Background

With the implementation of the Paris Agreement gaining momentum, there is a growing need to translate global climate commitments into concrete national actions. Achieving this requires empowered stakeholders who understand the UNFCCC intergovernmental process and can engage effectively in international negotiations.

Since the seventh session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 7) in Marrakech (2001), strengthening the capacity of climate negotiators has been a core focus of the UNFCCC framework. The UNFCCC Regional Collaboration Centres (RCCs) play a vital role in delivering targeted capacity-building activities, engaging policymakers, negotiators, legal experts, and legislators, and aligning regional contexts with global priorities, as outlined in the 2024–2025 RCC workplan.

Recognizing the importance of informed and inclusive participation, SBI 62 requested the secretariat to support Party delegates—particularly youth delegates—in building their capacity to engage in the negotiation process and to make training materials available on the UNFCCC website (AIM conclusions, para. 35 (b)).

In this context, the pilot training on Capacity-Building for Negotiators (CB4N) will take place from 17 to 20 September 2025 in Nairobi, Kenya, in collaboration with the African Group of Negotiators Experts Support (AGNES) and the Centre for Multilateral Negotiations (CEMUNE). The training will adopt a Training-of-Trainers (ToT) approach to enhance the capacities of African negotiators and to test and validate the proposed capacity-building methodology. The outcomes will help refine future programming and support the development of online resources for sustained global rollout.

Objectives

• Enhance the capacities of African negotiators.

• Exchange knowledge on the UNFCCC process.

• Validate the proposed approach and methodology for the CB4N project.

• Test key training modules with a representative group of stakeholders.

• Assess regional needs and gather feedback to tailor the full-scale programme.

• Strengthen RCC involvement through the Training-of-Trainers approach.

Participants

• Selected negotiators from Africa nominated by AGNES and the RCC.

• UNFCCC secretariat staff from RCCs, ISCP, LA, and other relevant divisions.