Introduction

Parties to the climate change regime are engaged in a continuous round of negotiations, reviewing the implementation of commitments, adjusting existing rules and developing new rules to respond to evolving knowledge and changing circumstances. This negotiation process has become increasingly complex over the past decade, as the number of Parties has risen, the issues on the table have multiplied, and the political profile of climate change has grown. The twice-yearly sessions of the COP/subsidiary bodies, around which the climate change negotiations revolve, are regularly attended by more than 1,000 delegates for subsidiary body sessions, 3–4,000 for COP sessions, and over 5,000 for high profile sessions. These meetings are structured around a crowded agenda, dozens of documents, a plethora of negotiating forums, late nights, and an array of activities on the side by NGOs, IGOs and governments. Moreover, the negotiation process is increasingly spilling out beyond the formal sessions, with a proliferation of workshops and meetings throughout the year.

The formal rules for the conduct of the climate change negotiations are set out in the Convention's Rules of Procedure. A small number of procedural rules are also included in the text of the Convention itself, including rules specifying voting majorities in certain circumstances (e.g. for the adoption of amendments). Further procedural rules have been elaborated through COP decisions, including some applying to the negotiation process in general, and others relating to the specialised bodies.