meeting that ran past midnight into early Saturday.

"We're grinding our way through," U.N. spokesman Michael Williams said.

Negotiator Jose Fernandez of Mexico, a country encapsulating the species loss challenge with its huge variety of life set against development and indigenous peoples' rights issues, said all sides could nevertheless cheer the outcome.

"There's something for everyone to be gained in the text we arrived at," he said, highlighting a mandate to start talks governing access to biodiversity and rules on sharing the associated wealth generated.

IGNORANCE

Like host Malaysia, Mexico is one of around a dozen so-called mega-diverse countries around the world that are home to exceptional numbers of species.

But nearly all such nations are developing countries, meaning conservation is not a top priority.

Malaysia's forests harbor rare tigers, orangutans and elephants among 286 identified species of mammal as well as thousands of flowering plants and tens of thousands of invertebrates.

The CBD aims to significantly slow the rate of global species extinctions by 2010, a goal its parties have yet to tie down given universal ignorance over exactly how many different types of animal and plant exist in the world. The talks, on since February 10, came under the convention's broad goals of conserving the planet's variety of life, ensuring the sustainable use of genetic resources and regulating the fair distribution of subsequent benefits.

Togo delegate Mawuli Komi Amegadje said African states particularly would struggle to implement protected areas on a continent where humans struggle in poverty alongside great natural riches.

"The question of the environment has not got a very high priority for African countries. They are more preoccupied by health, poverty and development," he said after the draft deal was done.

Late night sessions during the two-week meeting saw delegates arguing over the best ways to establish and pay for protected areas, while allowing the people living inside or around park boundaries to earn a living.

Delegates also tussled over how to protect knowledge derived from biodiversity, either traditionally held or uncovered by researchers into medicinal plants and foods.