Taking Forward Negotiations on Cooperation with Other International Organizations Under the UNFCCC Discussion Paper

Negotiations on cooperation with other international organizations at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) 31st Conference of Parties (COP31) in November come at a time of growing recognition that climate change, biodiversity loss, and land degradation are deeply interconnected and cannot be addressed effectively through fragmented international processes. There is a need for a more coherent and coordinated approaches to implementation across the Rio Conventions—the UNFCCC, Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), and the UN Convention to Combat Desertificiation (UNCCD)—and other multilateral environmental agreements (MEAs).

2026 presents a political opportunity to move the debate forward. This “triple COP” year for the three Rio Conventions coincides with wider efforts to deliver on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and advance consideration of what a post-2030 development framework could look like—including through the UN Expert Group on Climate-SDG Synergies. It also overlaps with ongoing discussions under the UN’s system-wide reform plan (the UN80 Initiative). Specifically, it connects to UN80’s “Work Package 27” (WP27) on environment. Together, these processes need to effectively respond to calls for stronger international cooperation and more integrated implementation approaches.

While support for a synergistic approach to climate action is growing, institutional fragmentation remains a significant challenge and initial findings under WP27 have identified the Rio Conventions as a particular opportunity for improved coherence. Countries continue to navigate overlapping reporting requirements, separate workstreams, and parallel implementation processes across conventions that often pursue related objectives. For many developing countries and smaller delegations, these duplications create administrative burdens that strain already limited technical and financial capacities.

There is already a basis for stronger cooperation between the UNFCCC and other MEAs. Given the wider context of reforms under UN80 and widespread budget cuts, there may value in further enhancing policy coherence and cooperation across convesions. Parties could push for further cooperation while still respecting the distinct legal mandates, governance arrangements, and decision-making aurthority of each Convention, and while fitting within existing resources If there is political will, the discussions at COP31 could provide an opportunity to move beyond general calls for enhanced coordination toward more practical cooperation, such as reducing reporting burdens for countries across Conventions and strengthening existing cooperative activities through the Joint Liaison Group of Rio Convention Secretariats (JLG) and across UNFCCC workstreams.