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Foreword
The one hundred pages of this book are in fact a useful Survival Guide for
those approaching climate change negotiations for the first time. It has been
written for developing country delegates, but delegates from other countries
can also profit from its reading the same way that a similar survival guide for
industrialized country delegates would be useful for those coming from developing
countries, because it is necessary to know both sides of the story.
Personal conditions are needed to negotiate and not all qualities described at
the beginning of Part II can be acquired, some of them are congenital.
However the best natural conditions are insufficient if information is lacking
and this book is an excellent summary of information and at the same time a
first class guide to get further and deeper data. Information however, is a continuous
flow and delegates need to be up dated also continuously. Ideas appear
and evolve during meetings and between meetings, "interest grouping" and
"sub grouping" is a permanent exercise and some that seemed relevant before
could disappear or become out of context in a short time.
In a large number of cases, developing country negotiators work in "single person"
delegations and that is difficult and tiring, but having colleagues in the
delegation, all information has to be shared with all of them. The strength of
a team is that of its weaker member.
It is always a must to know and understand the other party's position. Behind
stated positions lies a domestic, regional and international background of
political, economic and social circumstances, which are needed to guess the
other party's bottom line.
Negotiators should analyze controversies and explore the possibility of disentangling
contentious issues looking for new, better and perhaps common
approaches to existing problems. Becoming hostage of a "zero sum" situation
has to be avoided always and it's usually possible to add a new element, and if
necessary, to create a negotiating package. If a party becomes a net loser in the
arrangement, the agreement will neither be stable nor reliable.
Of course I can't say that I agree with all and every line in this book, but I
strongly recommend its reading. It was written in the fairest possible way but
it necessarily includes a perspective because its authors are human beings. I
myself would not be able to produce a perfectly objective piece.
Outsiders may believe that diplomats use tricks and lies or semi lies to induce
others to an agreement. Nothing is more distant to reality. In fact it is possi-ble
to deceive other delegates at some point in time or to cheat in a given circumstance,
but no solid result may be built from that. "Lies have short legs"
as we say in Spanish and in fact any delegate induced to make a mistake, soon-er
or later will realize the situation and react.
On the contrary, to be faithful and loyal pays back very well in my own experience.
I never lied in a negotiation. People may like me or not, but I think
they believe me.
Once again I encourage you to read this book and to contribute with your best
efforts to negotiations, which shall have as the ultimate aim, the enhancement
of human welfare.
Raśl A. Estrada Oyuela
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