Table of Contents
Preface Main Page
Foreword

Part 1 The Negotiating Context
1. The Climate Change Problem
 2. The Climate Convention
and the Kyoto Protocol
3. The Bodies in the Regime
4. The Rules of Procedure
5. State and Non-State Actors
6. Coalitions in the Climate
Change Regime
7. The G-77 and China

Part 2 Negotiating Skills
8. The Ideal Negotiator
 9. The Handicapped Negotiator
10. Coping Strategies
11. Tips and Tricks for the
Lonely Diplomat
 12. Index to the FCCC
 13. References




Part I: The Negotiating Context
5. State and Non-State Actors
State actors / Non-state actors / Tips and tricks


5.3 Tips and tricks

Because there are literally thousands of participants at these meetings, it is important not to feel isolated and unimportant in the process. It is easy to feel overwhelmed by the number of people, the number of stands of NGOs and other organizations, the number of rooms involved in the process and by the decisive way everybody appears to be knowing exactly what to do and where to go. Don't let that fool you. Most are as lost as you are and are trying to pretend that they are comfortable. If this is your first visit to the negotiations, it may be useful to know that country tables are arranged alphabetically in the plenary rooms and it is handy to know where colleagues from other countries will be sitting. Some tips and tricks are:

  • Find your country, regional or international NGOs; they sit at the back of the room. They may be willing to explain terms, texts and help you find other delegates with similar negotiating positions.

  • The names used by industry can be misleading; for example, the Global Climate Coalition is a coalition that demands more and more scientific evidence of climate change, as opposed to demanding precautionary action. Sometimes, businesses become members of "green" coalitions and then influence the policies of these coalitions to an extent that they are no longer green and focused. This is a trend to watch out for.

  • Female delegates may often feel more isolated since there are not many women negotiators. Sometimes it helps to find other women negotiators to compare notes and to develop a strategy for coping with the negotiations.
    For more information read:
    TERI (1998). Climate Change: Post-Kyoto Perspectives from the South, Tata Energy Research Institute, New Delhi.

    CSE (1998). South Asia Statement: Towards an Atmosphere that Belongs to All, CSE Dossier, October 24, New Delhi.

    For more information visit: Search for climate change on the WBCSD site: http://www.wbcsd.ch/websearc.htm Check out this page for a list of NGOs in the South (too many to list them!) www.worldbank.org click here

    IISD site on key organizations working in research and action for sustainable development: http://iisd.ca/ic/

    ENDA (Dakar): http://www.enda.sn/

    Climate Action Network: http://www.igc.org/climate/Eco.html

    WWF: http://www.wwf.org/

    IPCC: http://www.ipcc.ch/

    "What is the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change?," Resources for the Future ­ Weathervane http://www.weathervane.rff.org/
    negtable/02backintergov.html

    Pew Center reports: http://www.pewclimate.org/projects/index.html

    GCC: http://www.globalclimate.org