Setting clear roles and responsibilities between ministries at least a year before negotiations helps build a unified team and draw on each ministry’s strengths.

No climate COP is only about climate. The negotiations are part of a much larger web of geopolitics and shifting international power relations. That’s why the climate negotiations also have to be treated through a foreign policy lens.

In most COP presidencies, the environment and foreign ministries work side by side. Each brings distinct strengths. The environment ministry brings subject matter expertise and often leads on domestic climate policy, while the foreign ministry brings diplomatic reach and experience in managing high-level international engagement. Your Presidency might also choose to closely involve the business ministry, the finance ministry and even the transport and health ministries.

To establish a constructive working relationship, it’s important to clarify roles and responsibilities at least a year in advance of the conference itself. 

Establish a clear structure that works for you, whether that’s led by one ministry or an executive COP team with representatives from different ministries. The important thing is to ensure everyone understands their roles, responsibilities and mandates and how the collaboration across ministries will work in practice. 

All governments have internal political and personal conflicts. That’s normal. Part of the challenge for you is to ensure they don’t spill over into your Presidency. Different people will inevitably have different views about how to best run a COP. That’s where it becomes particularly important to make decisions as a unified team. It is normally important to establish very clear lines of accountability right up to the head of state, so that decisions about difficult trade-offs can be taken at the appropriate level and escalated where necessary. 

When France prepared COP21, they built on their tradition of interministerial work to bring teams from multiple ministries together into one common team. The smaller teams maintained their attachment to their original ministries but worked together as one. This enabled them to centralise a clear set of instructions and mandates while structuring their work into specific focus areas such as diplomacy, negotiations and finance. In this way, they managed to make everyone pull in the same direction by drawing on their respective strengths.  

Key questions to consider:

• Who in your government has the diplomatic and subject matter expertise you need? 

• Which ministries need to be at the table from the start? Are they genuinely included?

• What structures will help you make joint decisions while staying agile?

• How can you build a sense of shared purpose even when ministries have different working styles and priorities?

The host country of a COP has to play a politically sensitive dual role as the Presidency and as a party to the convention. You must ensure the dividing lines between the two roles are clear so your Presidency maintains its credibility as a neutral broker of the UNFCCC process on behalf of all its parties.

The role of the Presidency is to serve the UNFCCC process and its aims. That means members of the Presidency must disassociate themselves from national interests during their term as President and act as neutral brokers who steer the multilateral negotiations toward the advancement of climate action and policy worldwide. 

The Presidency and the national delegation play different roles. The delegation speaks on behalf of the host country during negotiations. The Presidency represents all parties and is responsible for supporting a fair and inclusive process. This is a politically sensitive dual role. When the lines blur, it can damage trust among parties. Keeping these roles separate but aligned is essential to maintaining credibility. 

Past presidencies found that when their roles and responsibilities were clearly defined, they could manage negotiations with more clarity and confidence. When there were too many grey areas, confusion sometimes led to mistrust among other parties.

There are different approaches to managing this balance. Countries like the Netherlands (COP6) and France (COP21) worked with two distinct teams, while countries like the UAE (COP28) and the UK (COP26) operated under a CEO who oversaw both. 

The Presidency relies on the Secretariat’s institutional knowledge to prepare negotiations, manage the technical process and advise on procedure. Mutual respect, strong alignment and clear communication are the building blocks for a constructive relationship. This increases your chances of delivering on your goals.

The UNFCCC Secretariat — including the chairs of its two permanent subsidiary bodies — is one of the Presidency’s most important partners. The Presidency sets the political direction and strategy for a COP, but it relies on the Secretariat to manage the technical process, advise on procedure and flag potential risks. 

The Secretariat brings deep institutional knowledge and a clear understanding of the process that it has built up over decades of running COPs. In contrast, for most presidencies, it's a one-off event (having hosted three times, Poland has the record of hosting the most COPs). 

While the Secretariat does not lead the Presidency, its support is essential for a smooth and credible delivery. This includes supporting the Presidency in formulating its goals and priorities, managing negotiation timelines and preparing the agenda. 

