Headed to COP25 climate conference

If your organization is sending a number of delegates I suggest you try to get a wide range of accreditation as possible i.e. NGO, press, delegate from a particular country, or international organization, through various categories accredited by UNFCCC The COP is a big circus of groups and individuals with different agenda and interests. The best badge is to be a member of the delegation from a signatory country of the UNFCCC. This allows you maximum mobility to attend and participate in all types of events including close door meetings where the country is a member i.e. EU, Group of 77 plus China, etc A Press badge often limits the entry to press conference, opening , plenary and side events. It is for this reason a number of NGOs lobbied to be part of the delegation of member country. You may wonder why a very small and poor country could have tens or even close to hundreds of members in their delegation. Normally UN or through one of its agencies pays for only one or two delegates. Depending on the country’s protocol, the consular or embassy official closes to the venue is added to the delegation as often the ministry or department of foreign affairs will have to sign any agreement reached during the COP or MOP subject to review and approval of the higher officials in their capital. Outside the conference venue are often more interesting antics from all sides. This is were you get tents asking people to sign for petitions to ban di-hydrogen oxide, to smashing of effigies and may be XR will come in full force The meeting itself is rather bland as the working papers have been subject of discussions for the last 12 months by the mid level officials and specialists from the member countries then vetted and discussed in the capitals. It is not unusual for the focal agency of COP to present and give a summary of the agreement and critical issues in a cabinet meeting and get instructions before attending the COP and MOP. There will be few “unresolved” issues to keep the media interested and held the NGOs in anxiety that the COP will fail without any agreement. All COPs and MOP will always end with some agreement and some “unresolved issues” to continue and justify the series of meetings by the different working groups for the next next year COP or MOP.