Negotiator's toolkit

This comprehensive knowledge base will help you to understand and navigate multilateral environmental negotiations and related processes.

Negotiator's toolkit

Browse all resources

Resource type

  • Rules of procedure
  • Case studies
  • Manual
  • E-learning course
  • Presentation
  • IISD/ENB summary meeting report

Topics

  • Environmental Governance
  • Climate and Atmosphere
  • Biological diversity
  • Marine and Freshwater

MEAs

  • BBNJ Agreement
  • CBD
  • ICRW
  • Kyoto Protocol
  • UNCLOS
  • UNFCCC

Keywords

Showing 1 - 9 of 13 results
IISD/ENB summary meeting report
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2023

UN Climate Change Conference - United Arab Emirates Nov/Dec 2023

Parties adopted a decision operationalizing the new loss and damage fund and a number of parties announced pledges for its initial capitalization. But negotiations were difficult on the other central outcomes: the first Global Stocktake, the Global Goal on Adaptation

MEAs:
United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
Topics:
Environmental Governance,
Climate and Atmosphere
Keywords:
Adaptation, Climate change, Subsidiary Body for Implementation, Adaptation Fund, Indigenous peoples, Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice, Capacity building, Mitigation, Clean Development Mechanism, Small Island Developing States, Greenhouse gases, Least Developed Countries, Implementation, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, Alliance of Small Island States, Carbon Market
Case studies
|
2023

Decision-Making by Consensus

Examples highlighting how decision-making by consensus is not always straightforward, including a video of the second session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee on plastic pollution (INC-2) showing the Chair's response to a number of points of order raised on this
MEAs:
United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
Topics:
Environmental Governance
Keywords:
Consensus, Voting, Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee, Formal objection
PDF Case-studyVideo Example
doha case study image
Presentation
|
2022

CARICOM Key Principles of Negotiation Training Slides

Training presentation on key principles of MEA negotiation provided by CARICOM to prepare regional negotiators for CBD COP 15.
MEAs:
Convention on Biological Diversity
Topics:
Biological diversity,
Environmental Governance
Keywords:
Binding, Caribbean Community and Common Market, Coalitions, Working group, Resolution, Point of order, African Group of Negotiators, Conference Room Paper, Least Developed Countries, Principle of common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities, Consensus
uncbd caricom training cover
IISD/ENB summary meeting report
|
2022

5th Session of the Intergovernmental Conference (IGC) on the BBNJ

Despite more progress at this two-week session than over the last decade, delegates were unable to reach consensus on a new high seas treaty addressing marine biodiversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction and, instead, suspended the session, to be resumed

MEAs:
Agreement under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas beyond National Jurisdiction
Topics:
Biological diversity,
Marine and Freshwater
Keywords:
Biological diversity, Sustainable use, Regional groups, Consensus, International Agreement, United Nations General Assembly, Environmental Impact Assessment, In situ, Capacity building, Small Island Developing States, Strategic environmental assessment, Mutually Agreed Terms, Traditional Knowledge, World Trade Organization, Precautionary principle, Package deal, Indigenous peoples, Intellectual property rights, World Intellectual Property Organization, Assessed contribution
Manual
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2022

Managing Processes within the Framework of the Convention on Biological Diversity: A Guide for Presiding Officers

MEAs:
Convention on Biological Diversity
Topics:
Biological diversity
Keywords:
Voting, Working group, Biosafety Protocol to the Convention on Biological Diversity, Subsidiary body, Point of order, Amendment, Amendment, Consensus, Negotiating blocs, Secret ballot, Formal objection, Information document, Subsidiary Body for Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice, Financial rules, Compliance Committee, Non-governmental organizations, Small Island Developing States, Subsidiary Body for Implementation
manual cover
E-learning course
|
2022

Online Negotiations

As COVID-19 restrictions made in-person meetings impossible, many United Nations and Multilateral Environmental Agreement (MEA) meetings have moved to a virtual format. This course takes a closer look at how these negotiation processes are dealt with in a virtual context.
Topics:
Environmental Governance
Keywords:
Biosafety Protocol to the Convention on Biological Diversity, COVID-19 pandemic, Meetings, Compliance Committee, Voting, Subsidiary body, Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management, Biosafety, Compliance, Consensus, Multilateral Fund for the Implementation of the Montreal Protocol, Standing Committee, Non-governmental organizations, Regional groups, Economic Commission for Europe, Least Developed Countries
Online negs cover image
Presentation
|
2021

UNEP Training Presentation on Virtual Negotiations

Virtual MEA negotiations training provided by UNEP at the 17th Course on Multilateral Environmental Agreements (University of Eastern Finland – UNEP).
Topics:
Environmental Governance
Keywords:
Meetings, United Nations Environment Programme, Voting, Subsidiary body, Consensus, Standing Committee, Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management, United Nations General Assembly, Compliance
Virtual MEA negotiations presentation.pdfView
virtual negotiations presentation cover
Presentation
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2021

Rules of Procedure and Consensus in MEA Negotiations: UNEP Training Slides

Topics:
Environmental Governance
Keywords:
Consensus, Voting, United Nations Environment Programme, Point of order, Conference Room Paper
rop presentation cover
Case studies
|
2019

Marine Biological Diversity of Areas beyond National Jurisdiction

Negotiation simulation exercise undertaken during the University of Eastern Finland – UNEP Course on Multilateral Environmental Agreements in 2019.
MEAs:
United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea
Topics:
Marine and Freshwater
Keywords:
Biological diversity, Climate change, Environmental Impact Assessment, Sustainable development, United Nations Environment Programme, International Agreement, Sustainable use, Indigenous peoples, United Nations General Assembly, Clearing House Mechanism, Ecosystem services, Greenhouse gases, Land Use, Land-Use Change and Forestry, United Nations Conference on the Human Environment, Ecosystem, Open-ended Working Group, Land degradation, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, Mitigation, Our Common Future
bbnj image