Past presidencies recommend building this relationship as early as possible and describe the most effective presidencies as those that worked in close partnership with the Secretariat long before the COP itself. 

Such collaboration can include sharing calendars, aligning strategies and holding joint planning meetings. Regular, senior-level check-ins and clear lines of contact help avoid miscommunication and allow both teams to plan ahead. The Secretariat will also brief the key decision makers in the host government on where they may be able to find compromises for the various agenda items. 

As an example, the French COP21 Presidency made regular visits to the Secretariat’s headquarters in Bonn in the year leading up to the conference. They frequently discussed approaches to strategic timetables ahead of and during the conference, which enabled them to work together in a strategic and coordinated manner. 

Embedding staff from the Secretariat into the Presidency team, even temporarily, can also improve collaboration and reduce duplication. 

Questions to consider:

• Has the Presidency team built regular contact points with the Secretariat at both senior and working levels?

• Are responsibilities clearly agreed for agenda-setting, event planning and negotiation choreography?

• Is there a system for sharing political and technical updates in real time between the presidency and the Secretariat?

• Have you created opportunities to learn from Secretariat staff, including by inviting them into key planning discussions?

The COP President is the central political figure of the presidency. They must be seen as a credible, impartial leader with the authority to convene, the willingness to listen and the skills to guide the process. Early selection and strong backing across government are critical to their success.

The COP President is the public face of the Presidency and the steward of the negotiations. The President does not need to be a climate expert, but they do need to understand how to manage multilateral negotiations, build consensus and lead under pressure. 

During the COP, the President will spend a lot of time talking to parties, coordinating with the Secretariat and suggesting ways forward. 

Experience in international relations, multilateral processes or domestic political leadership can all be valuable. Choosing someone who holds sufficient political weight at home is also important, as the role will require support from across the government and close coordination with senior domestic and international stakeholders. Above all, the President must be seen as competent, fair and able to listen. 

Past presidencies agree that selecting the right person early and giving them the space to grow into the role made a critical difference. 

If the President is new to the UNFCCC process, they will need time to learn about it in sufficient depth to lead the negotiations effectively. One benefit of selecting your COP President before the preceding COP is that they get a chance to attend the conference, experience the process firsthand and start to build the key relationships.

In collaboration with their Presidency team, the President also needs time to build relationships with key stakeholders such as the Secretariat and parties to the UNFCCC.

While the President cannot realistically visit each party ahead of the negotiations, it’s a wise investment of time to build connections in person where possible. There are multiple multilateral events in the international climate calendar outside of the COP. A COP President will find parties tend to be more willing to share their thoughts freely with them if they’re seen to be taking the time to travel to their countries. Unless the host country was awarded the Presidency late, these meetings should usually start at least a year before the negotiations.

Parties are more likely to trust the process and find common ground when they feel the President has listened to their ambitions and concerns. In practice, this can in some cases even extend to agreeing to drop key negotiating demands if they feel that the President has handled negotiations in a fair and transparent way.

Questions to consider:

• Does the chosen candidate have the political credibility and interpersonal skills to build trust internationally?

• Are they available and supported to lead for the full year, and for prior preparations, not just during the COP itself?

• Will they have a clear mandate and strong backing from the highest levels of government?

A strong Presidency team brings together subject matter expertise, diplomatic skill and the ability to lead under pressure. Drawing from across ministries and sectors ensures broader perspectives and a deeper bench of experience when it matters most.

Selecting the right team is one of the most important early decisions in the COP year. 

Your Presidency team needs a diverse skill set to help advance technical negotiations, lead high-level diplomatic engagements and navigate geopolitical shifts. It calls for people who are politically astute and able to navigate internal government systems, the global climate process and the geopolitical context it’s placed within.

You’ll need subject matter experts who can lead the technical work and generalists who can navigate the bigger picture and bridge these different elements. 

Past presidencies found that the most effective teams brought together environment ministry officials with deep subject matter knowledge and foreign ministry staff with diplomatic experience and international networks. Some also included secondees from other departments, external advisors or individuals who had worked on previous presidencies.

