NEGOTIATION OF GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL INTERESTS OF TREATIES . THE ROLE AND DEVELOPING COUNTRIES LIKE BANGLADESH

This article examines the role of developing countries, with a special focus on Bangladesh, in the negotiation of global environmental treaties. It analyzes the key interests and negotiating positions of the Global South in the major environmental regimes, such as those for climate change (UNFCCC) and biodiversity (CBD). The study explores the formation of negotiating blocs, like the Group of 77 and China, and their strategies for advancing their collective interests. The research focuses on the central North-South fault lines in these negotiations, particularly the debates over historical responsibility, financial assistance, technology transfer, and the principle of "common but differentiated responsibilities." The paper argues that developing countries like Bangladesh, despite their limited individual power, have been able to play a significant and influential role in shaping the outcomes of these negotiations through collective action and moral suasion. The analysis concludes by assessing the challenges and opportunities for the Global South in the future of global environmental governance.

The negotiation of global environmental treaties is a complex process of balancing competing national interests. This paper provides an in-depth analysis of the specific role and interests of developing countries in this process, using Bangladesh as a key example. The study begins by outlining the fundamental asymmetry of the global environmental problem: the developed countries of the North are historically responsible for the bulk of the problem, while the developing countries of the South are often the most vulnerable to its impacts. The core of the article is an examination of how this asymmetry has shaped the negotiating dynamics. It details the formation of the G-77 and China as the primary negotiating bloc for the South and analyzes its core demands. A central focus is the principle of "common but differentiated responsibilities," the cornerstone of the Southern position, which argues that while all countries have a responsibility to protect the environment, the developed countries must take the lead and provide financial and technological support to the developing world. The paper uses the specific case of Bangladesh, a country on the front line of climate change, to illustrate the vital importance of these principles. It analyzes Bangladesh's role within the Least Developed Countries (LDC) group and its advocacy for a strong focus on adaptation and loss and damage in the climate negotiations. The findings show that through skillful coalition-building and by consistently highlighting the justice and equity dimensions of the environmental crisis, developing countries have been able to significantly shape the content of major international environmental treaties.