Simone Lawson
Green room diplomacy refers to small, informal meetings of high-level officials, which are not listed on public schedules. The term comes from the informal name of the director-general's conference room at the World Trade Organization (WTO). Green room meetings are designed to facilitate consensus-building among large groups of countries. However, they have faced criticism for their lack of transparency and tendency to favour large, high-income member countries.
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What You'll Learn
- Green Room meetings are small gatherings of representatives from up to 30 member countries
- These meetings are designed to provide a basis for a consensus on critical negotiating issues
- Green Room diplomacy has been criticised for favouring large and high-income member countries
- NGOs are suspicious of Green Room diplomacy, believing it to be reminiscent of detrimental backdoor dealings
- Green Room meetings are sometimes held in place of text-based negotiations
Green Room meetings are small gatherings of representatives from up to 30 member countries
The term "Green Room" is derived from the informal name of the director-general's conference room. These meetings typically involve 20-40 delegations, often including heads of delegations. While they usually take place at the WTO, they can also occur at other venues, such as Ministerial Conferences. The minister chairing the conference or the director-general can convene these meetings.
Green Room meetings have been criticised for favouring representation from large and high-income member countries. This has led to concerns about their impact on the decision-making process within the WTO and sparked debates about the need for reform. Some observers perceive them as undemocratic and detrimental to transparency.
However, proponents argue that Green Room meetings are necessary for consensus-building in a large organisation like the WTO. They provide a platform for informal consultations, allowing participants to freely express their differences and negotiate complex trade issues more efficiently. While the meetings are not listed on the daily programme available to the public, delegates emphasise that no secret drafts are prepared during these gatherings.
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These meetings are designed to provide a basis for a consensus on critical negotiating issues
Green Room Diplomacy refers to small, informal gatherings of representatives from member countries, usually comprising 20–40 delegates, often at the level of heads of delegations. These meetings are designed to provide a basis for a consensus on critical negotiating issues.
The phrase "Green Room" is derived from the informal name of the director-general's conference room. These meetings can also take place elsewhere, such as at Ministerial Conferences, and can be called by the minister chairing the conference or the director-general.
Green Room meetings are typically attended by representatives from up to 30 member countries, who are invited by the Director-General. They are designed to facilitate consensus-building on critical negotiating issues, which can then be presented to the larger group of WTO members as a whole.
While these meetings can be productive, they have faced criticism for favouring representation from large and high-income member countries. This has led to concerns about their impact on the decision-making process within the WTO and has sparked discussions about the need for reform.
Some observers have also questioned the democratic nature of these meetings, arguing that they should be eliminated, especially as trade negotiations become more complex.
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Green Room diplomacy has been criticised for favouring large and high-income member countries
Green Room Diplomacy refers to small, informal gatherings of representatives from member countries, usually no more than 30. These meetings are typically held at the invitation of a Director-General, and they are designed to facilitate consensus-building on critical negotiating issues. The Green Room meetings are meant to be a precursor to larger, formal discussions involving the entire membership of an organisation.
Green Room Diplomacy has been a feature of many international organisations, including the World Trade Organization (WTO). WTO's decision-making process relies on consensus among its entire membership, which, as of 2008, stood at 153 countries. The Green Room process has played a significant role in conducting trade negotiations, as it would be challenging to rely solely on meetings with the entire negotiating groups or the entire membership.
However, Green Room Diplomacy has faced criticism for allegedly favouring large and high-income member countries. This criticism is levelled at both the selection of participants and the content of the discussions. The selection of participants has been criticised for disproportionately representing advanced economies, with developing countries being underrepresented or excluded. This imbalance in representation can influence the negotiation outcomes, potentially marginalising the interests of developing nations.
The content of the discussions has also been called into question. For example, during climate talks, critics have argued that key issues, such as mitigation targets, are discussed in these informal sessions, while more technical aspects are left for official channels. This has led to concerns about transparency and the potential for "'backdoor dealings' that may not align with the interests of all members.
The criticism of Green Room Diplomacy highlights the challenges of consensus-building in large, diverse organisations. While Green Room meetings can facilitate consensus by providing a more intimate setting for discussions, the potential for favouritism and power imbalances among members exists. Reform efforts have been proposed to address these concerns, aiming for more inclusive and transparent processes that better serve the interests of all members, especially developing countries.
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NGOs are suspicious of Green Room diplomacy, believing it to be reminiscent of detrimental backdoor dealings
Green Room Diplomacy refers to small, informal gatherings of representatives from member countries of the World Trade Organization (WTO). These meetings are usually attended by 20 to 40 delegates, often at the level of heads of delegations, and are convened by the Director-General or the minister chairing a conference. The purpose of these meetings is to build consensus on critical negotiating issues that can then be presented to the broader WTO membership.
While Green Room meetings are intended to facilitate decision-making in a large organization like the WTO, they have been criticized for their lack of transparency and their tendency to favor representation from large and high-income countries. This has led to concerns about the undemocratic nature of these meetings and their potential to marginalize developing countries.
Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) have expressed suspicion about Green Room diplomacy, particularly in the context of climate talks. They argue that these informal sessions allow for key issues, such as mitigation targets, to be discussed outside of the official channels, while more technical aspects are left for the formal negotiations. This was highlighted by Meena Raman of the Third World Network, who pointed out the non-transparent nature of these meetings and the confusion they can cause among negotiators themselves.
The existence of such informal gatherings is reminiscent of detrimental backdoor dealings that have occurred in the past, such as during the negotiations leading to the Copenhagen Accord. In that instance, countries like Cuba and Venezuela were left out of the meeting between the US and BRIC countries (India, China, South Africa, and Brazil). This has led to concerns about the representativeness of these informal discussions and the potential for them to undermine the interests of certain countries or civil society.
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Green Room meetings are sometimes held in place of text-based negotiations
Green Room meetings are small gatherings of representatives from up to 30 member countries, invited by the Director-General of the World Trade Organization (WTO). They are held to facilitate consensus-building on critical negotiating issues that can be presented to the entire WTO membership. These meetings are sometimes held in place of text-based negotiations, which are the formal discussions that follow a predetermined script.
The Green Room, also known as the director-general's conference room, hosts informal discussions that can involve 20-40 delegations, usually consisting of high-ranking officials. These meetings are often convened at Ministerial Conferences and can be called by either the minister chairing the conference or the director-general.
The Green Room meetings have been criticized for their lack of transparency and their tendency to favour representation from large and high-income member countries. Meena Raman of the Third World Network expressed concern that key issues were being discussed in these informal sessions, while more technical aspects were left for the official channels. NGOs have also criticized the exclusivity of these meetings, arguing that they resemble backdoor dealings that were detrimental to past negotiations, such as those during Copenhagen.
However, delegates attending these informal talks defend their participation, stating that there is nothing wrong with holding informal consultations. They argue that it is easier to address differences and speak freely in smaller settings. Additionally, they assert that no secret drafts are being prepared during these "green room" meetings, and they are not listed in the daily programme of work accessible to the public.
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Frequently asked questions
Green room diplomacy refers to the practice of holding informal negotiations in the director-general's conference room, often involving small groups of high-level representatives from various countries or organisations.
The term "green room" is derived from the informal name of the director-general's conference room.
Green room meetings facilitate consensus-building by providing a platform for discussions on critical negotiating issues. They allow for more flexibility and freedom of speech compared to formal negotiations.
Green room diplomacy has been criticised for its lack of transparency and inclusivity. Some argue that it favours large and high-income countries, marginalising developing nations and potentially leading to backroom deals that compromise the interests of certain parties.
