Cooperation with relevant international organizations, such as with scientific bodies, UN agencies and other conventions, is an important dimension of the Convention process. The Convention itself calls on the COP to "seek and utilize … the services and cooperation of, and information provided by, competent international organizations and intergovernmental and non-governmental bodies" (Article 7.2 (l)). The aim is to ensure that the Convention process has the best scientific and other relevant information available. The COP and its subsidiary bodies also seek to ensure that the climate change related activities of other international organizations are coherent with the Convention process and respond to the needs of the Parties, and that potential linkages and synergies with climate change related matters are appropriately taken into account.

Relevant linkages relate, for example, to cross-cutting thematic areas and activities under the three Rio Conventions (the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) and the UNFCCC), relating to, for example, technology transfer, education and outreach, research and systematic observation, capacity-building, reporting, impacts and adaptation. 

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At SBSTA 10 (June 1999), the UNFCCC secretariat was encouraged to explore possible ways of strengthening cooperation with the other Rio Convention secretariats on issues of common interest. Since then, cooperation with other conventions has become an integral part of the SBSTA agenda. Initiatives taken include the preparation of technical papers and reports that consider the interlinkages between climate change, biodiversity and desertification. At SBSTA 14 (August 2001), the formation of a Joint Liaison Group (JLG) between the secretariats of the CBD, the UNCCD and the UNFCCC was endorsed, with the aim of enhancing coordination between the three conventions and exploring options for further cooperation. The secretariat regularly informs the SBSTA on the activities of the JLG. 

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At SBSTA 30, the Executive Secretary provided information on cooperative activities and efforts by United Nations entities and intergovernmental organizations to address climate change and to contribute to the work of the Convention.  These include activities undertaken under the Joint Liaison Group between the CBD, the UNCCD and the UNFCCC.

The SBSTA noted statements by representatives of the secretariat for the Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer and its Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer (the Ozone secretariat), the CBD and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change on their activities and efforts to address climate change and on their contributions to the work of the Convention.

With reference to the information provided by the Executive Secretary, the SBSTA requested the secretariat to prepare, before sessions at which that agenda item is taken up, an information paper summarizing relevant cooperative activities, to enable Parties to comment on this information, as appropriate (FCCC/SBSTA/2009/3, paras 126-128)).