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| Cartagena Dialogue | |
|---|---|
| Name | Cartagena Dialogue |
| Formation | 2009 |
| Type | Non-state diplomatic initiative |
| Headquarters | Cartagena, Colombia |
| Region served | Latin America and Caribbean; global outreach |
| Languages | Spanish, English |
| Leader title | Coordinators |
Cartagena Dialogue is an informal platform of negotiators, policymakers, scientists and civil society actors that seeks to bridge positions among states in international climate negotiations. Founded in 2009, it convenes participants from Latin America and the Caribbean, Europe, Africa, and Asia to shape multilateral discussions under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change process. The Dialogue is notable for bringing together representatives from delegations to the Conference of the Parties and allied non-state networks to advance common positions on mitigation, adaptation, finance and transparency.
The Cartagena Dialogue originated out of preparatory conversations prior to the United Nations Climate Change Conference, Copenhagen 2009 among negotiators from countries concerned with the outcome of the Copenhagen Accord and the broader Kyoto Protocol negotiations. Early meetings included participants who had roles in delegations to the Conference of the Parties and the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice, alongside members of the World Resources Institute and International Institute for Environment and Development. The group convened in Cartagena, Colombia soon after the 2009 summit to form a regular forum that could coordinate positions ahead of subsequent summits such as the United Nations Climate Change Conference, Cancun 2010 and United Nations Climate Change Conference, Paris 2015.
Over time the Dialogue evolved from an ad hoc gathering into a structured but non-binding forum that seeks to influence texts emerging from the Ad Hoc Working Group on the Durban Platform for Enhanced Action and later the implementation tracks established by the Paris Agreement. Prominent participants have included negotiators who also engaged in the G77 and China consultations, the Alliance of Small Island States, the European Union negotiating team, and policy experts affiliated with COP26 planning circles.
The Cartagena Dialogue's stated objectives emphasize pragmatic convergence on issues central to multilateral climate accords, including mitigation ambition, adaptation needs, and the mobilization of climate finance. It promotes principles of differentiation drawn from the Common but Differentiated Responsibilities and Respective Capabilities concept as articulated in UNFCCC texts, while seeking workable compromises with parties advocating for binding targets such as proponents of the Kyoto Protocol second commitment period. The Dialogue supports transparency frameworks compatible with the Paris Agreement enhanced reporting mechanisms and engages with mechanisms related to the Green Climate Fund and market instruments linked to Article 6 of the Paris Agreement. It frames policy discussion in ways intended to be compatible with positions taken by delegations to the Conference of the Parties and technical bodies such as the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.
Membership comprises a mix of current and former negotiators from national delegations, representatives of regional blocs such as the Caribbean Community and the Mercosur, and subject-matter experts from organizations including Conservation International, Natural Resources Defense Council, and academic centers like Universidad Nacional de Colombia. Participants have included negotiators from countries across Latin America and the Caribbean as well as allies from Norway, Switzerland, United Kingdom, Germany, Japan, and New Zealand. Observers and contributors have included officials from multilateral institutions such as the World Bank, the Inter-American Development Bank, and representatives of the Green Climate Fund. Civil society partners have encompassed members of 350.org, WWF, and regional research networks.
The Dialogue’s inaugural meeting in Cartagena, Colombia set the pattern of pre-COP and intersessional convenings aimed at crafting negotiating text inputs prior to major UNFCCC events. Notable milestones include coordinated positions that surfaced during the run-up to the Cancun Agreements at COP16, contributions to architecture discussions ahead of COP21 that shaped negotiating coalitions on Nationally Determined Contributions, and interventions during the operationalization of the Paris Rulebook between 2016 and 2018. The Cartagena Dialogue held strategy sessions adjacent to the United Nations Climate Change Conference, Glasgow 2021 (COP26) intersessionals to address transparency and market rules under Article 6; it has also convened workshops involving legal experts who previously worked on the Aarhus Convention and emissions trading designs like those implemented in the European Union Emissions Trading System.
While informal, the Cartagena Dialogue has exercised soft influence by facilitating consensus-building among mid-sized delegations and by enabling cross-fertilization between delegations from Latin America and the Caribbean and technical partners from Europe and North America. Its drafting inputs and position papers have been cited in negotiating rooms alongside submissions from coalitions such as the Like-Minded Developing Countries and technical briefs circulated by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. The Dialogue’s emphasis on compatible transparency frameworks and pragmatic finance pathways helped shape elements of the Paris Agreement implementation, particularly in discussions that linked Nationally Determined Contributions to reporting and finance pipelines managed by institutions like the Green Climate Fund and the Global Environment Facility.
Critics argue the Dialogue’s informal nature can obscure accountability and privilege negotiators from better-resourced delegations and allied think tanks such as the World Resources Institute, ClimateWorks Foundation, and large NGOs. Some members of the G77 and China and advocates from the Alliance of Small Island States have occasionally questioned whether the platform dilutes demands for legally binding obligations reminiscent of the Kyoto Protocol. Transparency advocates have raised concerns about the influence of private funders and donors associated with actors like the Bloomberg Philanthropies model and the role of carbon market proponents tied to private sector coalitions. Defenders counter that the Dialogue's convening power advances compromise and constructive input into multilateral texts at Conference of the Parties meetings.
Category:International climate change organizations