A Technical Note on the Brazilian negotiation strategy at Rio+20
Sergio Abranches
How to postpone decisions and yet have an outcome? The Brazilian strategy at Rio+20 was a model of strategic postponing of substantive decisions on a multilateral political setting marked by polarized conflict. More »
Sergio Abranches
With too much to decide and little time to deal with sticking issues, negotiators are streamlining the draft of resolutions and replacing decisions by a framework for future negotiations. It is very likely that the strategy negotiators are now pursuing at Rio+20 will be very similar to the one adopted in Durban, at the climate change talks in COP17. More »
Sergio Abranches
A few sticking points are blocking the way to a satisfactory deal on Rio+20’s resolutions. Unresolved divergencies on some central points make it almost sure negotiations will not succeed before the preparatory committee meeting (prepcom) closes at the end of the day tomorrow. More »
Sergio Abranches
Today has began the final meeting of Rio+20 preparatory committee. Negotiators arriving at the Riocentro convention center already know they have to do in seven days what they weren’t able to accomplish in several weeks at the “informal-informal” consultations in New York City. The deal is not done, the core of the resolution remains without an agreement. They are expected to deliver a fully agreed, and minimally significant document of resolutions to the chiefs of state by June 20. More »
Sergio Abranches
Rio+20’s agenda is very broad, and delegates will have very little time to deal with all the issues. Negotiators have lost several weeks quarreling over almost every paragraph of a draft of resolutions to end up with 80 messy pages, 75% of which bracketed, i.e. undecided. More »
Sergio Abranches
Rio+20 can still arrive at a relevant outcome in spite of the dismal results of three rounds of negotiation at the United Nations headquarters in New York. But this outcome will certainly fall short of expectations and scientific requirements. The most a meeting with the characteristics of Rio+20 could achieve is to decide on a set of minimum ground rules for countries to build the architecture for a future green, low-carbon, low ecological footprint economy. More »
