Negotiating Transparency Behind Closed Doors: Ironically Ill-Suited Approach to Ongoing Climate Negotiations

The authors criticize the UN climate secretariat for holding meetings behind closed doors in Bonn, Germany, where rules for transparency under the Paris Agreement were discussed. They argue that excluding non-state actors—including NGOs, academics, and local governments—erodes the trust and accountability necessary for the agreement's success and limits the technical quality of the resulting rules. The document calls for the inclusion of civil society in future thematic discussions, specifically those on adaptation scheduled for May.

• The Paris Agreement relies on two primary mechanisms to increase climate ambition: promoting transparency to build trust among nations and recognizing the complementary role of non-state actors, such as municipalities, researchers, and businesses, in decarbonization.
• During a UN meeting in Bonn, Germany, involving over 100 governments, representatives from civil society and research institutions were denied access to discussions regarding the rules for transparency and monitoring of climate actions.
• The exclusion of non-governmental experts is viewed as detrimental because these actors provide essential technical expertise, public accountability, and monitoring of emissions reductions and financial support.

APA

Duyck, S., & Hmaidan, W. (2017). Negotiating Transparency Behind Closed Doors: Ironically Ill-Suited Approach to Ongoing Climate Negotiations. Center for International Environmental Law. https://www.ciel.org/negotiating-transparency-behind-closed-doors-ironically-ill-suited-approach-ongoing-climate-negotiations/

Chicago

Duyck, Sébastien, and Wael Hmaidan. Negotiating Transparency Behind Closed Doors: Ironically Ill-Suited Approach to Ongoing Climate Negotiations. Center for International Environmental Law, 2017. https://www.ciel.org/negotiating-transparency-behind-closed-doors-ironically-ill-suited-approach-ongoing-climate-negotiations/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Duyck |first1=Sébastien |last2=Hmaidan |first2=Wael |title=Negotiating Transparency Behind Closed Doors: Ironically Ill-Suited Approach to Ongoing Climate Negotiations |publisher=Center for International Environmental Law |date=22 March 2017 |url=https://www.ciel.org/negotiating-transparency-behind-closed-doors-ironically-ill-suited-approach-ongoing-climate-negotiations/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{duyck2017negotiating, author = {Duyck, Sébastien and Hmaidan, Wael}, title = {{Negotiating Transparency Behind Closed Doors: Ironically Ill-Suited Approach to Ongoing Climate Negotiations}}, publisher = {Center for International Environmental Law}, year = {2017}, month = mar, url = {https://www.ciel.org/negotiating-transparency-behind-closed-doors-ironically-ill-suited-approach-ongoing-climate-negotiations/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }