Conference of the Parties (COP) Decisions: Scope and Limits

The document distinguishes between actions a COP can take via decisions—such as guidance, implementation, and budgets—and actions requiring distinct processes like amendments or new protocols, which often take years or decades to ratify. It warns that relying on a general framework to be filled in later with detailed obligations is rarely effective for global agreements. To ensure the efficacy of a future plastics treaty, the author recommends establishing clear voting provisions to avoid the paralysis of default consensus and securing critical obligations in the initial foundation rather than delaying them.

• COP decisions are limited in scope and cannot be used to create or modify Party obligations, nor to create annexes unless they concern procedural, administrative, technical, or scientific issues. Actions that exceed these powers, such as adding Parties or items to annexes, typically require amendments.
• Relying on treaty amendments or new protocols to introduce obligations is often inefficient because these processes generally require a 2/3 or 3/4 majority and can take years or decades to reach the necessary ratification threshold for entry into force.
• For the future plastics treaty, the document advises against adopting a general framework with the intent of adding detailed obligations later, as this approach is rarely effective. It suggests establishing voting provisions to prevent the failure of proposals due to consensus requirements.

APA

Center for International Environmental Law (2024). Conference of the Parties (COP) Decisions: Scope and Limits. https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Visual_Scope-and-Limits-of-COP-Decisions.pdf

Chicago

Center for International Environmental Law. Conference of the Parties (COP) Decisions: Scope and Limits. 2024. https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Visual_Scope-and-Limits-of-COP-Decisions.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Center for International Environmental Law |title=Conference of the Parties (COP) Decisions: Scope and Limits |date=2024 |url=https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Visual_Scope-and-Limits-of-COP-Decisions.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{centerforinternationalenvironmentallaw2024conference, author = {{Center for International Environmental Law}}, title = {{Conference of the Parties (COP) Decisions: Scope and Limits}}, institution = {Center for International Environmental Law}, year = {2024}, url = {https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Visual_Scope-and-Limits-of-COP-Decisions.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }