UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called on all countries attending the COP 28 climate conference to seek compromise as division persists on ending the use of fossil fuels.

Delegates at the COP 28 in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates, continued discussions to strengthen climate measures on Monday, a day before the conference's final day.

Countries are for the first time going through a "global stocktake," which assesses progress in measures against climate change across the world.

Major Western countries, as well as island nations vulnerable to climate effects, are calling for the need to phase out the use of fossil fuel.

But oil producer Saudi Arabia, and also India and China whose economies have grown rapidly, reportedly oppose using the term "phase out" in the agreement.

Guterres held a news conference at the COP28 venue on Monday. Emphasizing the need to accelerate negotiations, he stressed that now is the time for maximum ambition and maximum flexibility, and to seek compromise for solutions.

Observers are waiting to see what wording delegates will incorporate on reducing fossil fuels in their agreement document.