Effective Participation by Developing Countries in International Governance and Institutions

This paper questions how effective developing countries can be in multilateral negotiations.

This paper first looks at the broader equity issues surrounding the climate change negotiations, and then focuses on the poverty and social development issues.

This report forms part of an ODI project to assist developing countries participate effectively in international climate change negotiations. It presents the overall likely effects of climate change, as well as mitigation and adaptation efforts in developing countries, highlighting the particular vulnerability of the poor.

To date, Guyana cannot be said to have taken full advantage of its environmental bounty and it is possible that climate change could provide the cutting edge for an environmental industry (eco-tourism, alternative energy, non-timber forestry, bio-pharmaceuticals, organic agriculture etc.). For this to happen, there will have to be an improvement in the profile of environmental policy, converting it from a collection of measures imposed or promoted by donor agencies and NGOs to an integral component of social and economic policy and programmes.

This paper tests the hypotheses that: • The outcomes of international negotiations are not pre-determined by the relative power of countries, and more particularly that developing countries can affect the outcomes. The study of the outcomes of previous negotiations will cover this. • There are replicable lessons, for developing countries’ institutions and perhaps for donors; the lessons, particularly on the potential roles of inter-country alliances or mobilisation and representation of national interests, may be different for small countries and large; for those with and without effective representation of national interests. • More structures or formal institutional arrangements, providing information and analysis on a more systematic basis on how international negotiations might affect national interests, can improve the quality of participation and negotiating success.

This paper shows there are major challenges for effective participation in the UNFCCC negotiations by developing countries. The first problem is the sheer complexity of the issues, both technical and political, which make it more difficult to negotiate climate change issues in a transparent and democratic way. The big decisions are made behind closed doors, although the COP still has to ratify them.

Assessing Bolivia’s negotiating capacity through the context of international trade negotiations at the GATT and WTO.

This report forms part of a wider study on effective negotiations by developing countries in trade organisations particularly GATT and the WTO, and in Multilateral Environmental Agreements, particularly the UNFCCC which includes cases studies of three developing countries: Bolivia, Ghana and Zimbabwe.

How and when can participation by economically and politically weak countries influence the results? what are the conditions which influence how countries participate, and how they succeed? are there lessons, for other countries, for the international institutions themselves, or for donors deciding how to target assistance, from the success of some countries, and the failures of others?

A study of the manner and extent of involvement of Zimbabwe in international negotiations and associated institutions, with the aim of enhancing the effectiveness of participation by these countries in this arena.