The Organization of Global Negotiations

9

Negotiating Arenas

… one of the central organizational problems [is] almost always to strike … a balance between a large, formal ‘debating society’ in which all sovereign states are allowed to participate on a full and equal basis, and a smaller, informal setup, where most of the collective learning process goes on, where solutions are tested and finally agreed on before being referred to the plenary (Freymond, 1991, p130).

Introduction

Like all complex multilateral processes, the climate change negotiations play out in a variety of arenas, from the formality and ceremony of the COP plenary, to the chaotic frenzy of behind the scenes deal-making. The choice of arenas throughout a negotiation, and how these arenas are managed both individually ...