CONFERENCE OF PARTIES AND SECRETARIAT TO UNFCCC: AN ORGANIZATION

Abstract

International Organizations play a crucial role in promoting international peace, security, cooperation, and sustainable development. The United Nations, as the foremost global organization, has established several institutional mechanisms to address contemporary global challenges, including environmental degradation and climate change. Climate change has emerged as one of the most significant environmental issues affecting the global community, necessitating collective international action. In response, international legal frameworks such as the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the Kyoto Protocol, and the Paris Agreement have been adopted to mitigate and adapt to climate change impacts. The UNFCCC establishes an elaborate institutional framework consisting of the Conference of Parties (COP), the Secretariat, subsidiary bodies for scientific, technological, and implementation-related matters, and a financial mechanism. These bodies collectively facilitate intergovernmental cooperation, policy formulation, and implementation of climate-related commitments. Despite their extensive roles, the UNFCCC and its bodies are not explicitly recognized as international organizations under the Convention. This paper critically examines whether the principal bodies of the UNFCCC, particularly the Conference of Parties and the Secretariat, possess the characteristics of International Organizations. It analyses the provisions of the UNFCCC to understand the powers, functions, and institutional structure of these bodies and compares them with the functional attributes of established international organizations. The COP exercises decision-making authority, oversees financial mechanisms, establishes scientific and technical bodies, and monitors the implementation of commitments under the Convention. The Secretariat, serving as the administrative and operational hub, effectively functions as the headquarters of the COP. Supported by major international organizations such as UNEP and WMO, and recognized by institutions like the OECD for its role in international rule-making, the COP and the Secretariat of the UNFCCC exhibit essential characteristics of International Organizations. Accordingly, these bodies function as effective international organizations playing a vital role in global climate governance.