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

  • Case studies
  • Presentation
  • IISD/ENB summary meeting report

Topics

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

MEAs

  • Barcelona Convention
  • Basel Convention
  • BBNJ Agreement
  • CBD
  • Convention on Civil Liability for Oil Pollution Damage resulting from Exploration for and Exploitation of Seabed Mineral Resources
  • Minamata Convention on Mercury
  • Montreal Protocol
  • Rotterdam Convention
  • Stockholm Convention
  • UNCLOS
  • UNFCCC

Keywords

Showing 1 - 9 of 24 results
IISD/ENB summary meeting report
|
2023

5th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Minamata Convention on Mercury

Parties took crucial steps toward eliminating mercury pollution, including by adopting decisions on: new dates to phase out mercury-added products including cosmetics, strengthened ties with Indigenous Peoples, the Convention’s first effectiveness evaluation, and a threshold for mercury waste, which will

MEAs:
Minamata Convention on Mercury
Topics:
Environmental Governance,
Chemicals and Waste
Keywords:
Wastes, Indigenous peoples, Capacity building, European Union, African Group of Negotiators, Global Environment Facility, Best available technique, Global Biodiversity Forum, Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, Trust fund, Environmentally Sound Management, Technology Transfer, Financial rules, Group of Latin American and Caribbean States, Mutually Agreed Terms
Presentation
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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
IISD/ENB summary meeting report
|
2022

4th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Minamata Convention on Mercury (2nd Part)

Parties adopted 12 decisions, including on artisanal and small-scale mining, phasing out products containing mercury, waste containing mercury, and the effectiveness evaluation of the Convention, that have set the course of implementation of the Minamata Convention in the years to

MEAs:
Minamata Convention on Mercury
Topics:
Chemicals and Waste
Keywords:
Wastes, Implementation, Meetings, European Union, Capacity building, Indigenous peoples, United Nations Environment Programme, Financial rules, Group of Latin American and Caribbean States, Subsidiary body, African Group of Negotiators
IISD/ENB summary meeting report
|
2022

4th Session of the Intergovernmental Conference (IGC) on the BBNJ

At the most productive meeting so far, “unprecedented progress” was made in discussions on marine genetic resources, including benefit sharing, area-based management tools, including marine protected areas, environmental impact assessments, and capacity building and the transfer of marine technology.

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:
Environmental Impact Assessment, Regional groups, Capacity building, Sustainable use, International Agreement, Listing, Traditional Knowledge, United Nations General Assembly, Mutually Agreed Terms, Technology Transfer, Indigenous peoples, Biological diversity, Financial rules, In situ, Strategic environmental assessment, Assessed contribution, Compliance Committee, Precautionary principle, Small Island Developing States
IISD/ENB summary meeting report
|
2021

Barcelona Convention COP 22

As well as the landmark decision on controlling sulphur oxide emissions—which will have major health and environmental benefits for Mediterranean communities—COP 22 adopted several significant plans.

MEAs:
Barcelona Convention
Topics:
Biological diversity,
Marine and Freshwater,
Climate and Atmosphere
Keywords:
Compliance Committee, European Union, Implementation, Biological diversity, International Maritime Organization, Ecosystem approach, Climate change, Environmental Impact Assessment, Habitat, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, Amendment, Amendment, Non-governmental organizations, Memorandum of Understanding, Sustainable development, Capacity building, Hazardous wastes, International Organization, United Nations Environment Programme, European Commission
IISD/ENB summary meeting report
|
2021

Combined 12th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Vienna Convention (Part II) and 33rd Meeting of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol

Delegates discussed closing gaps in monitoring of ozone depleting substances as well as low global-warming potential and energy efficient technologies. They adopted 18 decisions, including on compliance and reporting, to ensure the Convention and the Protocol protect the ozone layer

MEAs:
Montreal Protocol
Topics:
Environmental Governance,
Climate and Atmosphere
Keywords:
Open-ended Working Group, Ozone-depleting substance, Meetings, Climate change, Compliance, Trust fund, Technology and Economic Assessment Panel, European Union, Contribution, Hydrofluorocarbons, African Group of Negotiators, Capacity building
IISD/ENB summary meeting report
|
2020

1st Part of the 26th Annual Session of the International Seabed Authority (ISA)

The Council’s substantive discussions focused on the draft regulations for deep seabed mining, which will need to ensure environmental protection while balancing stakeholders’ interests. Delegates engaged in discussions over new proposals on regional environmental management plans (REMPs) and the financial

Keywords:
International Seabed Authority, Working group, African Group of Negotiators, Environmental Impact Assessment, Open-ended Working Group
IISD/ENB summary meeting report
|
2019

Chile/Madrid Climate Change Conference - December 2019

Disconnects between the demands of people, science, and what the process could deliver—and between countries that want to look to the future and those focused on the past—ultimately undermined the ability for the Chile/Madrid Climate Change Conference to deliver, despite

MEAs:
United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
Topics:
Environmental Governance,
Climate and Atmosphere
Keywords:
Climate change, Subsidiary Body for Implementation, Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice, African Group of Negotiators, Adaptation, Adaptation Fund, Greenhouse gases, Indigenous peoples, Alliance of Small Island States, Global Environment Facility, Least Developed Countries, Capacity building