“On Behalf of My Delegation,...”

The document serves as a 'Survival Guide' for developing country climate negotiators, combining an overview of the international climate regime with strategic advice on negotiating skills. It details the structure of the UNFCCC and Kyoto Protocol, the role of formal and informal bodies, and the dynamics of negotiating blocs like the G-77. A significant portion of the text is dedicated to the challenges faced by 'handicapped' negotiators—those with limited domestic mandates or resources—and offers specific coping strategies for drafting, speaking, and coalition-building to increase their influence in a process often dominated by developed nations.

• The international climate regime is primarily governed by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (FCCC 1992) and the Kyoto Protocol (KP 1997), with decisions made by the annual Conference of the Parties (COP).
• A substantial amount of climate negotiation occurs in informal settings—such as contact groups, corridor work, and 'non-groups'—which often lack transparency and translation facilities, making them difficult for non-English speakers to access.
• Developing country negotiators often suffer from a 'hollow negotiating mandate,' characterized by a lack of clear domestic ideological frameworks, insufficient scientific support, and a lack of political backing from national industry or social groups.
• The G-77 and China serves as a critical coalition for developing countries to pool resources and increase leverage, though it faces internal challenges due to the diverse economic statuses of its members and a tendency toward 'lowest common denominator' positions.
• Negotiators from developing countries frequently employ a 'defensive negotiating strategy,' which involves reacting to proposals from developed countries and focusing on 'damage control' rather than proposing new, constructive solutions.
• The Kyoto Protocol contains 'loopholes'—including variable base years, sinks, and flexibility mechanisms like Joint Implementation (JI), the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), and Emission Trading (ET)—that may diminish its actual impact on greenhouse gas concentrations.
• To overcome limited negotiating power, the guide recommends 'integrative bargaining,' where negotiators develop packages of linked issues to create mutual concessions, rather than relying on 'distributive bargaining' (win-lose situations).
• Non-state actors, particularly environmental NGOs like the Climate Action Network (CAN), influence negotiations by raising public awareness, monitoring government work, and providing technical assistance to small island states.

APA

Gupta, J. (2000). “On Behalf of My Delegation,...”. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/my_delegation_en.pdf

Chicago

Gupta, Joyeeta. “On Behalf of My Delegation,...”. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2000. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/my_delegation_en.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Gupta |first1=Joyeeta |title=“On Behalf of My Delegation,...” |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=2000 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/my_delegation_en.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{gupta2000behalf, author = {Gupta, Joyeeta}, title = {{“On Behalf of My Delegation,...”}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2000}, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/my_delegation_en.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }