The intergovernmental negotiation process primarily encompasses the Conference of the Parties (COP), the Meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol (CMP), Subsidiary Bodies meetings and a series of workshops.

The COP is the "supreme body" of the Convention. The CMP is the "supreme body" of the Kyoto Protocol. The Convention established two permanent subsidiary bodies: the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice (SBSTA) and the Subsidiary Body for Implementation (SBI).