What is the role of the COP host government?
The host government provides premises and facilities, equipment, utilities and services for the COP. This includes translation services for all six working languages of the UN and making sure that facilities for media representatives are available. It also includes security for the COP outside of the core "blue zone" of the meeting, which is secured by UN staff. The host government also provides leadership on engaging governments and non-Party stakeholders to ensure a smooth preparation and delivery of successful COPs.
What is the role of the COP President?
At COPs, the COP President ensures the observance of rules of procedure and works with country delegations to reach consensus on key issues. The role of the incoming COP President – the COP President-designate - includes raising ambition to tackle climate change internationally. The Presidency works to develop effective international relationships with countries, institutions, businesses and stakeholders to achieve the necessary commitments in advance of and at COP. The role also includes developing a vision for the best possible outcome of the meeting.
How is the host country of the conference selected?
Regional group members hold consultations to determine which country from their region will make an offer to host a conference. The host country of the COP normally rotates among the five United Nations regional groups (The African Group, the Asia-Pacific Group, the Eastern Europe Group, the Latin American and Caribbean Group (GRULAC) and the Western European and Others Group (WEOG)). Once agreed, the country selected by the regional group to host the conference sends its offer formally to the UNFCCC secretariat. The COP considers the offers and adopts a decision, usually titled “Dates and Venues of Future Sessions”, accepting the offer, subject to confirmation by the Bureau of the COP. The secretariat then undertakes a fact-finding mission to the prospective host country to determine that all “logistical, technical and financial elements for hosting the sessions are available” and reports back to the Bureau, early at the start of the year.
How is the COP President selected?
The regional group members of the host region hold consultations to agree on the representative of a country who will be nominated for election as President-designate. Once agreed, the chair of that regional group sends this information formally to the UNFCCC secretariat. At the opening of each COP, the candidate nominated is elected President.
Does UNFCCC have a conflict of interest policy relating to the selection of the President?
Are COP Presidencies and COP host countries always the same?
It is usually the country holding the COP Presidency that hosts the conference. However, if there is no offer to host, the default site is the seat of the secretariat in Bonn, Germany. In the case of several conferences a country that held the COP Presidency did not host the conference itself. For example, the Government of Fiji held the Presidency of COP 23 while the conference was held in Bonn for logistical reasons. Additionally, Chile retained the Presidency for COP 25 although the conference had to be relocated to Madrid, Spain, shortly before the conference was scheduled to take place.