Having people with sufficient political weight inside your own government can help you mobilise the resources and support you need. It’s valuable to have a core team that has seen what a COP looks like and already understands the process well.

Negotiations are talks between people, so personality matters, too. When a likeable, trustworthy and charismatic personality is combined with the right skills and competencies, you have a good chance of building connections and belief. 

Ahead of COP16 in Cancún, Mexico, negotiators noticed how other delegations spoke highly of the people in the Mexican presidency team.  This helped create a shared sense of belief among parties that the COP was in safe hands and would be successful. 

Questions to consider:

• Are you bringing together a mix of climate, diplomatic and operational experience?

• Do you have people on your team with experience of the UNFCCC process?

• Are you drawing from across your government and, where useful, from outside it?

A clear structure makes it easier to lead, delegate and respond as a team. It helps the Presidency stay coordinated, move at pace and avoid confusion as the pressure builds.

Any successful Presidency needs a structure that allows its members to work together effectively. This means deciding how your team will be organised, who will lead which areas and how decisions will be made and communicated. 

There are many ways to approach this task, and there’s no one-size-fits-all solution. Incoming presidencies can learn from their predecessors but ultimately have to adapt to their own needs, strengths and priorities.

As an example, France divided its COP21 Presidency team into two broad groups, with one focusing on logistics and the other on the substance of the negotiations. 

The latter was further organised into sub-teams on topics like diplomacy, the action agenda and finance. Those sub-teams worked together under a single set of instructions and mandates. 

The UAE’s COP28 Presidency team was structured in three comparatively independent teams focusing on negotiations, diplomacy and action partnerships respectively.

At minimum, the structure should include distinct leads for diplomatic strategy, negotiation coordination, logistics and operations, stakeholder engagement and communications. It should also include clear reporting lines to the COP President, with space for regular cross-cutting coordination. Some presidencies also set up dedicated units for finance, legal advice or second-week negotiation choreography.

The structure should match the scale of your Presidency’s ambition, whilst being flexible enough to adapt as political demands evolve throughout the year.

Past presidencies have found that when these choices are made early and reviewed regularly, the team is more confident, responsive and able to deliver under pressure.

Questions to consider:

• Have you defined core functions and appointed senior leads for each?

• Do you have a central team or secretariat to manage coordination across workstreams?

• Are reporting and decision-making lines clearly communicated to everyone involved?

• Can your structure adapt quickly if priorities or circumstances shift?

Presidency teams operate under pressure and often in unfamiliar territory. Targeted preparation helps teams build trust, understand the process and navigate key political moments. Well-prepared teams are better able to lead with confidence and credibility.

Once your team is in place, investing in training and preparation will help them deliver under pressure. The pace of a COP year is intense. Political windows open and close quickly, and your team needs to be ready to move when it matters.

Training spans everything from basic climate science and UNFCCC jargon to detailed run-throughs of past COP negotiations.

Shared induction sessions, formal training, negotiation simulations, scenario planning and tailored workshops are just some of the ways to build that capacity. Giving your more senior team members the chance to partake in multilateral fora on climate before negotiations is also a good way of preparing them for the tone, challenges and possible compromises. Bringing in veterans from previous COPs or the UNFCCC Secretariat can also provide valuable insight and help you avoid common pitfalls. 

Training is not just for new or junior staff. It can also help manage any blind spots or knowledge gaps senior diplomats or subject matter experts may have — especially if they’re new to the UNFCCC process.

Here are some questions you can consider:

• Have you provided comprehensive onboarding for all core staff, including those seconded from other ministries?

• Are there opportunities for team members to deepen their knowledge of the UNFCCC process?

• Have you prepared your team to manage difficult moments, including political setbacks or negotiation deadlock?

• Which experienced figures might you bring in to help train your staff?

In order of appearance. 

1. UNclimatechange, Flickr (2024) COP 29/CMP 19/CMA 6 closing plenary

2. UNclimatechange, Flickr. (2017) First working meeting with the incoming COP23 presidency

3. UNclimatechange, Flickr (2019) Day 3 - April 3rd

All under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0 license.