« Au nom de ma délégation, … » Guide de survie des négociateurs des pays en développement sur le climat

The document serves as a 'survival guide' for diplomats from the Global South, addressing the systemic disadvantages they face in climate negotiations. It covers the scientific and political context of climate change, the legal structures of the UNFCCC and Kyoto Protocol, and the operational mechanics of UN conferences. A significant portion of the text is dedicated to the 'art of negotiating,' analyzing why developing nations often suffer from 'hollow mandates' and a lack of bargaining power. It offers strategic advice on forming coalitions, such as the G-77, and provides technical tips on drafting texts, using procedural motions, and managing the pressures of international diplomacy.

• Developing country negotiators often operate with a 'hollow negotiation mandate,' characterized by ideological uncertainty regarding sustainable development, a lack of domestic scientific data, and minimal support from national industry or social groups.
• The lack of a clear national mandate and difficulty in forming cohesive coalitions lead to a 'defensive strategy' where negotiators improvise, avoid proposing new ideas, and focus on 'limiting damage' rather than maximizing benefits.
• International climate negotiations are often non-transparent, with critical agreements reached in informal 'back-channel' settings—such as lunches or late-night calls—rather than in official plenary sessions.
• The G-77 and China serve as a primary coalition to amplify the bargaining power of the South, though the group faces internal challenges due to vast economic disparities among members and diverging national interests.
• The Kyoto Protocol's goal of reducing Annex I emissions by at least 5% relative to 1990 levels is viewed as an important first step, but potentially insufficient to stabilize greenhouse gas concentrations due to 'loopholes' like flexibility mechanisms and carbon sinks.
• Developing countries hold a simple majority in UN voting, but developed nations prefer consensus-based decision-making to avoid being outvoted by the larger number of Global South states.
• Effective negotiation requires a 'conciliatory' approach rather than a 'distributive' one, involving the creation of links between different issues to allow for mutual concessions.
• The use of the word 'voluntary' in negotiation texts is often a strategic tool used by developed nations to divide developing countries and avoid binding commitments.

APA

Gupta, J. (2001). « Au nom de ma délégation, … » Guide de survie des négociateurs des pays en développement sur le climat. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/my_delegation_fr.pdf

Chicago

Gupta, Joyeeta. « Au nom de ma délégation, … » Guide de survie des négociateurs des pays en développement sur le climat. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2001. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/my_delegation_fr.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Gupta |first1=Joyeeta |title=« Au nom de ma délégation, … » Guide de survie des négociateurs des pays en développement sur le climat |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=2001 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/my_delegation_fr.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{gupta2001nom, author = {Gupta, Joyeeta}, title = {{« Au nom de ma délégation, … » Guide de survie des négociateurs des pays en développement sur le climat}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2001}, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/my_delegation_fr.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }