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  (FCCC/SBSTA/1999/6, paras 15-22), SBSTA requested the secretariat to continue to explore with international organizations other areas where their expertise and resources could support the various work programmes under the Convention process, and to inform it at subsequent sessions on progress achieved; the secretariat was also encouraged to explore possible ways of strengthening cooperation with the other Rio Convention secretariats on issues of common interest.

Since then, cooperation with other international organizations has become an integral part of the SBSTA agenda. Initiatives taken include the cooperation with other Conventions’ secretariats in the preparation of technical papers and reports that consider the interlinkages between climate change, biodiversity and desertification.

At SBSTA 14 (FCCC/SBSTA/2001/2, paras 39-42) 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.

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Following the request made at SBSTA 30, at SBSTA 42, the secretariat prepared a document (FCCC/SBSTA/2015/INF.3) containing information on relevant activities in which the secretariat had been involved with other intergovernmental organizations. SBSTA 42 welcomed the document and reaffirmed the importance of the secretariat engaging with other intergovernmental organizations as appropriate, in particular United Nations entities, with the aim of focusing on actions that support the effective implementation of the Convention and its Kyoto Protocol as well as of recent UNFCCC decisions (FCCC/SBSTA/2015/2, paras 86-89)