17 October 2016, Bangkok, Thailand: The second Senior Negotiators Seminar: “Refining Our Negotiation Skills” took place in Bangkok, led by UNDP, UN Environment and UNITAR. LDC representatives  advanced their skills in international diplomacy, negotiating and team-building skills. The meeting took place at a crucial time before the 22nd Conference of Parties to the UNFCCC (COP22) in Marrakesh and the first meeting of the Parties to the Paris Agreement (CMA1). It fostered the cohesion and unity of the group of climate change negotiators from least developed counties (LDCs) in their preparation for the COP 22.

“The challenges [for the LDC climate change negotiators] are many”, said the current Chair of the LDC Climate Change Group, Tosi Mpanu Mpanu, “having a very strong preparation ahead of the negotiation sessions as well as having a strong coordination among the members of the group is crucial for each LDC to participate efficiently”.

The October seminar served as a forum for the LDC group coordinators and other lead negotiators to come together and reflect on key negotiating skills and techniques pertinent to the preparatory phases of the negotiations (such as drafting plenary statements and preparation of submissions) as well as the variety of meetings and interventions that take place during the negotiations themselves (such as participating in bilateral meetings and chairing sessions).

The welcoming remarks of the seminar were kindly delivered by Ms. Kanchana Patarachoke, the deputy General Director in the Foreign Affairs of Thailand, current Chair of the G77 group, Mr. Gordon Johnson, Regional Practice Leader of Environment and Energy of UNDP Asia Pacific and Mr. Mozaharul Alam, the regional climate change coordinator for Asia and the Pacific region of UNEP. All of them welcomed the participants from over 35 LDCs and inaugurated the seminar, noting the special context of the early coming into force of the Paris Agreement.

> Find out more about the event and watch testimonies from the participants